A godly and faithful man
“Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, The tongue that speaks great things; Who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’” (Ps. 12:1-4)
What Christians should we become in this age when godliness and faithfulness are disappearing? We must be godly and faithful. Based on Psalms 12:1-4, I would like to think about what kinds of heart the godly and faithful man has in three ways:
First, the godly and faithful man has truthful heart.
Those who are ungodly and unfaithful have false heart. Therefore, they have no choice but to lie (v. 2). But we have to speak the truth. We must be honest with God and people. And we must be honest with ourselves. We must purify our hearts with the word of truth (1 Pet. 1:22). Our hearts must be the heart that enjoys freedom by the truth of God (Jn. 8:32). In such heart, the truth of God must come out naturally through our lips.
Second, the godly and faithful man has one heart.
The godly and faithful man isn’t a double-minded man (Jam. 1:8). Those who are ungodly and unfaithful are double-minded, and even if they sharpen their swords in their hearts, they flatter with their lips (Ps. 12:2). Their flattering mouths work ruin (Prov. 26:28). But the godly and faithful man doesn’t flatter with his mouth. His inner heart and outer lips are no different. He can't lie, so he doesn't say something he doesn't meant. He speaks truths from the truthful heart. He lives honestly and truthfully in front of God and man with one heart and one mind.
Third and last, the godly and faithful man has humble heart.
The godly and faithful man boasts God with his mouth. But those who are ungodly and unfaithful boast with flattering lips: “Who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’” (Ps. 12:4). Since they don’t accept Jesus as the Lord in their hearts, they boast themselves, thinking that they regard their lips as their own. But since the godly and faithful man accepts Jesus as his Lord, he knows that the Lord is in charge of his mouth. That’s why he has offered his mouth to the Lord and he uses to glorify Him by boasting Him.
Wanting to be godly and faithful,
James Kim
(Wishing my heart and lips to be remodeled in the midst of church remodeling)