Love

A weighty question asked. By what means may the next generation be made better than this? Where with all shall a young man cleanse his way? Cleansing implies that it is polluted. Besides the original corruption we all brought into the world with is (from which we are not cleansed unto this day), there are many parrticular sins which young people are subject to, by which they defile their way, youthful lusts; these render way offensive to God and disgraceful to themselves. Young men are concerned to cleanse their way--to get their hearts renewed and their lives reformed, to make clean, and keep clean, from the corruption that is in the world through lust, that they may gave both a good conscience and a good name. Few young people themselves enquire by what means they may recover and preserve their purity; and therefore David ask the question for them.

One of the pieces of furniture in the Old Testament tabernacle was called the brass laver (Exodus 38:8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation). It consisted of a huge upright brass bowl filled with water, resting upon a pedestal. The priests would often stop at this laver and wash. The Word of God may be thought of in terms of that laver, for it has the power to cleanse. The Old Testament laver could only remove the physical dirt from human hands, but the Scriptures possess the ability to take away our moral filth (1 Peter 1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the bethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently).

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). God is faithful to his covenant and word, wherein he has promied forgiveness to pertinent believing confessors. What areas of my life can the Bible cleanse? Word can prevent this (Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law does he meditate day and night). This is that which keeps him out of the way of the ungodly and fortifies him against their temptations. On other occasions fearful thoughts may race through our minds; the Scriptures will prevent this also (Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you will good success).That he conform himself in everything to the law of God, and make his rule. God does, as it were, put the book of the law into Joshua's hand; as, when Joash was crowned, they gave him the testimony. In fact, the Bible will establish our total thought-life if we but allow it to do so (Philippians 4: 8,9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which you have both learned, and recieved, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace will be with you.; 2 Peter 1:5-10 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godlinness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these be in you, and aboud, t hey make you that you will neither be barron not fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethern, give dilligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you will never fall:).

It can cleanse me from wrong words. Of all the Bible authors, James seems to be God's expert on the sins of the human tongue. In the first chapter of his book, he deals with this very thing and shows the absolute necessity of dependence upon the Scriptures to keep our words true (James 1:22-26 But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway fortes what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he be being not a foretful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain). (Psalm 119:172 My tongue shall speak of thy coommandments are righteousness).

The good knowledge David had of the word of God; he knew it so well that he was ready to own, with utmost satisfaction, that all God's commandments are not only righteous, but righteousness itself, the rule and standard of righteousness. It can cleanse me from wrong actions. Jesus promised us this would be the case: "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3 Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you). The benefits which believers have by the doctrine of Christ, the power of which they should labor to exemplify in a fruitful conversation.