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Pre-Introduction

I’ve decided to take a little break from our Exodus study to take you to Psalm 73 this morning. There are three reasons for this. One, I love Psalm 73. It has been coming to my mind often, and so I decided to preach it. Two, I have been mindful of the fact that many within this congregation have suffered afflictions as of late. One question that Christians who are afflicted, along with those who love those who are afflicted, might ask is this: why does God permit his people to suffer? And there is another question related to this one: why does God allow the wicked to prosper? These are difficult but important questions that all of God’s people will likely wrestle with at some point in their lives. This Psalm will be of help to us. Thirdly, Psalm 73 does have some relationship to what we have been considering in Exodus, namely, God’s tabernacle or temple. Here in this Psalm, it is called the “sanctuary” of the LORD, and it plays a central role in bringing relief to the troubled soul of the Psalmist, named Asaph. So then, we will not only learn how to rightly interpret the suffering of the righteous and prosperity of the wicked in this life, we will also learn something about the significance and usefulness of the sanctuary, or temple, of the LORD.

Let us go now to Psalm 73. Hear now the reading of God’s inspired, inerrant, clear, and authoritative word. 

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Old Testament Reading: Psalm 73

“A PSALM OF ASAPH. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?’ Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Matthew 5:8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Introduction

Notice that Psalm 73 is called “A Psalm Of Asaph”. There are some Psalms written by King David that were addressed to Asaph so that he would put them to music, and some think that is the case here. And if that were the case the title should read, A Psalm To or For Asaph. But 2 Chronicles 29:30 indicates that Asaph was not only a musician, he was also a writer of Psalms, and I think that is the case with Psalm 73. This Psalm was written by Asaph for the people of God. 

I would like to consider this Psalm with you in three parts. In this Psalm, Asaph opens his heart to us concerning a great temptation that at one time came upon his soul. Firstly, in verses 1-15 we will consider the occasion for the temptation. Secondly, in verses 16-17 we will consider the relief from the temptation. And thirdly, in verses 18-28 we will consider the truth that emerged from the temptation.  

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The Occasion For The Temptation (Verses 1-15)

We will come to consider the occasion for Asaph’s temptation in just a moment. But first I want you to notice that he begins his Psalm with a rock-solid confession concerning the goodness of God. Verse 1: “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Indeed, this is a firm foundation upon which to stand. Truly God is good!

God is good to all, yes even to the wicked. He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall upon the just and unjust alike. And God was good to Isarel in a special way. He redeemed them, led them, and fed them. He entered into a special covenant with them. He entrusted them with his precious and very great promises. He dwelt in the midst of them and promised to preserve them to bring the Messiah into the world through them, to bless all nations. And so Asaph says, “Truly God is good to Israel.” But then he adds this: “…to those who are pure in heart.” Not all within Old Covenant Israel were pure in heart. In fact, many within Old Covenant Isarel were wicked and corrupt. Many were Israelites according to the flesh only, but not from the heart. In a moment we will hear Asaph speak of the wicked and their ways. Who were these wicked people? Many of them were Israelites, the very people amongst whom Asaph lived. And so he begins with this declaration of truth. “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” This is a firm foundation for us to stand upon as we begin now to wrestle with the very things that tempted Asaph so severely. 

In verses 2 through 3 the temptation is described to us in brief. There we read, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped” (Psalm 73:2, ESV). The words, “But as for me…” are to be contrasted with the reference to those “who are pure in heart.” Asaph first confessed that “God is good to Isarel, to those who are pure in heart”, but now he confesses that he, for a time, was defiled in the heart.  “But as for me”, he says, “my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped.”. 

Notice the connection between the heart and the feet. Purity in the heart will produce purity in the feet – that is to say, purity in one’s way of life. This is why I often exhort you, brothers and sisters, to keep your heart pure, or to tend to the garden of your soul. It is good that you strive, by God’s grace, to walk worthily before the Lord. But it is from the heart that the mouth speaks. It is from the heart that the life of man does flow. The heart and the mouth, the heart and the hands, the heart and the feed are intimately and inseparably related. A pure heart will result in a pure walk. A corrupt heart will result in a corrupt walk. 

Asaph knew this, and so he said, “But as for me [in contrast to the pure in heart just mentioned], my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2–3, ESV). It was envy within the heart that nearly caused Asaph to stumble in his walk. 

To be envious is to have a strong desire for what someone else has. Envy and jealousy are very similar things. Envy and covetousness are similar things too. And here Asaph confesses that for a time he struggled with the sin of envy in his heart. This almost caused him to stumble in his walk, that is to say, in his devotion to the LORD. 

What provoked Asaph’s envy? What was the occasion for it? “For I was envious of the arrogant”, he says, “when I saw the prosperity of the wicked”. Can you understand Asaph’s struggle? Can you look out upon the world through his eyes, see what he saw, and understand what tempted him? What did he see that troubled him so deeply? He noticed that oftentimes arrogant and wicked people prosper in this world, while those who are pure in heart suffer. 

I wonder, brothers and sisters, have you noticed this too? Have you ever looked out upon the world and wondered why it is that wicked and arrogant people – people who hate God, the ways of God, and the people of God – people who live lives of sin and rebellion against God – prosper in this world, while those who love God and the Christ he has sent, suffer? If you were honest, you would probably admit that you have thought about these things too. Asaph thought about these things, and he was, for a time, so bothered and perplexed by what he saw that his heart grew envious and his feet almost slipped.  

In verses 4 through 14 Asaph tells us what he saw with his eyes that troubled him so deeply. 

Verse 4: “For they [the arrogant and the wicked] have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind” (Psalm 73:4–5, ESV). In other words, their lives seem to be easy. They are well-fed. They seem to not struggle.

Verse 6: “Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them as a garment. Their eyes swell out through fatness; their hearts overflow with follies” (Psalm 73:6–7, ESV). Here the Psalmist describes how these arrogant and wicked ones carry themselves in the world. They strut around pridefully with their heads held high (pride is their necklace). They are aggressive and oppressive to all who are beneath them. In fact, the fine clothes they wear were purchased with the riches obtained through their oppression of the weak (violence covers them as a garment). They eat very well in their prosperity and it shows on their faces. And they go on living lives of sin and folly seemingly without a care in the world. 

And what do these arrogant and wicked ones do with their lips? Verse 8: “They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against the heavens, and their tongue struts through the earth. Therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them. And they say, ‘How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?’” (Psalm 73:8–11, ESV). 

That little phrase, “therefore his people turn back to them, and find no fault in them” is a little difficult to translate and to interpret. You can see the difficulty by comparing English translations – the ESV, NET, KJV, NIV, and NASB, for example. Each one renders the phrase differently. I suspect it means this: the people who align themselves with the arrogant scoffers return to them again and again. They do not find fault with them, and they benefit from their allegiance with them. Together (the arrogant scoffers and their people) they say,  “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” In other words, we will do whatever we please, for God does not see us. Indeed, this is how the wicked and arrogant boasters live. They live as if God does not exist, or at least as if he does not see. They think that their prosperity in this world is evidence that God does not see. What they do not know is that God sees all, and he has given them over to their pride and wickedness as a form of judgment.

 Verse 12 brings this little contemplation of the wicked and their ways to a conclusion with this summary statement: “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:12, ESV). 

You know, I cannot argue with the observations that Asaph made. Indeed, the world is filled with arrogant and wicked people like this. And it is true: they often seem to flourish in this life. Think of the immoral ones who are rich and famous. Think of the crooked politicians whose power seems only to increase. Think of those who swindle and cheat and get away with it. Or perhaps you are thinking of acquaintances of yours who have lived godless and immoral lives and yet the sun always seems to be shining down on them. Indeed, the world is filled with people like this. Asaph’s observations were not incorrect. Where did he go wrong then? He envied these fools. And only a fool would envy fools (see Treasury of David, v. III, p. 339). 

In verses 13-14 Asaph confesses the foolish and sinful conclusion he arrived at in his heart after considering the apparent prosperity of the wicked and contrasting it with his own sufferings and the sufferings of those upright in heart. In his mind and heart, he said, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning” (Psalm 73:13–14, ESV). In other words, he thought what is the point in striving to keep the heart pure before God? What is the point in laboring to live a godly life? If those who pursue godliness suffer in this life, and those who live in sin and rebellion against God flourish in this life, then is not our devotion to God empty and vain? 

Thankfully, Asaph did not say what he was thinking and feeling. Verse 15: “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed the generation of your children” (Psalm 73:15, ESV). Asaph was a leader within Israel. If he would have declared, published, or proclaimed the sinful and foolish thoughts of his mind and the wayward feelings of his heart, he would have damaged many. By God’s grace, he held his tongue during this time of wrestling within his soul.

So we have considered the occasion for the temptation that Asaph endured. He was tempted to turn from the Lord when he observed that the wicked seem to prosper and to be at ease while the upright in heart suffer afflictions. The envy in his heart almost caused his feet to slip and his lips to utter blasphemies, but the LORD was gracious to keep him and to uphold him. 

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The Relief From The Temptation

In verses 16 & 17 Asaph tells us about what brought relief from the temptation. There he says, “But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end.” (Psalm 73:16–17, ESV)

The words, “But when I thought how to understand this” indicate that Asaph was wrestling deeply with the things he had perceived. The things he perceived were true. Oftentimes the arrogant and wicked do prosper in this world while the upright in heart suffer affliction. But these facts must be interpreted. 

Why do the wicked prosper? Do they flourish inwardly, or is their flourishing outward only? How long will their flourishing last? What is their end? And why are the upright in heart so often afflicted? Are they afflicted inwardly too? How long will their affliction last? And what is their end? It is an undeniable fact that the wicked do often prosper in this world, and the righteous do often suffer. But these things must be interpreted. They must be understood. Asaph wrestled with these things inwardly, and the Lord was gracious to him in his wrestling. He kept his feet from slipping. And he kept his lips from speaking blasphemies. Asaph “thought how to understand this” and he confesses that it was “a wearisome task.” It wore him out, in other words. 

It is in verse 17 that we encounter the word “until”. Asaph was troubled and deeply perplexed inwardly… until. Until what? “Until I went into the sanctuary of God”, he says. The sanctuary is another name for the temple of Old Covenant Isarel. There was something about going up to the temple that brought relief to Asaph’s inner turmoil. There was something about the temple that made everything clear. At the temple, Asaph gained a new perspective, and this new perspective brought him relief. What insight did he gain at the temple? The text says Asaph went into the sanctuary of the LORD and “then [he] discerned their end.” This means that he came to see and understood the end, or the destiny, of the arrogant and wicked.

I wonder what Asaph saw or heard at the temple that illumined his mind and comforted his heart. The word of God was read at the temple. Perhaps he heard the word read. The people of God prayed at the temple. Perhaps he heard the prayers of the saints. Songs were sung at the temple. Perhaps he heard the songs of the people and entered into praise with them. 

Or perhaps it was not what he heard but what he saw that brought him relief? In our study of Exodus, we have learned that the tabernacle, and later the temple, were symbolic structures. They were made according to the pattern shown to Moses on the mountain. They were designed to remind the worshipper of the God who is in heaven and the way that he had made (and would make) for sinful men and women to approach him. When Asaph approached the temple its symbolism would have reminded him of the God of heaven, the creator of all things seen and unseen, and judge of all the earth. As he entered the temple he would have seen the altar upon which the blood of the sacrificial animals was poured out. This would have reminded him of sin, and of what every sin deserves, namely death. He would have observed the bronze laver used for ceremonial washing. This would have reminded him of our impurity and our need for cleansing. As he considered the holy place he would have contemplated the glory and the holiness of God. And as he looked upon the veil which separated the holy place from the most holy place, he would have remembered our alienation from God and our inability to enter into his presence apart from his grace, that is to say, apart from faith in the promised Messiah. 

It is impossible to know what exactly caught Asaph’s attention. Was it the temple structure itself, the word of God, the prayers, or the praise? Was it the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the washings? Or perhaps it was the thought of the holy place, the most holy place, the furniture contained within, and all that they signified? Whatever it was – and it was probably a combination of all these things –  the temple and the things that were done there caused Asaph to lift his eyes up from the earth to the God of heaven. His perspective shifted from the momentary to the eternal. And it was then that he remembered the end, or the destiny, of the righteous and of the wicked. The temple woke Asaph up to reality. And it was then that he remembered that the wicked were by no means to be envied, not even in their earthly prosperity and worldly ease.

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The Truth That Emerged From The Temptation

So, we have considered the occasion for Asaph’s temptation – the prosperity of the wicked and the sufferings of the righteous. We have also considered the thing that brought him clarity or relief, namely, the sanctuary of God and all that it signified. Now let us consider the truth that emerged from this time of testing. It is in verses 18 through 28 that Asaph declares the truth about the wicked and about the righteous. 

Look with me at verse 18. The first word is “truly”.  This ought to remind us of the first word of this Psalm and that rock-solid declaration of truth that was made in the beginning: “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (Psalm 73:1, ESV). Asaph began this Psalm with truth. He then opened his heart to us concerning the lies he was tempted to believe. And now, after being set straight at the sanctuary of God, he declares the truth again.  

First, he declares the truth concerning the wicked. Verse 18: “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin” (Psalm 73:18, ESV). 

Notice the word “slippery” and compare it with verse 2. Asaph in his folly had almost stumbled. He had nearly slipped as he envied the apparent prosperity, ease, and security of the wicked. And now he sees clearly that their feet are in fact in slippery places and they will fall to ruin. In other words, Asaph came to see that the prosperity and stability of the wicked is not real, but is an illusion. In fact – in truth – their feet are in slippery places and they stand on the precipice of utter ruin. And you will notice that it is the LORD who put them there. “Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin”, Asaph says. The prosperity of the wicked is not to be seen as a blessing from God but as a curse, for the LORD has given these arrogant and wicked people over to their sins. Is there any greater form of judgment in this life than to be given over by the LORD to your sinful cravings and desires? Do not forget the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:18 & 24: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth…” And after describing their idolatrous rebellion, Pauls says, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,” etc. (Romans 1:24, ESV).

If when you look at an arrogant and wicked person living a life of prosperity and ease, you think, why has God so blessed that person?, you have badly misinterpreted the situation. The LORD disciplines those he loves, but he gives the wicked reprobates over to the passions of their flesh. 

More truth concerning the wicked is declared in verses 19-20: “How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.” 

These are haunting words, but they are true. The wicked may live in prosperity and comfort all the days of their lives. They may think very little of death, judgment, and eternity. But death will certainly come upon them. And when it does, their lives of luxury will be destroyed. They were will vanish from this earth as phantoms. They will be swept away by terrors. 

Next, Asaph speaks the truth concerning himself and his debased frame of mind during his time of inner turmoil and temptation. 

Look with me at verses 19 & 20: “When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.” 

The word translated as “brutish” means “ foolish”. I was an ignorant fool to envy the wicked, Asaph confesses. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. A fool says in his heart, there is no God. And only someone who forgets God can possibly envy the arrogant and wicked in their prosperity. Those who fear God will never envy the wicked, but will pitty them, especially if their earthy prosperity and ease is very great.  And then he adds, “I was like a beast toward you.” What a marvelously true confession this is. Those who forget God and live only for the pleasures of this world are like beasts. Their faces are pointed to the ground. They are driven by their appetite for the things of this world. They are instinctual – they are not rational. Beasts do not have the capacity to contemplate the Divine nor to live in light of eternity, for beasts are not made in the image of God. When Asaph says, “I was like a beast toward you”, this is what he means. He was thinking like a beast. His eyes were fixed upon the earth and the things of the earth. He was concerned only with earthly pleasures. He, for a time, lost sight of God and eternity. When he went to the sanctuary, his eyes, mind, and heart were lifted heavenward, and he began to think like an image-bearer of God again. 

Finally, Asaph speaks the truth concerning God’s goodness to him and to all who are, by the grace of God, pure in heart.

Verse 23: “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.” Here Asaph reflects upon God’s presence with him. Perhaps this is why he referred to the temple as the sanctuary. There God dwelt. And there God’s people were invited to come before him to enjoy his presence. Asaph was reminded of the blessing of God’s presence as he went to the temple, and so he called it the sanctuary. And then he says,  “you hold my right hand.” Asaph’s feet had almost slipped, remember. And who was it that kept him from stumbling? It was the LORD who held his hand to keep him. And so it is for all of God’s elect. He calls them to faith, and he keeps them, even through times of great temptation.

Verse 24: “You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.” Here is the issue, brothers and sisters. The wicked and arrogant ones live according to what they see with their natural eyes. They are driven by their appetites for the things of this world. They live for the pleasures of this world. But those who belong to God, who are born of him, who are upright in heart, live according to what God has said in his word. We are to walk by faith, not by sight. We are to live according to God’s counsel. And in this way, through faith in Christ, and through walking according to his word, we will enter into glory. So you see, the end of the arrogant and wicked is destruction. The end of the upright in heart is glory. 

In Verse 25 Aspah begins to confess that the LORD is his greatest treasure: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” What a change from the envy that was in his heart before! For a time Asaph desired worldly comforts and pleasures, but now he sees clearly that God is the greatest of all treasures. To have God – that is, to know him, to be in a right relationship with him, and to commune with him – is infinitely better than the enjoyment of a few earthly pleasures that last only for a moment and then are taken away. 

Verse 26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Oh, what a beautiful confession. Is this your confession?  Hear it again: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

In verses 27 through 28 we find the conclusion of the matter. “For behold…” This is an exhortation to the reader to stop, look, and contemplate the matter. “For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” 

Finally, through this process of temptation and through the wearisome contemplation, the Psalmist is brought, by way of the temple, to this firm resolution. “It is good to be near God”. Brothers and sisters – friends –  make the Lord GOD your refuge and delight, and then tell of all his works. 

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Reflections

Please allow me to move towards a conclusion now by offering a few reflections on this wonderful Psalm. 

Firstly, Asaph’s honesty in this Psalm helps to see that God’s people are sometimes tempted and tested severely. Sometimes we must wrestle with things inwardly. Be sure to wrestle well, brothers and sisters.

Secondly, thanks be to God, he will not allow his people to fall but will uphold them in the hour of temptation. It is the LORD who holds our right hand, thanks be to God.

Thirdly, we may learn from Asaph concerning how to act in the moment of temptation. Notice that he did not speak. He held his tongue. This, of course, was by the grace of God. But there is wisdom here. When experiencing turmoil inwardly, it is wise to refrain from speaking and from acting and to wait patiently upon the Lord, lest we blaspheme God’s holy name, or walk in the way of sin and folly. 

Fourthly, when experiencing inner turmoil and temptation there is one place that we should walk, and that is up to God’s temple, or sanctuary. And where is God’s temple now? It is found in the assembly of God’s people. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, brothers and sisters. Do not forsake it when times are good and do not forsake it when times are bad. Go up to the temple to hear God’s word read and explained. Go up to the temple to pray. Go up to the temple to sing and to partake of the Supper. And do so mindfully and heartily so that you might gain that godly and eternal perspective that you so desperately need. Brothers and sisters, that is one thing that happens when God’s people assemble each Lord’s Day to partake of word and sacrament – God’s people are reminded of God and Christ and the eternal life that ours in him so that we might go on living for God and the world to come, and not for the fleeting pleasures of this life. 

Fifthly, do not be so foolish and beast-like to live for the pleasure of this world. Make God your treasure. See that the greatest of all gifts is to be in a right relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ. He lived, died, and rose again to atone for our sins, to free us from bondage, and to reconcile us to God. The greatest of all treasures is to have God. Do you agree with the Psalmist when he speaks to the Lord, saying,  “And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you”? You should. Only a brutish fool would live for lesser things. 

Sixly, cease from all jealousy, envy, discontentment, and covetousness, and pursue that precious gift of contentment, for “godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Do not envy others, brothers and sisters. Do not covet what they have or complain about your circumstances. Rather, make God himself your treasure and delight, for only he can satisfy now and for eternity.  

Seventhly,  do not misinterpret God’s ways with men. We must learn to think correctly about the prosperity of the wicked in this life and the sufferings of the righteous. The prosperity enjoyed by the arrogant and wicked is not a blessing but a curse. And conversely, the afflictions suffered by the people of God in this life are not a curse but a blessing. The Father disciplines those he loves. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). Therefore, we are to “Count it all joy [brothers and sisters] when [we] meet trials of various kinds, for [we] know that the testing of [our] faith produces steadfastness. And [we are to] let steadfastness have its full effect, that [we] may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV)

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8, ESV)

Baptist Catechism 38

Q. 38. What is sanctification?

A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:23,24; Rom. 6:11)

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17–32

“Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:17–32, ESV)

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1. The Catechism Explained
   • Question 38: What is sanctification
   • Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:23,24; Rom. 6:11)
   • The Catechism Explained
   • “Sanctification is the work…”
     • A work is a process.  
   • “…of God’s free grace…”
     • “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (2 Thessalonians 2:13, ESV)
   • “Whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God…”
     • “They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:19–24, ESV)
   • “And are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”
     • “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11, ESV)
2. Application
   • Notice that sanctification is called the “work” instead of the “act” of God’s free grace. Why?
   • Are you sanctified?
   • Are you being sanctified?