Studies in Psalms – Psa 112:1-5 “For by Grace are ye Saved Through Faith; and That Not of Yourselves: it is the Gift of God” – Part 1

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Psalm 112:1-5 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” – Part 1

Psa 112:1  Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Psa 112:2  His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 
Psa 112:3  Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
Psa 112:4  Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 
Psa 112:5  A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 

God is working with the ones that “feareth the LORD” (Heb 5:7, 1Jn 4:17), and it is by grace through faith that we come to fear the Lord, resulting in our delighting “greatly in his commandments“. Our last Psalm was entitled “Great Are the Lord’s Works” (Psa 111:2-4), and this particular Psalm will be focused on what the fruits are of those works which God has appointed and is working through the body of Christ.

If God will grant us to be saved by grace through faith, being convinced in our hearts that our righteousness does not come “by the law”, then we will not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. This statement “for if righteousness come by the law” is made right after Galatians 2:20 and is another witness to this section of scripture in Galatians 3:17-24 which reminds us of our spiritual inheritance in the Lord is received through Christ and not by our own righteousness which frustrates the grace of God.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. [the son of the free woman]
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. [Gal 4:30]
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
Rom 4:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. [The law is used to show our unrighteousness that needs to be destroyed Rom 7:7, Rom 1:18, Joh 3:36]
Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace [Eph 2:8]; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. (Revelation 5:9-10 explains what it means to the elect to be a father of many nations )
Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope [Rom 8:24, Col 1:27, Rom 8:16], that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead [a moment in Abraham’s life which typifies this verse: Romans 6:11], when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: [as well as this section of scripture where Abraham is a type of our Father receiving Christ who is typified by Isaac Rom 6:11, Heb 11:19, Eph 2:6]
Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief (Joh 6:28-29); but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;  [A moment in Abraham’s life which typifies this verse in our life: Galatians 2:20. God loves us and gave himself for us, and sets his love on us (Rom 9:13) and calls us sons of God to witness to the world of that love (1Jn 3:1), and we witness our love for each other and for all of humanity by obediently laying down our lives for each other as Christ did for us, (Joh 13:35, Joh 3:16)].
Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. [Rom 8:38-39]
Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; [1Pe 1:1-13, Eph 2:6]
Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. [1Jn 2:1]

Gal 3:17  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Gal 3:18  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Gal 3:19  Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made [Gal 3:16]; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Gal 3:20  Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Gal 3:21  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. [The law is the schoolmaster which shows us our sinful nature that we must overcome and will overcome through Christ so it is not “against the promises of God” but rather acts as our tutor or governor “until the time appointed of the father” Gal 4:1-6, Joh 8:35, Gal 4:30].
Gal 3:22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe [Eph 1:12].
Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Notice these words throughout these sections of Galatians and Romans (above) that describe the faith of Abraham that typifies what God is working in the lives of the elect:

against hope believed in hope
And being not weak in faith
He staggered not at the promise
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God
And being fully persuaded

That inheritance is now ours in earnest, being the first who trusted in Christ. It is only when we experience the grace and faith of Christ in our lives that the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” will manifest “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (Eph 1:14, 1Co 2:4-5).

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

Eph 1:8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

It is only those who are being shown “the mystery of his will” through Christ (Col 1:27) who can enter into the strength and promise of the verses we are looking at tonight; promises that say “His seed shall be mighty upon earth” and “Wealth and riches shall be in his house” as well as “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness”.

Psa 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

If we are fearing the LORD in this age, then we will not have to be fearing the LORD in the lake of fire at the end of the millennium. God has demonstrated in type and shadow through the nation of Israel the need for this process of judgment to unfold while in the wilderness (Num 14:28-38), and the revealing of faith or the lack of faith of Israel of old is a shadow that parallels Christ’s words in Matthew 5. Grace and faith are working in the lives of God’s people to the end that we will, and are learning to, “delighteth greatly in his commandments“.

Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Luk 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
Luk 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Mat 5:29 And if thy right eye [Your own perception, leaning unto your own understanding and disobeying God’s commands] offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee (Rom 2:4): for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body [The church: Col 1:24] should be cast into hell [Num 14:28-39].
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand [Your own works, God’s gold wrapped around the idol of your own heart causing you to disobey God’s commands] offend thee, cut it off (Rom 2:4), and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body [The church: Col 1:24] should be cast into hell [Num 14:28-39].

Mat 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
Mat 18:9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

So these words of Christ in our first verse tonight should give us every reason to delight greatly in His commandments which we read last week in Psalm 111:7, commandments that are appointed for the elect to keep in this age. 

Psa 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.

Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

The eye and the hand of Matthew 5:29-30 represent the sin within the body of Christ which must be removed from within ourselves, the church, and when God talks about our wife spoken of in Matthew 5:32 being “put away…for the cause of fornication”, this is speaking primarily of spiritual fornication that we are commanded to remove from among ourselves such as the Corinthian fornicator was  in 1Corinthians 5:11-13. In this instance with the Corinthian fornicator, who calls himself a brother, we are to “put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1Co 5:13).

Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 
Mat 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Excerpt from http://www.iswasandwillbe.com/grounds-for-divorce/:

The truth is that Christ did not say you can never remarry unless your wife commits adultery or your husband commits adultery. He said except for ‘fornication.’ When you look into that word fornication, you are going to find out that it has more to do with spiritually forsaking your spouse, than it has to do with physically forsaking your spouse.

The word is fornication, not adultery. This is all in the paper on the law. The vast majority of the time that word is used, it is used in reference to Israel, as a nation, committing fornication against God, by doing the things they agreed not to do when they entered into the marriage relationship with him. Yet they stayed right in the land and they claimed that God was their husband.

The same language is used in Matthew 18:8-9 as in Matthew 5:29 regarding the cutting off the hand and foot or eye that are being found to not truly be the eyes, hands and feet of Christ (Mat 5:29-31, Mat 18:8-9). We are commanded to, and we must diligently, remove those beams (Luk 6:42) or hands and feet (“if thine eye offend thee”) from ourselves first if we are going to be able to remove it from others by following the process of Matthew 18:15-17.

We have grown and learned that we don’t ask for a consensus of the church when there are elders involved in the decision, but rather we tell the church what the consensus of the elders is which has been determined by God’s grace and faith working in our lives. We need elders for that reason, among many other reasons. If those elders who are in the minority of a reached decision refuse to hear it from the majority of the elders who represent the church, then they are by virtue of that rejection, the ones being spoken of in this verse of Matthew 5:32. We don’t want to put away our wife. We want our wife to obey the majority consensus as we are commanded we should do, but if, as we have experienced of late, they won’t obey the commandments of God (1Co 14:37-40), then they have created the conditions by which we must divorce, a divorce which God hates but has caused according to the council of his own will, to mature us in our understanding and to reveal to us who it is that is approved (1Co 11:19). There are times when the church as a whole must be part of the process of Matthew 18, and in such instances where “he neglect to hear the church” then that one person, “thy brother”, is to “be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Mat 18:17).

1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

If God is judging us in this age, “Praise ye the LORD” because we are being forewarned and equipped through Christ  (“delight[ing] greatly in his commandments”) so that we can be fashioned in the Potter’s hand, becoming that gold of Ophir that is purified in these earthen vessels by our hope of glory within us (Col 1:27), who is working all the fiery trials and much tribulation in our life in this age to that end (Isa 13:12, 2Co 4:7, 1Pe 4:12, Rom 8:28).

Psa 112:2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

The new and living way to which the Lord has called us is described in Hebrews 10:19-29, and we are blessed to draw near to our high priest, Who is over the house of God, with true hearts in full assurance of faith, knowing we can have our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water that typifies God’s word. That washing or sanctifying process (Joh 17:17) is why his “seed shall be mighty upon earth“, and it is “the generation of the upright” who “shall be blessed“.

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Notice that these words in Hebrews 10:19-29 below echo the words which describe the faithfulness of Abraham that we discussed above: Abraham typifies Christ, and Abraham prophesied not unto himself but unto us who are the one seed of Christ (1Pe 1:12, Gal 3:16).

full assurance
our bodies washed with pure water
faith without wavering
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus

against hope believed in hope
And being not weak in faith
He staggered not at the promise
but was strong in faith, giving glory to God
And being fully persuaded

Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Heb 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [Mat 18:15-17]
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? [when we are sanctified by God’s word we are able to have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood (Joh 17:17) of Jesus (Heb 10:19)].

It is through this washing of the word (Eph 5:26-27) that we learn that “His seed shall be mighty upon earth” [The sanctification process is making us stronger and causing us to decrease and Christ to increase]. The mighty seed is the church (Gal 3:16), “the earth” where the word is manifest to us as our heavens are opened time and again (Jer 22:29) as God gives the increase (Eph 3:10-12, 2Co 2:14-17, Rev 19:11).

Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church [the seed] the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Psa 112:3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

It is Christ’s righteousness which shall endure forever, and it is His wealth and His riches in His house that represent every good and perfect gift that comes from above (Jas 1:16-20).

Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Jas 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures [begat from above].
Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Jas 1:20  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

What we do with what God has given us has already been written from the foundation of the world (Eph 1:3-10), and so the following verses in Matthew are an admonition unto the elect to be diligent and to labor for the meat that does not perish, knowing that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Heb 11:6). We are called to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness before everything else in this life; this is our wealth and riches (Php 3:14, Jer 29:13).

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Psa 112:4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

As recipients of God’s love, ‘the good and perfect gift of his love that is shed abroad in our hearts’ (Jas 1:18, Rom 5:5), “there ariseth light in the darkness” “unto the upright“. Only with Christ’s spirit abiding within us (Rom 8:9), can we be “gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous“, all to the glory of God who will one day change our vile bodies that we are blessed to be overcoming, in this age, as we go from glory to glory through Christ (2Co 3:15-18).

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Psa 112:5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

Psa 112:5 (CLV) It is good when a man is gracious and obliging; He shall sustain his affairs with right judgment.

Nothing we do will be seen by those who are our detractors as “maintain[ing our] affairs with discretion” or “sustain[ing our] affairs with right judgement”.  This is important to know so that we don’t grow weary in well doing as a result of the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10-11). Evil men who are going to wax worse and worse at the end of this age (2Ti 3:13) are causing the love of many to wax cold with their many false accusations (2Pe 2:1-22).

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death [Rev 2:10].

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Christ is our example of having to deal with the unbelief and hateful and hurtful spirit of His time in the flesh as these verses demonstrate in John 7:19-24, Matthew 11:18-19, and knowing that should give us great comfort because we have an high priest who understands what we are up against (Heb 4:15-16) and tells us to rejoice in that day when we are falsely accused and men speak all manner of evil against us for His name’s sake (Mat 5:11).

Being “gracious and obliging” with “right judgement” (the CLV translation of this verse) is what this whole study has been about. This excerpt from the introduction of our study tonight reinforces our need to see the “gracious and obliging” with “right judgment” mind of Christ that is only possible to receive by the “the power of God“.

It is only when we experience the grace and faith of Christ in our lives that the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” will manifest “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God”

It is Christ’s righteousness that shall endure forever, and it is His “right judgment” which has us learning wisdom from above that is “easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits”.

Deu 32:1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Deu 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Deu 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Jas 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Jas 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Next week, Lord willing, we will look at the last five verses of our study which point to what the Lord is accomplishing in our lives as we are being worked with and grow in our understanding that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Psa 112:6  Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 
Psa 112:7  He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. 
Psa 112:8  His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. 
Psa 112:9  He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. 
Psa 112:10  The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish. 

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