The Nugget:
Psalm 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
My Comment:
Saints obey the Scriptures (The New Topical Textbook, subheading under the main topic “The Scriptures,” page 240).
True saints–Bible believers–obey the Scriptures. It might be rather difficult to obey the Scriptures if you have not read and studied them. It really is worth your time to get better acquainted with the Bible and what it teaches.
The Psalmist admits his failures. Before God sent corrective difficulties his way the Psalmist went astray or fell into error. Sometimes falling into error or going astray from God brings its own immediate and negative outcome (Galatians 6:7).
The Psalmist shares with us that after God’s chastisement, he learned better. Now he obeys or keeps God’s Word.
Of course, getting to know God, and getting to know God’s will by reading and studying the Bible for ourselves could very well keep us out of a lot of trouble. Jesus told the Sadducees “Ye do therefore greatly err, because you do not know the Scriptures.” I know of people I have met over the years who have fallen away from the truth they once knew, and fallen into the error of Seventh-day Adventism. One such person I had assisted many years ago to avoid being entrapped in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many years later this person left the Baptist church to affiliate with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. From what I understand of the situation, one of the chief reasons for changing churches and belief systems is that this person disagreed with the doctrine of eternal punishment. Why do I say these groups are in error? Because they share points of belief (or unbelief) held by the Sadducees that Jesus roundly criticized (see Mark 12:24, 27).
Is it possible for a true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ to turn away from the truth and fall away permanently from Christ? Many Bible-believing Christians hold to the doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved,” and base it upon such a promise as John 10:28. Of course, they forgot to take context into consideration–what comes before or after John 10:28. In this case they ought to carefully ponder John 10:27 which describes the kind of persons for whom the promise is given in John 10:28. Now those who are Calvinists will dispute this, and some may use the flawed logic of ad hominem attack, and say the corrective doctrine I am advocating is Arminianism. Attaching a label to something is not the same as going to the Scripture and finding Bible evidence to back your counter-claim.
What if a person who claims to be a Bible believing Christian, claims to be saved, adopts a new lifestyle and now believes in and actually enters into a so-called “gay marriage.” Even some high-level denominational leaders, as in the Anglican Church, have done this. Can a person engage in the kinds of activities known as Sodomy in Bible terms and still be a genuine Christian? The Bible says absolutely not. That is a sin, listed among several others, that the Bible says will disqualify you from inheriting the Kingdom of God or even seeing it (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).
Salvation can be lost by committing either doctrinal or moral apostasy.
Those who teach that apostasy is not possible for true Christians are teaching false doctrine, because the Bible warns believers about this very issue (2 Peter 3:17).
It is very important to know, believe, and obey the Scriptures.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 630 for Psalm 119:67.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 674 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Psalm 119:67.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Psalm 119:67. Before I was afflicted. ver. Ps 119:28, 50, +*Ps 119:71, +*Ps 119:75, 92, 107, *Ps 119:176. Ps 6:1. 38:1. 39:11. 73:5, 14. 94:12. 107:17. 116:10. 118:18. Le 26:43. *Dt 32:15. 2 S 10:19. *2 S 11:2-14. *2 Ch 33:9-13, 19. Jb 33:19. 36:9. *Pr 1:32. 3:11. Ec 7:3. Is 26:16. 27:9. 53:5. *Je 22:21. 24:5. 30:11. 31:18, 19. 46:28. Ho 7:12. 10:10. Zc 10:2. 2 Cor 4:17. +*He 12:5. James 4:9. I went astray. Ani shogeg: I was apt to stray,—without being conscious of my error (Kay). %Ps 95:10. or, I am erring (Young). ver. +*Ps 119:176. Nu 15:28. Jb 12:16. Ezk 14:11. but now. ver. *Ps 119:71, 75. *Je 31:18, 19. La 3:27. Ho 2:6, 7. *Ho 5:15. *Ho 6:1. Mt 20:34. *He 12:10, 11. James 1:12. *Re 3:10. I kept. ver. Ps 119:17, 57, +*Ps 119:101. thy word. ver. Ps 119:11, 42, 49, 50, 81.
ps 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep thy word.
cross refs
ps 119.176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for i do
not forget thy commandments.
psm 119.71 It is good for me that i was afflicted, that i may learn thy statues.