But the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. (Psalm 129:4, NIV)
Where do you go for golf advice?
One of the most detailed books ever written about the golf swing is Homer Kelley’s The Golfing Machine. Bobby Clampett cut his teeth on this book, growing up around Kelley disciple Ben Doyle in Carmel, California. Clampett has moved on, but Kelley’s ideas persist another 30 years later, most notably in Bryson DeChambeau.
Kelley’s 24 scientifically described swing components make sense to a mastermind like DeChambeau, but to the rest of us? Well, we would do better with our local professionals. These men and women are far more likely to speak a language we understand.
It is our sin, not the sins of others, that disqualifies us from the kingdom of God. We have no saving merit of our own.Maybe this is why we should not be surprised to find some pretty heavy doctrine dropped into the Songs of Ascent, those 15 psalms we have been making our way through this summer. Songs are not theological journals, so they are accessible to everyone. In Psalm 128, we considered the idea of reward and prosperity, which we found was not a doctrine briskly untangled. Now in Psalm 129, we come to the imputed righteousness of Christ that rests at the heart of the gospel.
Of course, the Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem would not have recognized this doctrine in their singing of this psalm. For them, the wickedness they faced was on the outside; it was the enemies of their youth, religious bullies who had not fully retreated. The haters of Zion had cut deeply—“[they] have plowed my back and made their furrows long” (verse 3).
The rescuer against such oppression? The righteous one, Yahweh.
If we were to rewrite this song as people who have the advantage of understanding the fulfillment of prophecy in the person of Jesus, we would express that the wickedness that threatens us most gravely is our own. It is our sin, not the sins of others, that disqualifies us from the kingdom of God. We have no saving merit of our own: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
So we must again ask the question, perhaps with Paul’s own words: “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” And his answer? “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25) Jesus is the perfectly righteous one who saves.
Here is the doctrine of imputed righteousness. We cannot get to heaven by our own good, but we can get there by the good of Christ laid over us. It’s like this: You know that picture of Peter standing at the pearly gates, pouring over the Book of Life? If he finds there your name and your name alone, you are in trouble. But if he finds your name lined through and the name JESUS written alongside, all is well. His righteousness has cut you free from the cords of your sin. You will hear those wonderful words, “Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).
—
Jeff Hopper
August 20, 2018
Copyright 2018 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Ascending: Common Complaints (Psalm 120)
Ascending: In God’s Care (Psalm 121)
Ascending: Joy and Peace in Fellowship (Psalm 122)
Ascending: The Mercy We Need (Psalm 123)
Ascending: How Great An Escape (Psalm 124)
Ascending: Stark Lines (Psalm 125)
Ascending: Sorrow and Joy (Psalm 126)
Ascending: Work and Home (Psalm 127)
Ascending: ‘Blessed’ (Psalm 128)
Ascending: Finding Forgiveness (Psalm 130)
Ascending: Our Waiting, Impatient Soul (Psalm 131)
Ascending: Despite Our Sin (Psalm 132)
Ascending: Together in Christ (Psalm 133)
Ascending: Earth to Heaven, Heaven to Earth (Psalm 134)