A Psalm of David.

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music. 2 I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; 3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.4 A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. 5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. 6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. 8 Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.

Psalm 101 ESV

I love this Psalm, it is truly beautiful. In verse 2 there is a phrase that shows the very foundation of the Psalmist’s mentality. “oh when will you come to me?” This phrase shows how the writer was looking for the Lord, it shows how Jesus Christ was looking for and seeking his father. The attitude of him who seeks first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Seeking God is as much a pursuit of God as a pursuit of His ways, and his life principles. It is not a merely academic or intellectual understanding of God without a personal transformation. The Jesus seeker is being changed and she takes on the ways of God whom she is seeking.

Psalm 101 gives us the Jesus-attitude regarding sin and remaining Holy. God does not wink at sin in disregard. He takes sin seriously. He has also delegated the dealing of sin to his followers and has provided for us in the event that we sin. One way that he has provided for us is through the principle of confession.

It seems to me that repentance and confession of sin one to one another is a lost practice among most Protestant Christians.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. … 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5

Teachings that overlook much scripture teach (without openly saying it) “I am under grace so confession is unnecessary” “it is legalistic to confess sins one to another”. I knew of a pastor who confessed his sin in private, exposing his sin to a brother doing exactly as taught in scripture to another pastor who humiliated him and publically shamed him. It was an awkward display of cruelty and taking advantage of a brother. What a violation of friendship and scriptural precedent. When a brother confesses a sin in private it is not to be used against him in humiliation. It is to be forgiven in confidence, Christians are to bear one another’s burdens not announce them with a microphone.

Many Catholics that I know seem to look at confession as a practice owned by the clergy. This is not so! Confessing to other Christians and hearing the confessions of others is for every Christian. Confession binds us together, it is an equally humbling practice, a back and forth mutual practice, one to another.

Before confession, there must be a no-nonsense, no cover up, keeping it real, hatred of evil. A personal distancing oneself from evil, a siding with Jesus Christ and with his purity, over and against Satan and our sinful natures.

An attitude of Psalm 101 is called for, for the Jesus follower daily. The attitude of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ themselves. “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” – ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭101:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Sin, filth, and evil will cling to the lacksidasical Christian, it will find its home right in our laps if we allow it. No matter who we are or who we think we are, this is as true for “super Christians” like a Pope or a Mega Pastor, as it is for the homeless unknown Christian.

If we can get the love and awe for Jesus Christ in our lives first. If we can love, respect and submit to Jesus in that way. Then the hatred for evil, as expressed in Psalm 101 will be a natural result.

If you want to be ambitious with the things of God go to him first every day.

That is the Christian’s way to Jesus Christ, constantly. Not the way of churchy busyness. Not the way of preaching or listening to endless sermons. The way is in pursuing Jesus Christ as first, in and as the center of our lives.

If we can do that …and if we He allows it …he will send us a brother or sister to confess our sins to, and to share our burdens with.

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