those with whom you have fellowship are really completely satisfied and contented with life? What a tremendous testimony to be given of anyone’s life: “Blessed is the man who walketh not in the coun sel of the ungodly.” One of the def inite signs of conversion is the out ward walk of faith. Here was a cer tain individual who had lived a very sinful life. He came to know the Lord as his Saviour, however, was glori ously transformed, and sought to join the church. Having been born again, this was a natural step for him. Members of the church commit tee assigned to interviewing new membership candidates asked to hear a personal word of testimony. This was right and proper. They asked him squarely, “Can you tell us what life was like before coming to know Jesus Christ?” He responded frank ly, “Well, I was nothing more than a sinner, just simply running after sin!” One of the committee injected, “What are you now?” The now ra diant Christian testified, “I'm still a sinner, but now I am a sinner, run ning away from sin through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.” There is both a negative and a positive as pect to the Gospel. We want to underscore the ex tremely important word “ungodly.” Sometimes people equate that with other terms they think are synony mous : wicked, criminal, sinner or some other title of deprecation. While their final destination may be the same, yet ungodly refers in the original sense to people who have no time for God. They may be' good, moral and upright folk. Ethical and sincere in every avenue of life, they may be educated and filled with all of the social graces. But, without Christ, they are still ungodly. So often we find people like that who are nicer and easier to get along with than believers. The word for ungodly in the original is rasha which means unjust, or one who has never been
justified. When it comes time for the judgment of God this individual will have to stand before the Almighty Himself, rather than to have had his sins laid on the Lord Jesus Christi C hapter O ne There is a wonderful sermon in the first verse of Psalm 1. It is im portant and interesting to see three series of three descriptive words in this verse. Together, they clearly re veal the devil’s toboggan slide which seeks to interrupt one’s communion and fellowship with God. Look, first of all, at the v e rb s “walketh,” “standeth,” and “sitteth” ; secondly, “counsel,” “way,” and “seat” ; third ly, the nouns which speak of these people as “ungodly,” “sinners,” and “scornful.” When a person is walking along, he can still turn in another direction with very little ease. It may take the movement of but a few muscles sim ply to turn and go in the other direc tion. “To walk,” according to Web ster, means “to keep in motion.” So the Psalmist is saying here that the man in a thousand who is not follow-
Mr. R ot Hater (left),director of Student Activities for Biota Colege, shares some noteswith Mr. Craig Seaton,instructor in Sociology at the school. Mr. Hater has the responsibility of the Christian Service assignments for all of the students.He is a gradu ate of Biola and formerly served as the Alumni Executive Director.
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