Honouring What is Vile
At the end of Psalm 12, David mentions another way of speaking that is not of God. Let's read verse 7-8: "You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked who freely strut about when what is vile is honoured by the human race."
What is vile is honoured. I wonder if you agree with me that this is a problem in today's society. What is vile is honoured by the human race, and what is good and holy is hated.
The Counter-Cultural Way of Christ
I suppose this shouldn't surprise us, friends, because the way of Jesus always was against the grain. Jesus offended people all the time because He had such high standards.
He allowed anybody to come. Come as you are. It doesn't matter if you're the lowest of the low, the worst of the worst. Come anyway and find forgiveness and find redemption from what is vile.
Grace That Transforms
And a lot of people today seem to think that Jesus is all about acceptance. He'll accept you as you are - that's the end. And of course, Jesus does accept you as you are, because your good works will never earn your salvation. But He never wants to leave you where you are and rejoice in your sin! Not at all.
He will take you with your sin and all your stains, but He wants to cleanse you and make you new so that what was vile in you is left behind.
The way of the world is different. The way of the world says “embrace everything about yourself, even if it is vile. Be who you want to be. And that's that.”
Choosing the Higher Path
But let's be people who, in the words of Paul in Romans 12:9, "hate what is evil and cling to what is good." Let's not be people who lift up and honour what is evil, but let's be people who cling to what is good.
And the Bible is so clear about it. Just read the words of Jesus, the words of Paul, the words of the prophets, and the whole Old Testament. And you'll quickly figure out what God considers to be good and what God considers to be vile.
Oh, friends, in Christ, we have this wonderful new life, cleansed of our old vile ways, so that we can honour Him and the good things that He brings.
Leave the vile behind. Let our speech and our lives not lift up that which is vile and evil, but let our speech and our lives lift up God who is good, and then honour Him by living holy and loving lives through His presence.
What an impact on the world we will have if we do it that way.
