Week 3 - Psalm 23:3

4/6/2020

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In a comment at the bottom of the page, answer some or all of the questions below:
(Some of this content is taken from the study guide. For more in-depth personal study download the study guide here: STUDY GUIDE )

Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

We began this series confronting the question of whether or not an Old Testament psalm applies to us today. And what we see here is that it clearly does. God has led us in paths of righteousness by way of his Son, Jesus Christ. But he does so for a specific reason.

What does verse 3 list as the reason for the Lord’s shepherding care?

In John 10 we see how Jesus leads us to righteousness. He provides us with a perfect right standing before God, and gives us the fuel to pursue righteous behavior.

John 10:11-18
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

God isn’t after our white-knuckled discipline. He wants to set us free. Our righteousness comes about not by our own efforts, but by the obedience of Jesus Christ. And by faith, his righteousness is counted as our own. That’s what sets us free and fuels our obedience—the free gift of God’s grace.

In what ways have you found yourself resorting to white-knuckled discipline?

How should the truth that Christ purchased your righteousness on the cross change the way you think about obedience? Many think that grace encourages licentiousness. How does a true understanding of God’s grace fuel obedience?

How has the Lord led you in righteousness? How has your life changed as a result of coming to know Christ?

Where do you find yourself discouraged today? What is fueling that discouragement? What ought the gospel fuel in you today?

11 Comments

James Brown link

4/6/2020 12:31:47 pm

Paul writing "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:8. But to be understood with: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15; in context verse 14-16.

Again concerning Shepard-ing and being a sheep. I am in the "body", I am a member of that "body"; [Eph 5:30-33] His body. I am a heir of God a joint-heir with Christ; [Ro 8:14-17]. I was dead but my "life is hid with Christ in God." [Col 3:1-3]. Christ now lives in me [Gal 2:20-21], my "hope of glory." [Col 1:27].

Concerning "obedience"; obedience of, implies law [1 Cor 15:51-58]; law without punishment has no effect [Ro 5:18-21]. Christ took my punishment that I may live free from law, [Galatians 5:1]. It is no longer "have to's" but now it is "get to's". Understanding the difference of "who are you" as opposed to "who you are"; "in HIM."

Concerning "righteousness": He was made sin that I might be made like unto His righteousness in Him; [2 Cor 5:21]. By believing the gospel that Paul presented unto us [1 Corinthians15:1-4] for this "dispensation of the grace of God"; [Eph 3:1-13] I had to die to live; [Gal 2:20-21]. Then I find the benefits of knowing Christ [and believing what is written] in verses such as: Eph 1:3, 2:6, 3:10; Phil 3:19-20; Col 1:5. 1:12-13, 3:1-4.

Learning to think a new way [Ro 12:1-2]. The last question; I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, all things have been made new [2 Cor 5:17-21]. Not to worry and fret of my past mistakes knowing that I am forgiven in Christ [Eph 1:7 and Col 1:14, 1 Jo 2:1-2]]. Not to live as I please but living to glorify Him in all that I say and do which is truly harder [2 Cor 12:9], than trying to obey commands and ordnances; teaching me that He is guiding, teaching, revealing to me what I need when and then providing for my need [Phil 4:19]. I keep pressing on in light of His Word revealed to me through His Word [Phil 3:12-21]. Looking forward to His soon appearing [Titus 2:13] and to be ever with Him [2 Cor 5:1-10].

Renee Stebbeds

4/8/2020 08:15:52 pm

I love all those verses you quoted James. Such truth and encouragement.
Thank you.

Stephanie Bolme

4/8/2020 04:27:56 pm

I was raised Mormon until the age of 13. “Doing” was almost a part of my DNA, and it persisted even after I saved. During my early adult years, I was a part of a church choir. One year, the music pastor decided that we, as a choir, would memorize John 15. Verse 5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Learning this truth was the beginning of switching from “doing” to “being.”

I bear fruit as I abide in Him. I can’t do it on my own no matter how hard I try. He’s not driving us down paths of righteousness, He’s leading us down paths of righteousness. When my focus is on Him, He leads me where He wants me to go in my walk with Him. It’s only when my eyes drift that the burden of “white knuckle discipline” returns.

I think of it this way: I don’t take care of the house, the yards, the grocery shopping, the cooking, etc., in order to become Mark’s wife. I do them because I am his wife. The desire the take care of him and the things he’s provided for me flows out of my relationship with him. The more I know the Lord, the deeper He forges my relationship with Him, the stronger my desire to live a life that pleases Him. One flows from the other. My desire to walk down paths of righteousness isn’t an attempt to become His, it is a result of already being His.

My Mormon Stepdad has made the accusation that the teaching of salvation by grace alone fuels licentiousness. My answer to him is that I seriously question how anyone who truly loves the Lord could treat the sacrifice of Christ so lightly. He died to pay the penalty our sins demand. It’s one thing to stumble in our on-going struggle with the flesh. It’s quite another to say, “I can do whatever I want because God will forgive me.”

Eric Rossman

4/8/2020 04:53:58 pm

If we look at the argument that grace fuels licentiousness, I think we can see that behind that argument, is a belief that God’s commands are rules that he has imposed on us simply for us to earn something in following them. That argument does not see that all commands are summed up in the command to love. For the person then that has this love, the commandments are a joy and a helpful guide in how we better love others and love God.

In this way, without the grace and love of God, it is impossible to follow the commands of God. In fact “following” the commandments out of fear, would not truly be following them, for it would not be out of love.

Galatians 5:13-14
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

God’s amazing grace and love toward us ought to create a love for God and others within us. There is not a single command for believers that is not summed up in loving God and loving others. And we love because he first loved us.

In this the gospel is the only thing that can create obedience. The ultimate source of all love is the only thing that can cause us to walk in love.

So for the person who says “I can do whatever I want and God will forgive me.” The reality is, if you have been transformed by the love of Christ, then more and more what you want ought to be to love God and others. And if that is what you want, his commands become a delight to you. They bring life, and joy, and fruit, even when they are difficult or costly to follow.

4/8/2020 08:22:52 pm

Thank you Eric and Stephanie for those words....
I was raised a Seventh Day Adventist and I too have heard more times than one can count....we’ll i guess that means you can do whatever you want and still make it to heaven?”......
Your words Eric are so true and I am so thankful I came to understand what it truly means to be lead on paths of righteousness...his, not mine.

4/8/2020 09:37:59 pm

This verse particularly spoke to me in the place I am in life at this time.....not a place I would have chosen or guessed I would be in at this age or stage in my life yet....as Matt shared....
”we have been placed on the path or righteousness for HIS name sake.
In my weakness he is still strong, In my frailty he is still powerful, in my lack of faith he is still faithful...God’s Godness is bigger than anything in my life....”

16 years ago at the age of 42, my 53 year old husband passed away from leukemia. I had no children....After much pain, tears and 5 years of just me and the Lord I was able to say with all my heart that as difficult as it was to lose my husband I would not have traded that sweet time of healing and resting and walking with the Lord for anything. And I am trusting that I will be able and actually am already able to say that now on this path the Lord has me on. He is strong, He is faithful, He is all powerful.....I can not be.
It is not easy, nor comfortable, nor enjoyable but it is the path of righteousness He has placed me on and I will rest in that knowledge in the green pastures of sweet fellowship with other saints, by the still waters of of His living water, the word, and even though I have walked through the valley of the shadow of death...he never left me and I look forward to that table he is even now preparing for me in the presence of my enemy/enemies....

4/13/2020 02:16:18 pm

Thanks for sharing Renee. I also keep learning how we can be so thankful for the things that God brings us through trials, even though we don't at all enjoy the trial.

Jessie Litchfield

4/9/2020 02:47:43 pm

I love how Stephanie sums up sanctification and how the Lord changes us, the more we look at Jesus and understand who he is and who we are, the gospel comes into clearer focus and changes our desires and goals. To pursue sin no longer makes sense.

Thank you Renee for your story of how God changed you through suffering. I've also struggled to understand his ways in my own life and how he uses our suffering for good.

To answer the last group of questions, I find myself most susceptible to discouragement when I don’t start the day bringing my heart before the Lord, either through prayer or a disciplined study of his word, so that the truths we’re talking about here are part of how I act and think.

I hate getting up early but giving myself time _ before responsibilities kick in and before I’m distracted by my to-do list or whatever particular feelings I have that day _ allows me to come before God and ask him to lead me through what may come. As pointed out by the lesson and many of you, the gospel allows us this access, and also fuels the desire for his voice to become louder than my own.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8

karan Malpass

4/12/2020 02:15:33 pm

I white knuckle it when I don’t really want to do something he calls me to do, particularly in the area of my idol of comfort. Because I have put my hope in finding comfort, I don’t find joy in exercising, even though I know he’s told me to exercise because it’s a blessing to my body and soul. I struggle to believe that on most days. White knuckling flows out of my unbelief and disordered desire.

He laid down his life for me. That means extraordinary sacrificial effort took place on my behalf to bring me into peace with God, when I didn’t even care it! This has to mean something to me on a grand scale. It can’t remain just a fact I embraced so I can feel righteous about myself in comparison to others. The love behind such actions ought to captivate my heart completely. While I want this to live out of this reality in fullness right now, I still find I wrestle with false loves that cause me to wander foolishly away from the good shepherd. I can either deal with the guilt of my lack of righteousness by striving to follow rules that will get me back on track or face my sin through the grace of gospel forgiveness promised and sins erased while my obedience becomes empowered through dependence. My soul will only rest in the later, otherwise I will strive continually to seek righteousness in my own efforts.

He has changed my desires and revealed himself to me in the process of change. I no longer desire to party in drunkenss. It is more delightful to be filled with his spirit I would have been searching forever for a person to fill my desire to be cared for but Christ revealed his sacrificial care for me. These two desires would have dominated my life leading to ruin by constantly wandering away, but He has led me in paths of righteousness by showing me is faithful care, all for His glory. I can rest in his care rather than demanding it from another source. It feels good in the parts of my life where there isn’t the striving to obey anymore, but not every area of my life is that way. Sanctification is a process

4/13/2020 02:23:21 pm

Sometimes it is hard to understand David's phrases about God's commands, like in Psalm 119:131 where he says:

I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.

There are times where his commandments are a joy to me because of the life they bring. But also times where David's feelings here seems so far from how I feel. The reality is all is commands and things he calls us to are so good, we should be running after them with joy.
So often we fight to cling on to things that continue to rob us from joy.

Laurie Christianson link

4/14/2020 10:03:03 pm

I'm a week late, but needed to respond to these questions because they are so relevant to my struggles!
1) He leads me in paths of righteousness FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. This is so key to my realizing what He is doing! It is for His honor and His glory that He leads me to the still waters and the green pastures and the paths of righteousness, and nothing will bring greater blessing to me than to have His name honored and magnified and glorified. I will rest and be at peace, because it's not about me and trying to prove myself in any way.
2) White knuckling is about trying to either earn my way into God's favor or trying through my performance to keep that favor, forgetting that it was while I was the incredibly wretched person i was before my rescue that His favor was given to me. As therefore you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so WALK in Him. My go-to setting is to run ahead of Him, thinking that I must do that if I don't, He won't approve of me. How sad! This was reinforced by the two churches I attended for 12 years each, and I am soooo grateful for the great teaching and preaching which is correcting this and producing a healthier perspective little by little and day by day.
3) On the cross, every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense on the body of my Savior. I am clean because He has washed me and made me clean by His sacrifice. Obedience is about loving Him so much because I understand what my salvation requires. If that leads to licentiousness, there is a deep misunderstanding about what salvation even is, who really am, and the chasm between me and God that made the death of Jesus necessary.
4) My life was a disaster on so many fronts before Jesus rescued me! I looked ok to those who didn't know me, but there was so much darkness and despair going on, and no hope of any change. There were some immediate changes, but the changes have been gradual and sometimes imperceptible, but the trajectory is sure and steady. Now if I can quit trying to run ahead of my Savior and let Him lead me, perhaps the progress will be accelerated!
5) Sometimes I get discouraged that I still have such knee-jerk reactions to things that anger me or scare me. I feel like I ought to be so much further down the road and shouldn't be succumbing to fleshly reactions. But then I am returning to what I have been learning in Hebrews 2, that it was the suffering of Jesus that has made me His sister and that He is not ashamed of me, even in the midst of my foolishness!

Week 3 - Psalm 23:3

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