Psalm 119:1
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the way of the Lord. (ESV)
I am amazed at how the original text of this verse reads, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of Yahweh.” When I read this verse, I want to scream out loud, “Really? A person can be undefiled or blameless?” That thought has the same conviction as the statement that an ice cube never melts in a boiler room. From Adam to our present time, every one of us wallows in sin; so how can anyone claim their way is blameless or without sin? The next part of this verse smooths my ruffled feathers, “…who walk in the law of the Lord.” Walking in the law meant keeping the required sacrifices to atone for sin. The New Testament presents a radically different view of walking blamelessly. Hebrews 9:11-28 declares with a loud convincing voice that Christ’s death abolished the need for sacrifices. This frees the stranglehold of fear which tightens around my spiritual self when I think about the pipe dream of walking this life without sin. According to 1 John 1:9, if I approach God honestly, confess the slime I’ve wallowed in, and ask forgiveness; He forgives me and I walk blamelessly. That’s pretty hard to believe, yet it’s true. Why not try it?