Ungodly Society

23 January

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

Psalm 1:1

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Proverbs 1:8-19

The psalmist says it shall go well with God's devout servants whose constant endeavor is to progress in the study of His law. Most people derided the conduct of the saints as mere simplicity and regarded their labor as useless. So it was important that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness. This is done, first, by considering the miserable condition of all men who are without the blessing of God. It is supported by the conviction that God favors no one but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of divine truth. Moreover, as corruption has always prevailed in the world to such a degree that the general direction of men's lives is nothing but a continual departure from the law of God, the psalmist admonishes believers to beware of being affected by the ungodliness of the multitude around them. Beginning with a declaration of his abhorrence of the wicked, the psalmist teaches us how impossible it is for anyone to meditate upon God's law without first withdrawing and separating himself from the society of the ungodly. This is surely a needful admonition, for we see how thoughtlessly men will throw themselves into the snares of Satan and how few there are who guard against the enticements of sin.

To be fully apprized of our danger, we must remember that the world is fraught with deadly corruption. The first step to living well is to renounce the company of the ungodly, otherwise their conduct is sure to infect us with its pollution.

John Calvin

FOR MEDITATION: Calvin's comment that it is impossible to meditate upon God's law when surrounded by the ungodly is very applicable today. Cell phones, iPods, e-mail, and other technology can dominate our lives and surround us with ungodly influences. In our use of these technologies, are we taking care to avoid what the psalmist warns us against in Psalm 1:1?

365 Days With Calvin

Selected and Edited by Joel R. Beeke

Love Your Neighbor

...it is well to be reminded of the fundamental truth that the basic principle of the whole law is the love of God, as the Lord teaches us in Matt. 22:37-40, in answer to a question by a lawyer: “Jesus saith unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Although, therefore, there are two tables f the law, the first dealing with our relation to God and the second with our relation to our neighbor, yet the entire law is one. The second table is based upon the first, and can never be separated from it. When the Lord teaches us in Matt. 22:38 and 39 that the great commandment, concerning the love of God, while the second commandment, concerning the love of the neighbor, is like unto first, the meaning is, of course, that the love of God is the principle of the whole law and that without it there is no love of the neighbor possible. The latter is rooted in the love of God. It is evident, therefore, that the law requires that we love the neighbor or God’s sake. Only in this sense may we love the neighbor as ourselves. Just as the law requires that we love ourselves for God’s sake, so we must love the neighbor for His sake only. It is for God’s sake that we must love the neighbor in His relation of authority over us. And for His sake we must be obedient and submit to that authority. For God’s sake we must love the neighbor in his person, and preserve his life. For God’s sake we must love the neighbor in his marriage relation, and not commit adultery. For God’s sake we must love the neighbor in his earthly possessions. And for God’s sake we must love the neighbor in his name. This we must remember, lest in treating the second table of the law we preach to the church of Jesus Christ a code of external precepts, which every man is able to fulfill.
 

This is a not uncommon error.
 

Preachers of the Word, when they proclaim this second table of the law, not infrequently apply it to the world, to human society in general, instead of to the church of Christ. In that case the preaching of the law indeed becomes a matter of common grace, and the sermon becomes a matter of so-called civic righteousness.
 

It is strictly necessary, therefore, to maintain the principle that the second table of the law is rooted in and based on the first. In the world there is, of course, a certain outward morality, a certain external keeping of the second table of the law in favorable circumstances. By natural light the world understands very well that dissoluteness with regard to the law, especially with respect to the second table of the law, leads to self-destruction. They observe clearly that the keeping of the law is profitable for them. Hence, although they often fail in this respect, they make a desperate attempt to observe the precepts of the law, although, of course, not from the principle of the love of God nor for His sake. God is not in all their thoughts. But this is not the purpose of the preaching of the law in the church of Jesus Christ. In the church the law is proclaimed as a guide in the midst of a sinful world for a life and walk of Christian gratitude to God. It is addressed to the believer, and not to the world in general. And therefore, we must remember from the outset that also the second table of the law is based on the love of God.

Herman Hoeksema
The Triple Knowledge, III: 275-276

http://rfpa.org/collections/books-by-herman-hoeksema/products/triple-knowledge-the-volume-2