Let's open our Bible, please, to Psalm 26, if you will. David had been having a lot of troubles, and one thing he wanted to maintain was a good relationship with God in spite of it. He had enemies, Esau and others, that caused him a lot of problems. We are going to title this psalm, A Dedicated Christian, A Dedicated Christian, Psalm 26. And as we begin to look at it, we want to try to get the most out of each verse, so we'll not try to rush through it. Let's take it as slowly as possible and be sure we touch every point. You notice verse 1, David says, Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. We'll read verse 2 and then come back and talk. He says, Examine me, O Lord, and prove me. Try my reins and my heart. Now, the very first thing about a dedicated Christian is that he is willing to be tested. Notice he said, Judge me, and he said, Examine me. There are very few of us that would have God to look into our hearts that way. Not too many who are willing for God to look deep inside of us, and we have every right to worry about it, too. And instead of saying, Judge me, we might say, as was said in another place, Enter not into judgment with thy servant. where we need to come from unless we're sure that we're right with God. Notice how many times David said, I have, in this chapter. He said, I have walked in mine integrity, verse 1. I have trusted, verse 1. Verse 3, he says, I have walked in thy truth. Verse 4, I have not sat with vain persons. Verse 5, I have hated the congregation of evildoers. And verse 8, I have loved the habitation of thy house. This is a pretty good record, isn't it? To have all these things going for you. and have this decisive conviction about what you are and what you're going to do. David held to his integrity. He held to integrity as his principle, and he walked in his integrity as to his practice, and therefore he had peace within his soul in the midst of all the accusations of others. You know, when others accuse you, There's nothing better for you to bring it before God and say, judge me or examine me and let your relationship be known to God and how that God would look upon you. We find people that stand the test in the Bible. Job stood the test, didn't he? When he was accused by his three miserable comforters, his friends. Someone has said with friends like that, who needs enemies? They came and said, Job, you've got just what's coming to you. And one of them said, well, Job, you haven't gotten half as much as you deserve. And he had gotten plenty, hadn't he? And we find that when people are judging you and accusing you, it's pretty hard to take, isn't it? And stand the test. Moses stood the test. The Bible says, by faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. He could have had all the riches of Egypt and the wealth of Egypt, maybe been the next on the throne. We don't know. But the thing about it is, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, and he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to have these things. We find that Abraham stood the test. The Bible says Abraham, when he was tried, that he offered up Isaac, his only son, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, and that God had received him as a figure in that respect. We find that Joseph stood the test. Remember, he was falsely accused and thrown in prison. He came up out of prison. He stood faithful all the way through it. Daniel stood the test, didn't he? Remember, he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king's meat nor the wine which he drank. Daniel was a man of purpose, and if you're willing to be tested, it says a great deal about your character. That is, tested before God. And we'd better be sure we're right when we say, God, judge me and examine me. We'd better be sure that all these sins are confessed and there's nothing between, we used to sing a song, nothing between my soul and the Savior. are afraid to be tested, and we have every reason to fear. But we should ask God to look into our hearts and see if there be any secret sin or anything in the heart that shouldn't be there. In Psalm 139, verse 23 and 24, the psalmist David says, Here, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. Look at that. He says, Know my heart, know my thoughts. and see if there be in any wicked way in me." And then he says, "...and lead me in the way everlasting." So this is a great deal to ask when we ask God to search our hearts, isn't it? David is not boasting in himself, really. He's just asking the Lord to be his judge as to his actions. And when we have the Lord as our judge, we have the best one that can look into our situation. Paul, you know, he spoke of the Corinthians. as many were judging him. Let me read 1 Corinthians 4, verses 1-5. It says, Let a man so account of us as of ministers of Christ. and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that a man be found faithful. But with me," now listen, he says, "...but with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment, yea, I judge not my own self." Paul says, I should not be judged of you or of man's judgment, for he says, I judge not myself. I don't even know about my own self, for I know nothing by myself. Yea, am I not hereby justified? But he that judgeth me is the Lord." He was doing the whole lot of what David was doing. He says, He that judgeth me is the Lord. And he says, Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsel of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise of God. Jesus tells us to judge not lest we be judged. So we have to learn how to handle ourselves before others, and especially when we ask God to come into the picture. So he says in Psalm 26, verse 1, hold your place where we're studying. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. Now, the reason he could say this is that he was living as he felt in his heart. I have walked in my integrity, I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. His trust was in the Lord. He says, I've walked in the right way, and I've trusted in the right one. The Bible says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. And David says, I have trusted also in the Lord. And he says, Therefore I shall not slide. He is determined not to slip. He is a man of determination. You know, I like men of determination, of conviction. and that want to go on, that are determined they're going to succeed, that they're determined by the grace of God, they will be faithful. Now, it doesn't mean we can rest in our own self-confidence. That's the wrong thing to do. Remember, Peter did that, and he failed. But it does mean that we should be men of purpose, like we already mentioned Daniel purposed in his heart. And here, David said, He says, therefore, I shall not slide. I shall not slide. The ground of his confidence was his trusting in the Lord. What is the ground of your confidence? Is it in yourself or is it in your faith? The ground of his confidence was in his faith in the Lord. He says, I have trusted also in the Lord. Therefore, I shall not slide. See how those two things are connected? He connects them very close together. The word, therefore, I shall not slide. If we didn't have faith in God, we would slide, wouldn't we? Remember, Paul said, by the grace of God, I am what I am. If we start trusting in self, we're going to slide. We have to trust in God. That's why we need to be determined that we will stand and we'll stand by his grace. In Psalm 73, you remember, let's look in Psalm 73. You'll find some things about the trusting in God. Psalm 73. We've taught you this one time and again, and it seems to apply a great deal as we go through the psalms. Psalm 73, verses 1 and 2, he says, "'Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped.'" And in the psalm we're reading, he says, Therefore I shall not sly," back in our twenty-sixth psalm. But in this psalm he said, My feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. It means he wasn't very secure. And he goes on to tell in the next several verses, and remember we've taught this time and again, that he was envious of the foolish. When he saw the prosperity of the wicked, his feet were upon the slippery ground, and They cried out against the heavens, and they cursed God, and they have more than the heart could wish. And their eyes stand out with fatness, and it says they speak against the heavens, and they speak loftily, and that God's people are chastened all day long. And then in verse 13, he says, Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning." And then in verse 17 he says, "'Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I therein. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castest them down into destruction.'" So until he got into the presence of God, he didn't understand God's dealings with other people, especially the prosperity of the wicked. How many people get fooled by that? They say, look, I'm trying to live a Christian life and here are these wicked people and they just make more than they deserve and they have money end upon end. They seem to never be problem with chastening like we are. Have you ever got into that shape and have that little pity party, you might say, of yourself and say, oh, war is mean. I have so many troubles and I try to do right. Well, that's what happened in the 73rd Psalm. But here in this Psalm, He says, because he trusted in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. And then in verse 2, he says, examine me, O Lord, and prove me, and try my reins in my heart. He wanted the very utmost of himself to be examined, and we've already touched upon that. In verse 3, he keeps his eyes on the Lord. Now, what do we say about a dedicated Christian? He's willing to be tested, first of all. He's determined not to slip or to slide. The third thing, he keeps his eyes on the Lord. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth. Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes. If we keep our eyes on the Lord, we're looking in the right way. The Bible says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. All others are human and will cause us to fall. We look at other ways. Remember Peter walking on the water? Jesus bade him to come to Him. As long as Peter kept his eyes on the Lord, he was doing fine. When he took his eyes off the Lord and began to look at the boisterous waves, he began to sink. And sometimes if we put our eyes on the storms instead of upon the Lord, we'll find that we're going down. But if we get our eyes back on the Lord, things will be looking up and looking all right. And he began to sing and he cried out, Lord save me. Didn't have long to pray, did he? Tell you what, it was a short prayer, but it was successful. Sometimes it's not the length of the prayer, it's the meaning of it. It's what you mean when you're in trouble. He said, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and lifted him up. Keep our eyes on the Lord and we'll be all right. So many times we get our eyes upon man. The center verse of the Bible we read before, not to put your trust in man or princes even, the next verse. It's in the Psalms, by the way, and the Psalms is the center of the Bible. So, anyway, we find that we need to keep our eyes on the Lord, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The Bible says in Isaiah chapter 6, in the year that King Uzziah died, now listen, Isaiah says, I saw also the Lord. I lift it up, okay? In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord." Evidently he had been looking at Uzziah. And when he died, he thought, well, I better start looking to God. And you find that in Isaiah chapter 6, and he says, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. We talked about these seraphims before. Six wings. Twain he covered his face. Worship with twain, he covered his feet. Worship with twain, he did fly. Activity. Jesus said, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The activity comes after worship, doesn't it? It's never in the reverse order. It's always in this order. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. So we find that the seraphims, one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. The post of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone. Now, it was after Isaiah saw the Lord that he said, Woe is me, I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Notice Isaiah didn't say it. These people are undone, and I'm okay." But he says, I'm undone, and I'm not only undone, but I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Nehemiah prayed, he confessed his sins along with the sins of the children of Israel. We find that David did that, that Daniel did that, that Isaiah did that. Always these prophets included themselves. James says there were men of like passion as we are. Sometimes we make Bible heroes, don't we? And when we look into it, we find that they All had feet of clay, just like the rest of them. So back in this psalm, he keeps his eyes on the Lord, and that's what we need to do. And he walks, look at this, verse 3, I have walked in thy truth. He not only looked to God in faith, and he kept his eyes on the Lord, but it's not enough to just know the truth, but we must walk in the truth. We must live it as well. You ever heard people say, well, don't pay any attention to what I do, just pay attention to what I say. Well, unfortunately, people pay attention to what you say and also what you do. And if you don't do what you say, they know that very quickly. They can pick up on that pretty quick. They're pretty quick to pick up on that. In 2 John chapter 4, let me read this for you. The book of 2 John chapter 4, I mean verse 4, there's only one book, I'm sorry. In 2 John verse 4, only one chapter, as well as 3 John. as well as Jews. But in 2 John it says in verse 4, I rejoice greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. Now what made John rejoice? He says, I rejoice greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. So it's not enough to know it, but we should walk in it as well. If we're not willing to walk in it, it does very little good or it does the least good just to know it. It's good to know, but it's also good to walk in it. That's why when you hear it, and you go out of the building, and you start living this life, and you go out in the public, and you go out and face problems, you still have to walk in this truth. You don't just hear it at the church and go out and live some other way, because the people that do find themselves in trouble. He's faced with a lot of problems. And then he is careful about his associates. I want you to read verses 4 and 5. We'll read them together and talk about them. It says in verse 4, I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. And he says, I have hated the congregation of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked. Kind of reminds us of the first psalm that we said was introduction to it all, doesn't it? Remember the first psalm? Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. We said that that first psalm with six verses is an introduction to the whole of the psalms. the righteous and the wicked. You have the godly man and the ungodly man. You have those that are pleasing to God and those that God has to judge because of their sins. So the psalmist here is careful. Look at this again, verse 4 and 5. He is careful about his associates. And we are judged by the company we keep. And there's some truth in the statement that you're of guilt by association. If you look in John's Gospel, chapter 18, concerning Judas and Jesus, It says in John 18, verses 4 and 5, Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth and said unto them, Whom seek ye? Remember when they were seeking Jesus there in the garden? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. Judas was with the people that he was associated with, and they were with him. So the association of the evildoers. The Bible tells us to walk not in the counsel of the ungodly. We find that the Bible tells us that we need many times as Christians to change our associations. Let me read for you in the book of 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 4. No, 1 Peter chapter 4. I want to read verses 3 and 4. It says, For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when, this is our past, We walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries, wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of right, speaking evil of you." You see, once you become a Christian and you start separating yourselves from those that are described here, it says, wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of right, speaking evil of you. You then automatically become separated from those that you used to run around with. And it's a good thing that you do, because if you continue to run around with them, God has saved you from such a life. And then you continue to run around with people that will lead you in the wrong direction. You're going to be associated with them. You're going to fall into the same traps. And you're going to commit some of the same crimes, and you're going to be judged for those things that you do. And, of course, it's going to lead to disaster in your own life. So it does make a great deal of difference as to what kind of company we keep. We're judged by the company we keep. I've said before, for the sake of those of you that have heard it, just forgive me, but there are many people here that maybe have never heard the little rhyme that I gave you about being associated with the wrong people. How many of you remember about the drunkard, the alcoholic? I'll try to give it to you again and bear with me those of you that have heard it because some are here that haven't. It says, my dad taught me this. He was a law enforcement man and had to pick up drunks on the street all the time and deal with people that were alcoholics and living ungodly lives. He taught me this and says, it was in the late November, as well as I remember, I was walking down the street in modern pride when my heart began to flutter and I lay down in the gutter and a pig came up and lay down by my side. As I lay there in the gutter with my heart all in a flutter, a lady passing by was heard to say, you can tell the man that boozes by the company he chooses. And the pig got up and slowly walked away. So. Sometimes the company we associate with gets us in trouble, doesn't it? And I believe that we need to keep the right company. That's why it's good if you're a child of God to run around, go around with Christian people, try to live a Christian life, try to keep yourself separated from the world. It doesn't mean isolated from the world. Jesus says we're in the world, but not of the world, right? And He says, Father, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. And we're in the world to be a testimony. It's kind of like the ship in the ocean is the ship in the right place, but the ocean in the ship, that's in the wrong place, isn't it? Well, the Christian and the church in the world as a witness is in the right place. But you get the world and the church, and by the way, we've talked about that in the last week or two. My sermon last Sunday was on a little bit of the world and the church. And it's in many churches here in Riadosa, and I'm not bashful to tell about it, because they're in them. The world's in the churches. When the world gets in the churches, it's in the wrong place. And so we need to keep ourselves separate from the world in that sense. That doesn't mean we need to put on a pie shirt. holier-than-thou attitude. It's not talking about that at all. Paul said in Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, he said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Now, verse 2, he says, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Notice he didn't say by a renewed mind, but by the renewing of your mind. It's a daily, continuous thing. You don't just do that one time and it's all over. You still have to be non-conformed to this world as you live your Christian life. And you're going to be faced with temptations and trials. I had someone call me up today and ask me about the gambling and this and that and the other. Well, listen, I'm not for it. And I think that God's Word tells us that we shouldn't be. And Reid Olsen was here before a lot of these other people got here, and it'll be here after they're all gone. Mark it down, it'll still be here. And the Lord's still in heaven, and He still controls everything. It's true that a lot of things may be affected by what goes on in our economy, but that's not ours to worry by. It's only ours to stand true to God's Word and then let those things fall where they may. So then we find that it says in verse 4 and 5, I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. Have you ever gotten in with dissemblers? That means the ones that try to spoil the assemblies, dissemblers, and the ones that are complainers, the ones that are causing problems. I have hated the congregation of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked. Can you imagine the psalmist saying, I have hated the congregation of evildoers? There are congregations of all kinds. We have to face the fact that a congregation of evildoers, as well as a congregation of the upright. There's a church of Satan, as well as a church of God. There's a seed of the serpent, as well as the seed of the woman. There's an old Babylon, as well as the New Jerusalem. Yet in the book of Revelation, there's a great whore sitting upon the many waters to be judged in wrath, as well as a chaste bride of the Lamb to be crowned at Christ's coming. So there's all kinds of And someone said, well, how do you hate evil? Because God hates evil. And His Word says, as the psalmist said in verse 5, I have hated the congregation of evildoers. It doesn't mean you don't want people to be saved, to repent of sin and turn to God, repentance and faith, but it means that that God is displeased with those that continue in sin and rebel against Him. The Bible says, He that being often reproved and hardened at his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Don't play around with the things of God. Your life is too fragile to think you can get by with just thumbing your nose at the Lord day in and day out and getting by with. He that being often reproved, hardened at this neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. There's another scripture that says because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. People say, well, God hasn't done anything yet, and I'm getting by with this. It doesn't mean you'll always get by with it. God is slow to rant, and judgment is His strange work, but nevertheless, it's His work. Let's look in verse 6, if you will, please. He's not only careful about his associates, but he keeps his hands clean. Remember, James says, pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep themselves unspotted from the world. He keeps his hands clean. We know that in the Old Testament there was a brazen labor that the priest Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and their feet before they entered into the tabernacle. They could not enter in until they washed. It's a brazen labor. There was a brazen altar out front. They had to offer the sacrifice there and take up the blood there. They had to wash in the brazen labor. Then they could enter the door of the tabernacle, and they came in and tended to the candlesticks on one side, the seven-branch candlestick, and the table of showbread on the other side. And once a year, the high priest was going behind the veil where the blood of the sacrifice of the brazen are altered. and sprinkle on the mercy seed the atoning blood, and there make atonement for the sins of the children of Israel a year at a time. And we don't have to do that because Christ entered in once. The Bible says in Hebrews 9 verse 12, neither by the blood of bulls and ghosts, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. So He did this one time, and He sat down on the right hand of God. It's done. Forever done. He must keep his hands clean. James says, Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. So we need to cleanse our hands. We need to have our hearts and consciences clean before the Lord. And the only way we can do that is serving God with a true heart and true conscience. In Acts 23, verse 1, let me tell you what Paul said. Paul, earnestly beholding the counsel, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. You have to go home at night and you have to go to bed and sleep with yourself. You have to sleep with the things of your heart between you and God. My wife was remarking, she says, you know, I go to bed and I go to sleep. I mean instantly. I stay up until I get sleepy and then when I get ready to go to bed, I go to bed and I sleep. And you know, if we'll just get things off our heart and conscience and mind and make sure that everything's right with God, it's a little easier. It doesn't mean people don't have a problem with that. And from time to time, people that really have a habit of sleeping good in the night can have a problem with it. But on the other hand, what I'm saying is, let's keep our heart clear between us and God and our hands clean. Paul said he had a clean and clear conscience. Jeremiah 4 verse 14 says, O Jerusalem, wash thine heart. from wickedness. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Let's look down at verse 7 now. It says in verse 7, "...that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell all thy wondrous works." Here the psalmist has a spirit of gratitude. We're talking about a dedicated Christian. First of all, he is willing to be tested, he is determined not to slip, he keeps his eyes on the Lord, he is careful about his associates, he keeps his hands clean, and he has a spirit of gratitude. Real gratitude will be expressed one way or another. Secret discipleship is not worth a whole lot to the Lord or anyone else. The Bible says in Psalm 107 verse 2, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. The Bible says in everything give thanks. Ingratitude is one of the greatest sins that I can think of. If you read Romans chapter 1, you'll find that the wickedness, let's look in Romans chapter 1, the wickedness that Paul speaks of there. starts out with ingratitude. Look in Romans 1, begin with verse 18. I want you to read verse 18 and we'll get to it in verse 21. It says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Now here's the reason, verse 21, "'Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, ungrateful creatures.'" but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and so on and so forth." You can read the rest of it speaks of the corrupt heart of men as they turn away from God. So it says, neither were thankful. Did you know almost everywhere in the New Testament it speaks of prayer and the epistles? Paul says, giving of thanks, giving of thanks, or prayer with thanksgiving. Have you ever seen some children that you give something to, or maybe your own children? You give them something and never say thank you, never show any appreciation of what you've done? That's ingratitude, isn't it? That's being unthankful. Some people are unthankful. You can do a lot for folks and, you know, they just take it. Thank you? They don't even say thank you. You just take it. More coming. But does it hurt to say thanks? Not at all. It doesn't hurt to thank mothers and daddies for what they do for you. It doesn't hurt us to thank God for what He does for all of us. And thanksgiving is one thing that ought to be prominent in our lives as Christians. And I want you to notice the next thing that he says in Psalm 26, verse 8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house. And the place where thine honor dwelleth I have loved." In other words, I love to go to the place of worship. Psalm 122, verse 1, he says, I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. God is honored and praised and worshipped. And God is not honored and praised and worshipped in any place like in the church. Ephesians 3.21 says unto him, Be glory in the church throughout all ages, world without end. Glory in the church. He is to be glorified in the church. He is to be the main person. Jesus said, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. And we claim the Lord's presence in our midst and the presence of His Holy Spirit in our midst. And He's promised to meet with His people. He has made a promise to meet with His people. You know, I would hate to think that we didn't expect God's presence in our services, in our midst. The Holy Spirit is within us and the Holy Spirit is within the church. The Bible tells us that Paul said concerning the church of Corinth, he says that you're the temple of God. And then he says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which dwells in you. So he's not only an individual believer, but he's in the hearts and lives of people. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honor dwelleth. That means that we should go to the house of God. If you read in the book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 12 and verses 13 and 14, he says, Take heed to thyself, that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest, but in the place which the Lord shall choose in one of the tribes there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee. God had a place in the Old Testament. He has a place in the New Testament. We need to attend the house of God. You know, I've noticed that the very sermons, the very messages that people miss are the ones that they fail to come to the house of God. The very messages they need is the one that they fail to attend. The very blessing is missed that you need when you fail to be in God's presence, in God's house. That was true of Thomas. Let me read for you the book of John, the 20th chapter. Listen. Verse 24, Jesus, of course, had appeared to the disciples. Verse 21, He said, Peace be unto you. And then, in verse 24, it says, But Thomas, one of the twelve who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. See, Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. You know, a lot of times we think, well, it won't hurt to miss this service or that service or the next. Well, it may not. But then that may be the very thing that you need. That may be the very thing that you need. I know a lot of folks that are not here tonight that possibly could have been helped by listening to some of these things of a dedicated Christian willing to be tested, determined not to slip. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Careful about your associates. Keep your hands clean. have a spirit of gratitude, love to go to the place of worship, and we should. And then I want you to look at verses 9 and 10. It says, Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men, in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. Notice what he says, Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men. He is horrified even at the thought of having to spend eternity with the lost. Wouldn't that horrify anyone? At the very thought of it, someday all the lost will be gathered together. And there will be a great separation day coming. Jesus speaks of it in Matthew 13, and he says he'll separate the tares from the wheat. There's coming a day of separation. Certainly we would hate the thought of being gathered together with the wicked. And yet the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation, listen, chapter 21, verse 8, it says, The fearful, but the fearful and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part. in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Notice the classification here, the fearful and unbelieving, and then the abominable, and the murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars. We have, on a small scale, an illustration of that in prison houses today where you'll find someone that's committed a crime of a lesser nature thrown in with people that are out and out criminals, I mean murderers and robbers and all kinds of vile crimes they've committed. And we find people thrown in prisons with those kind of people. So there's a great danger and there's a great fear to be associated with the most awful of criminals. You think of our prisons today and think of how many people are alongside of those that have raped and killed and murdered and plundered. And there are other people right alongside them that maybe have committed crimes, but of a lesser sort. And they have to associate with them. And the psalmist says, Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men." He didn't want to be associated with them here, much less in the hereafter. In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, look at this, his motive is right now. As for me, I will walk in mine integrity. His motive is right, and yet he realized the need of constant cleansing and mercy. I will walk in mine integrity. Redeem me and be merciful unto me." He still prayed for mercy. The Bible tells us we need daily cleansing. Cleansing and mercy he was praying for. Redeem me and be merciful unto me. We walk in a world that's sinful. Jesus washed the disciples' feet because they became contaminated in their walk in this world. He tells us we need daily cleansing. If we confess our sins, verse 7 through 9, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So we need daily confession and cleanse. He goes on to say, if we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar. His word is not in us. If we say we have no sin, the truth is not in us. So we must confess that we are sinners by nature and that we have sinned actually as well. And then we need the cleansing that he provides.