Ps 14 4 Will evildoers never learn-
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD ?
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge".
God has created a world where He predetermined who would believe and who would oppose His salvation. Man is born into Gods world that is ruled by Gods will. This is why I believe that the first part of Psalm 14 is giving us a general universal truth of all men. But then the Psalm takes a turn like God has chosen these men who have been corrupted as the opposition to the wicked. So instead of showing two kinds of men, the Psalmist is showing two sides to the law. In the first part the law is stating a universal condition of all men but it is in the context of this other use of the law which is to defend Gods elect.
Is it correct that Gods elect are corrupted and unable to do good? Yes but in order for us to establish the difference in the identity of the elect as distinct from the wicked there cannot be an equal relationship to the law in both cases. A lot of people get confused about this teaching of the use of the law is applies to the elect. They teach that the law shows us our sin so that it is necessary in saving us and it must remain as the same instrument to further our growth in the same way that we were saved.But the Psalmist teaches us that the law is an instrument that separates Gods elect from the wicked by it being turned away from the righteous and pointed at the wicked. In these verses above the Psalmist is turning the law away from the righteous and using it to defend Gods people.
If we say that the law is used as an instrument to convict the wicked and destroy their will but at the same time it is also used for the elect to show them their sin then we are stating a contradiction. Because if Christ fulfilled the law on behalf of His elect then where is the difference if the law has the same function toward the wicked as it does toward the righteous? Then Christ work would be of no value. This is the danger of holding onto contradictions.
We must understand that this christian experience is not based in a process orientation but rather it is God pronouncing all reality. It is easy for us to step into process because we are discussing ideas. This is why we fall into patterns of embracing contradictions because it is natural to our corruption. We must understand that the more we trust in contradictions the more we are gonna talk about these truths in inward emotional reactions. Its very dangerous for us to learn how to separate our feelings of conviction or joy and trust that we are following the correct path. This Christian experience is based solely on the knowledge of who we are that is taught to us in specific doctrines that are laid out so that we can argue and create opposing sides.We ares speaking the law, covenants, curses, and promises in order to create our image. We are not trusting in convictions, joys, satisfactions etc.
The head is always in control of the soul. No matter how we feel at a given situation it must be challenged with these pronouncements. Our christian lives are not really devotional but an exercise of applying presuppositions that tells us how to think and feel. This is why we stand on the side of the law that is used to oppose our opposition. We go from a totally blind state where we are condemned by the law to being made complete but not yet enjoying it until we get to heaven. We already are but not yet. In order to prevent contradictions we must be apologist and not passive.We must now be shown the law by using it to destroy the opposition. This is exactly what the Psalmist is practicing here.
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD ?
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge".
God has created a world where He predetermined who would believe and who would oppose His salvation. Man is born into Gods world that is ruled by Gods will. This is why I believe that the first part of Psalm 14 is giving us a general universal truth of all men. But then the Psalm takes a turn like God has chosen these men who have been corrupted as the opposition to the wicked. So instead of showing two kinds of men, the Psalmist is showing two sides to the law. In the first part the law is stating a universal condition of all men but it is in the context of this other use of the law which is to defend Gods elect.
Is it correct that Gods elect are corrupted and unable to do good? Yes but in order for us to establish the difference in the identity of the elect as distinct from the wicked there cannot be an equal relationship to the law in both cases. A lot of people get confused about this teaching of the use of the law is applies to the elect. They teach that the law shows us our sin so that it is necessary in saving us and it must remain as the same instrument to further our growth in the same way that we were saved.But the Psalmist teaches us that the law is an instrument that separates Gods elect from the wicked by it being turned away from the righteous and pointed at the wicked. In these verses above the Psalmist is turning the law away from the righteous and using it to defend Gods people.
If we say that the law is used as an instrument to convict the wicked and destroy their will but at the same time it is also used for the elect to show them their sin then we are stating a contradiction. Because if Christ fulfilled the law on behalf of His elect then where is the difference if the law has the same function toward the wicked as it does toward the righteous? Then Christ work would be of no value. This is the danger of holding onto contradictions.
We must understand that this christian experience is not based in a process orientation but rather it is God pronouncing all reality. It is easy for us to step into process because we are discussing ideas. This is why we fall into patterns of embracing contradictions because it is natural to our corruption. We must understand that the more we trust in contradictions the more we are gonna talk about these truths in inward emotional reactions. Its very dangerous for us to learn how to separate our feelings of conviction or joy and trust that we are following the correct path. This Christian experience is based solely on the knowledge of who we are that is taught to us in specific doctrines that are laid out so that we can argue and create opposing sides.We ares speaking the law, covenants, curses, and promises in order to create our image. We are not trusting in convictions, joys, satisfactions etc.
The head is always in control of the soul. No matter how we feel at a given situation it must be challenged with these pronouncements. Our christian lives are not really devotional but an exercise of applying presuppositions that tells us how to think and feel. This is why we stand on the side of the law that is used to oppose our opposition. We go from a totally blind state where we are condemned by the law to being made complete but not yet enjoying it until we get to heaven. We already are but not yet. In order to prevent contradictions we must be apologist and not passive.We must now be shown the law by using it to destroy the opposition. This is exactly what the Psalmist is practicing here.
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