Walk Freely!

[Psalm 119:41-48]

Pastor Charles Spurgeon once spoke about the highest form of liberty as follows: “The highest form of liberty is always laboring to know the mind of God and to be conformed to it.” How is this possible? First, we need to come to know the mind of God. We must know God’s mind through His Word. In the process, we are also called to obey His commandments. This is living the life of the highest liberty. That is, by knowing God’s mind through His Word and obeying His Word, we experience the true freedom that God gives us.

In Psalm 119:45, the psalmist says: “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” The psalmist declares, “I will walk freely.” How could he say that he would walk freely? How can you and I walk freely? The passage today gives us two key points to consider.

First, in order to walk freely, we must seek the Lord's precepts.

Look at Psalm 119:45: “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” The psalmist sought the Lord’s precepts. Here, “precepts” refers to the direction, rules, or guiding principles that all members of God’s covenant community must follow. This means that when we seek and live by biblical principles, we can truly enjoy freedom. However, the problem lies in distinguishing between biblical principles and non-biblical principles. Too often, we confuse these two principles. One reason for this confusion is that we have not learned God’s mind through His Word. When we fail to learn His Word properly, our own will tends to take precedence over God’s will, causing us to mix biblical principles with non-biblical ones. Therefore, in order to truly walk freely, we must come to know the mind of God through His Word. By knowing His mind, we will understand His will and obey it. To do this, the first thing we must do is earnestly seek the Lord's precepts.

Second, in order to walk freely, we must love the Lord's commandments.

Look at Psalm 119:47-48: “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees.” What does it mean to love the Lord's commandments? It can be understood in four ways.

(1) It is to meditate on the Lord’s commandments with joy.

The one who loves the Lord’s commandments delights in His word, and thus meditates on it and enjoys doing so. In other words, the one who loves the Lord’s commandments takes joy in meditating on His word.

(2) It is to trust in the Lord’s word.

Look at Psalm 119:42: "So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word." If we love the Lord’s commandments, we trust in them. Therefore, we pray, like the psalmist, "Let Your merciful kindness come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your word" (Psalm 119:41). Like the psalmist, we trust in the Lord’s promised word even when facing those who reproach us (Psalm 119:39).

(3) To love the Lord’s commandments is to keep the word of truth close.

Look at Psalm 119:43: "And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Your ordinances." The psalmist desired to keep the Lord’s word close to his mouth while hoping for it. In other words, he wanted his lips and his heart to be governed by the Lord’s word. A heart governed by the word of truth is a free heart.

(4) To love the Lord’s commandments is to keep them.

Look at Psalm 119:44: "So shall I keep Your law continually, forever and ever." To walk in the way of the Lord’s commandments until the end (Psalm 119:33), we must always keep His law, forever and ever (Psalm 119:44). Truly walking freely means walking in the way of the Lord’s commandments. Keeping those commandments, obeying them, is the key to walking freely. The one who loves and obeys these commandments is the one who loves the Lord (John 14:21).

Jesus said in John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." As we come to know the mind of God through the truth and obey His commandments according to His will, I pray that we may walk freely, following the Lord’s commandments.

Desiring to enjoy true freedom through obedience to the word of truth,

Pastor James Kim
(True Freedom in the Lord)