The Confidence of a Faithful Walk

“Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections. 3 For I am constantly aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. (Psalm 26:1-3 NLT).

Now compare 1 Corinthians 4:2-4, “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. 3 What about me? Have I been faithful? Well, it matters very little what you or anyone else thinks. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that isn’t what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.” (1 Corinthians 4:2-4 NLT).

Not one of us stands innocent before the Holy God. The Bible says, “For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23 NLT). However, those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are afforded by their faith in His sacrifice a drastic change in our standing. At salvation a marvelous transaction takes place. All of my sins are placed upon Christ (see Isaiah 53:6) and all of Christ’s righteousness is then placed upon me! (See 2 Corinthians 5:21). Positionally those who have placed their faith in Christ are “complete in Him.” (Colossians 2:10). However, let us never forget that there is a practical side of this righteousness–it is a living out of this imputed righteousness. That is what David has in view as he pens our text.

With this in mind, I wonder how many of us would be willing to make the plea of our text before the God who sees everything (Hebrews 4:13)? “Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and affections.” Such a plea could only be made by a person who has walked with integrity–no falsehood here.

Now this confident spiritual standing that both David and Paul allude to in the texts above is not limited to a select few, but is available for all who will keep their focus on the fact that what we have we have because of Him and who will order their lives after the Word of Truth. “For I am constantly aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth.”