LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation,
And done thy commandments (Psa 119.166).

This is excellent summary of the godly life provides us rich matter for meditation.

First, we should rid ourselves of any notion that the godly life is a pinnacle reserved for the most mature Christians. Yes, some real Christians are far more godly than others, but they all live godly lives as a whole, and have turned definitively from their ungodly lives before conversion. Paul used the phrase, “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus,” as an apt label for true believers who are subject to persecution for that very reason, and contrasted these godly ones with “evil men and seducers” who “shall wax worse and worse” (2 Tim 3.12-13). Scripture always regards “the ungodly” as unbelievers under God’s wrath and doomed to perish except they repent (e.g., 2 Chron 19.2; Job 16.11; Psa 1.1, 4-6; 1 Tim 1.9; 1 Pet 4.18; 2 Pet 2.5), and “the godly” as those who are justified (2 Pet 2.9). The popular “life on the highest plane”¹ theology is unscriptural and positively discouraging to sincere believers who remain painfully aware of their remaining sin, because this imaginary pinnacle always proves so elusive in their experience, and they are honest enough to admit it.

Second, as real Christians we ought to strive toward consistent godliness: to excel in all Christian graces, spiritual worship, and selfless ministry to others. “Exercise [train, ESV] thyself . . . unto godliness” (1 Tim 4.7). “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after [pursue, ESV] . . . godliness.” “And beside this, giving all diligence [make every effort, ESV], add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness” (2 Pet 1.5-6). Peter is not suggesting that anyone with saving faith could possibly utterly lack virtue, knowledge, and these other virtues, but rather that we must pay attention to growing in all these things as we follow Christ.

The godliness of eminent saints is not different in kind but only greater in degree than that in new converts. And no Christian in this life has already attained to perfection, but all must keep pressing on to apprehend that for which Christ has apprehended us (Phil 3.12-14).

My fellow Christians, this ought to encourage us all. God has begun his good work of sanctification in us, and he will complete it in power and faithfulness (Phil 1.6). All sincere Christian believers are climbing toward the pinnacle, wherever we happen to be along the arduous way, and in God’s grace, all shall finally gather at the top in perfect Christlikeness.

A GODWARD LIFE

“LORD.” From verse four onward, the Psalmist is looking upward into heaven, addressing God from the church’s midst, that we all might become consistently entranced in gazing upon the glory. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col 3.1-2). This is another of the 26 occurrences in Psalm 119 of God’s unique name, the Sacred Tetragrammaton YHWH, typically indicated in English translations by all capital letters.

The godly life is consciously conducted coram deo, before the face of God. As one who has come to God, a true believer knows that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Heb 11.6). Christ died so that we should not henceforth live unto ourselves [our manner of life as unbelievers], but unto him which died for us, and rose again (2 Cor 5.15), and his saving purpose cannot be frustrated.

Our challenge is to grow ever more consistent in our Godward lives. Habitually and deliberately calling God to mind, speaking to him, and striving to please him in everything we do must become our quest and obsession. We have begun the Godward life; now let us run with all our might in that good way.
 
A TROUBLED LIFE

While already in a state of grace, the Psalmist conceives of “salvation” as something he lacks in some sense or degree. While modern Christians tend to equate salvation with forgiveness of sins, the biblical concept is much more comprehensive. Essentially, it means deliverance from trouble, and all kinds of trouble may be in view.

Guilt before God is only one aspect of the misery that has come into the world, and therefore even upon saints, through man’s sin. Forgiveness of sin does not solve all our problems. We suffer troubles within and without. Our souls are far from completely renewed after God’s image. The world, the flesh, and the devil vex every saint. If sinners aren’t openly hostile, “they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error” (2 Pet 2.18). The constant barrage of discouragements to godliness prevalent in a Christian’s daily experience wear on our spirits, and in this disheartening battle we cry for deliverance. The godly life is full of trouble.

AN EXPECTANT LIFE

“I have hoped for thy salvation.” He testifies to God of faith with respect to the future. Hope is a confident expectation that God’s promises to save his elect shall all be fully realized. All who trust in the Lord also keep hoping in him as the Savior from all ills. Real Christians are profoundly optimistic, for despite all visible indications to the contrary, we know deep down that God cannot lie or fail to accomplish his benevolent purposes toward his chosen ones. “We walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5.7).

Some translations render the verb in the present tense, “I hope for your salvation” (ESV), that is, it is my daily spiritual posture to look to you, Lord, as my Savior, amidst all my troubles, and I know my hope cannot be finally disappointed. The culmination of God’s promises will be experienced when Christ returns, raises the dead, casts down all the church’s enemies, and glorifies his faithful servants, welcoming them to the full enjoyment of their inheritance in the new creation, prepared for them from the foundation of the world.

AN OBEDIENT LIFE

This Godward life of hope amidst trouble spurs every person of faith to obey God’s commandments. “I have hoped for your salvation, and done thy commandments.” This second statement may also be rendered in the present tense, “I do your commandments” (ESV), as my habitual manner of life. This is no claim to sinless perfection but to being a genuine God-fearer, with the fruit of heartfelt and real obedience to God’s revealed will, and this from the faith-filled anticipation of inheriting the blessedness God promises all his faithful servants. The New Testament expresses the same theology this way: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3.2-3).

The old theologians used to write about “evangelical obedience” as opposed to “legal obedience.” The righteous believe the gospel, that announcement of what God has accomplished in Christ, along with his glorious redemption to be fully realized in the future, and the fruit of this faith and hope is good works or obedience from the heart to God’s revealed will. Love to the Savior produces in us a genuine desire to please him in all things.

Legal obedience is external conformity rendered by a slave who fears the whip, is totally devoid of love for the Master, and vainly imagines great merit when it has only done its duty. Unbelievers never attain anything more than legal obedience and remain in their sins.

Our calling as Christians is to excel in evangelical obedience. Because God has assured us of ultimate victory, and we believe him, we remain motivated to fight the good fight of righteousness. Our labors are not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor 15.58). We are overcomers, and we shall overcome (1 John 5.4-5; Rev 21.7). This is the godly life exemplified in David, and experienced in some measure by all who truly believe in the same Christ. Now let us excel in it. Amen.

Notes:

1 Title of a book by Ruth Paxson which embodied the Keswick doctrine of sanctification, allied with Sandemanianism or easy-believism.