What about My reputation?!!!! Psalm 31

Do daggy Christians give God a bad name? Do dodgy Christians give God a bad name? Do you think it is harder to tell people about the good news of Jesus when another scandal happens – ‘Priest in Paedophilia Ring’, ‘Pastor Caught with Gay Prostitute’, ‘Church Leader’s Fingers in the Till’? Certainly when Christians are dragged through the mud either deservingly or not it seems that the message about Jesus is less attractive.

Maybe you just find it hard to tell people about Jesus when you think that others don’t respect you? How does reputation and God’s reputation fit together?

An Outrageous Prayer
In Psalm 31 we get a ballsy prayer from King David. Not only is it ballsy it is a bold command and he has enlisted the choir to sing it loud and proud to God. The main gist of it is ‘What about my reputation God?!’ He asks Yahweh to ‘Let me never be put to shame (v.1).’

But in the same song David recognises his shame and how it is zapping him of his very life.
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away. (v.10)

Yet David’s reputation is linked to Yahweh’s reputation.
‘for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me’(v.3).

It seems a pretty outrageous prayer, doesn’t it. ‘Make me look good even though I look bad….because, as your chosen King leading your chosen people you’ll look good!’.
But it is a prayer David is confident will be answered and this should encourage the faithful.

Is your life in Yahweh’s hands?
David prays to Yahweh (the LORD) – he doesn’t dress up his life to be acceptable. Instead he throws himself upon Yahweh and his promises. This is the only place for life, true reputation and meaning. Without Yahweh, David would be lost. So he says ‘into your hands I commit me spirit’ (v.5).

Jesus prays the same prayer – not so that his life would be spared but as his life is being taken. He was so confident in his heavenly father bringing him back to life. It was because he was dying for the iniquity of his people and not his own that death could not hold him in judgement. Death would not diminish or cause Jesus’ reputation to fade. Instead his reputation is higher than anyone else’s because of his outrageous love and service for us.

If you trust in Jesus you will not bear the consequences of sin and failure but will be glorified when our king returns. Our reputation is only anything because of Jesus' reputation. Are you praying this outrageous prayer with confidence? Jesus gives us a reputation before our reputation reflects his. It is to God’s glory.

Why Sample the Psalms?

 Often when it comes to the Bible people say to the Holy Spirit, ‘I like your new stuff better than your old stuff’ because it is about Jesus. The New Testament seems more tangible and is clear on exactly what Jesus has done for us. When you come to the Psalms you might think 'What is all this mess of emotion, random thoughts and touchy feely stuff'. But think on this: Jesus said the whole Old testament is about him (Luke 24:44-47). He even says Psalms are about him and are proof that he had to die and rise again for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:44).

Not only that, Jesus sampled the Psalms. It's a bit like a rap or R&B artist that resurrects some old rock or soul classic. They sample it to get the mood and groove for a new personal expression of the original vibe of the song. Jesus takes the Psalms and uses their lyrics bringing to our mind the whole vibes of the Psalm they come from. 

The big exception to Jesus' sampling is that the Psalms are about him. When modern artists sample James Brown they sample songs that James Brown wrote about another time, another place and other people. The original authors of the Psalms knew that they were writing scripture for Christians and trying to work out what this meant for the Christ (1 Peter 1:10-12). So we are to Sample the Psalms and make them part of our life because Jesus is now part of our life if we trust in him.

Songs for Saints.
It is interesting where the Psalms are on Jesus’ lips in the Gospels. When things seem out of control and the world turned upside down – when God’s chosen King is facing death.

‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ Ps 22
‘Into your hands I commit my spirit’ Ps 31
‘I thirst’ Ps 69

As followers of King Jesus we will cop some of the treatment he did in a world that wars against him (1 Peter 4). The Psalms cover the range of Christian experience and Psalms 1 & 2 anchor us in what it means to be God's people.

Ps 1 - Are you righteous or wicked? Do you pay attention to what God says in the Bible?

Ps 2 - Are you following Yahweh's King? He is the one who dispenses blessing or wrath?

The Psalms are Songs for Saints. A collection of bold, raw, majestic, beautiful, broken, joyful, disconcerting and at times unPC songs that can shake you to the core or sooth your soul. Some of them leave you thinking ‘Can anyone talk to God like that?’. ‘Can I talk to God like that?’.

If you are trying to keep a lid on your relationship with God or hold back from the richness of your conversation with your heavenly Father, you would be inclined to skip over them. Certainly when I was preparing this series I was thinking about cherry picking a few psalms to fit in with some themes I’d thought of talking on. However, a friend of mine challenged me to stick to a section so that God's word would bring up the themes. I have found this confronting but exciting, disconcerting, invigorating and challenging. But enough of my feelings.

Why don’t you sample the Psalms? Open them up! Let God’s word guide and enrich your life and help you in every season of your life - in every blessing, in every disappointment, in every heartbreak, in joy, in anger, in sadness, in success, in failure …. Your heavenly Father knows you, cares for you and wants you to be refreshed in him. That is why by His Holy Spirit he wrote this book for you through a number of authors and their experiences of life trusting in Yahweh. 

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    This month's issue of The Briefing has some excellent articles on the 'underworld' theme including a great piece by Con Campbell (former Pastor at Crossroads and now lecturer at Moore Theological College, Sydney). If you are not subscribed please consider adding a regular dietof The Briefing to help with your reading, thinking and effectiveness for Christ. Subscription info available here. 

Being strong in the Lord

10 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Although the realms of evil and darkness may be of some mild fascination for us, Ephesians 6 urges us to prepare for and enter into the battle. Indeed we probably don't realize the seriousness of the battle as much as we should. 

If for example I knew of some plot to rob my home of it's possessions, or bring harm to my family, I'd be moved to act and protect those things that are important to me. I'd want to be aware of such plans so as to act to stop such things happening. God's enemy wishes to steal away and bring harm to Christ's loving supremacy over our lives - something more precious than anything. Should we not heed words such as these that call upon us to be aware of such schemes and to be drawn ever closer to the Lord Jesus who overcomes all that the Devil will throw at us?

Paul's metaphor of the Roman soldier is a call to be standing on the promises of the Gospel. This is the very heart of spiritual warfare and the book of Ephesians as a whole brilliantly demonstrates the power and wonder of such promises. 

So, to be  wisee for the battle, I'd recommend reading 6:10-20 and then reading through the entire letter again to see the many rich links between this passage and the letter as a whole. This is no mere theological exercise to stimulate your thinking, but is highly practical to engage your whole being. 

Also I'd do some thinking through when you find yourself most vulnerable to sin and temptation. What factors are at play? What are you being tempted to think? How are you feeling about yourself and others at the time? Why has Christ and his promises and goodness been shifted? 

To do some further thinking about how the Bible deals with many of these issues I'd recommend Living with the Underworld by Peter Bolt (picture above). Not only does he help you get a handle on the whole evil spiritual world (he does this very well), but he also explains how the Gospel is to inform the way we approach and deal with this whole arena. Demons and other evil forces are not at the heart of the Bible's message, they are, as Peter describes, more on the periphery. But the book very wisely allows what is at the heart of the Bible's message, to inform us and help us understand the reality of evil.  

Paul does the same as he grounds all of reality in the Gospel, in Christ. If you are in Christ, clothed with his good promises...the devil will not be able to mess with you....though he may try.

Without Christ, we are not just vulnerable to evil, but are captivated by it. With Christ, we are wise to the Evil One's schemes and free from such tyranny and power. For faith in Christ, expressing itself in love cannot be overcome.

Why not pray the following? 

Father please keep reminding me and showing me how awesome Jesus really is. Keep reminding me of the riches that I have in the Gospel. Keep reminding me that I belong to you because of Christ and show me the good deeds you have planned for me to walk in each day. Keep showing me in the time of temptation that this world belongs to Jesus and that in Christ I’ve got something I can never lose, which outshines and outlasts all of this life’s momentary treasures. Fill me with your Spirit so that my strength and energy for life come from my saviour and victor, the one who has overcome all evil for me already. Amen.

"Living with the Underworld" is currently available on the church bookstall.