Sometimes we think of our regeneration as the moment when we first put our faith in Christ, but as Jesus himself says in John chapter 6: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Regeneration, then, is something that must happen before we can put our trust in Christ. Before we can reach out for the life preserver, we must first be given life.

Regeneration is a word theologians use to describe how someone becomes a believer.
I became a believer in Oxford in 1992, during the spring semester. And as I look back at that time, it’s tempting to wonder, Why is it that I reached out for Christ, while it’s quite possible that the person sitting in the pew next to me did not?
Was it because I listened a bit more closely, or read the Bible more attentively? It’s embarrassing to talk like this, but was it because I was slightly more teachable, or slightly more humble? Maybe I was a bit braver or more selfless than the person sitting next to me?
I’m not talking about taking a huge amount of credit here. Some have said that a person becoming a Christian is like a drowning person reaching out for a life preserver. You wouldn’t exactly say that by doing that, the drowning person was rescuing themselves. But they do at least have to make some effort to reach out and grab it. Christ, the life preserver, is clearly doing the heavy lifting in this act of rescue, but nevertheless, you’ve got to take hold of Him in order to be saved.
Is that the biblical picture of salvation?
At the heart of the issue is the question, What does God actually do when a person comes to faith?
One writer puts the question like this: “When the Holy Spirit regenerates a sinner, does He contribute only some power, such that the sinner must add some of his own energy or power to bring about the desired effect [that’s the life preserver view of salvation], or is regeneration a unilateral work of God?
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William Wilberforce, who led the British abolition of slavery, memorized Psalm 119. As he walked from Parliament home to Hyde Park each day, he recited the psalm to himself. We definitely and desperately need Psalm 119 today. We need to be reminded that God’s word is sufficient to meet every need of the soul.
Psalm 119 is the longest of the 150 Psalms. If psalms were considered chapters, Psalm 119 would be the longest chapter of the Bible – in both verses and words. It is longer than several books of the Bible.
The psalm contains 176 verses that are divided into 22 stanzas. Each stanza is 8 verses long. These sections are arranged into an acrostic poem, using every letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
In most Bible translations, you will find the word or symbol for Aleph above verse 1. Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Aleph begins each word that begins a line in verses 1-8. The pattern continues with Beth in verses 9-16, Gimel in verses 17-24, and so on. Legend claims David used Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, the alphabet.
These literary details are all most people know about Psalm 119. But there is a reason why you should make friends with this famous psalm that goes beyond its great length, intricate structure, and poetic beauty. You should read, hear, study, meditate on, and memorize this psalm because of its surpassing them.
This psalm is about the word of God. Nearly every verse contains a synonymous reference to the word of God. Psalm 119 celebrates the fact that the word of God is totally sufficient for every season of life. the Bible is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. 2 Timothy 3:16 asserts: “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” But Psalm 119 is not about the the nature, power, and truthfulness of God’s word. It is about the sufficiency of Scripture. Many readily affirm the sufficiency of scripture. Yet they betray its sufficiency by ignoring, neglecting, and sometimes outright rejecting its sufficiency to save, edify, comfort, guide, and bless.
William Wilberforce, who led the British abolition of slavery, memorized Psalm 119. As he walked from Parliament home to Hyde Park each day, he recited the psalm to himself. We definitely and desperately need Psalm 119 today. We need to be reminded that God’s word is sufficient to meet every need of the soul.
We do not know the author, occasion, or background of this psalm. But the point of this psalm is absolutely clear: The word of God is sufficient for every season of life. This glorious theme is established in the opening stanza of Psalm 119, which teaches three aspects of living by the book.
The Delight of Living By the Book
Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 119 may be considered an exposition of Psalm 1. What the first psalm affirms, this psalm explains: “God blesses those who live by his word.
“Blessed” means true happiness, surpassing joy, full contentment, perfect peace and complete satisfaction in God. Charles Bridges wrote: “All would secure themselves from the incursions of misery; but all do not consider that misery is the offspring of sin, from which therefore it is necessary to be delivered and preserved, in order to become happy or ‘blessed.’” Do you want to be blessed?
God blesses sincere devotion to his word. Verse 1 declares, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless.” “Blameless” does not mean sinless perfection. If perfection is the standard, none of us could be blessed. What does it mean to be blameless? The NKJV reads: “Blessed are the undefiled in the way.” That is a helpful translation. To be blameless is to be undefiled. The standard for blessedness is purity, not perfection. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Psalm 119:1 says, “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. “Walk” is a metaphor for one’s consistent conduct. It is how you live. The blameless walk in the law of the Lord. This reference to the “law” is not limited to the Pentateuch. Here, and throughout this psalm, references to the law encompass all that God teaches in order that we may be right with him. Do not picture walking in the law as some negative, restrictive, or oppressive way of life. Picture it as the path that leads to blessings, happiness, joy, favor, and satisfaction.
God blesses steadfast devotion to his word. Verse 2 says, “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart.” Blessed people are devoted to the Bible’s sake. They keep God’s testimonies because they seek God. Why live by the Book? Scripture will draw you closer to God. It is through the word of God that we know, trust, and served the Lord Jesus Christ. the Bible is like a telescope. If you look at a telescope, all you will see is the telescope. If you look through a telescope, you can see worlds beyond.
To find God in scripture, seek him with your whole heart. Have no divided loyalties. Give God your full attention, affection, and adoration. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Psalm 119:3a describes the blessed life in negative terms: “who also do no wrong.” This is not so much about the blessed person as it is about the word of GOd. God’s word will always lead you into righteousness, never into sin. Verse 9 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Verse 11 says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Verse 105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word will lead you to righteousness, away from sin, and through your storms.
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Are you gentle? How would you know? The fruit of the Spirit is seen in the Christian who is gentle. Gentleness, or meekness, is often defined by culture as softness, usually implying weakness. Christians sometimes define it as controlled strength.
But the seventeenth-century Dutch pastor and theologian Wilhelmus à Brakel points us to a description more consistent with the New Testament uses of the term. He observes that the root of the Greek word is “a derivative of the word ‘to transfer,’ ” and thus that the gentle person is one “who readily establishes contact with others and with whom others easily make contact in turn.”
In short, gentle people are approachable people. Meek people have something worth communicating or transferring to the souls of others, and they work to do so. They also know that they need to receive from others, so they are ready to listen.
People know instinctively that the gentle of heart build bridges to transfer the treasure with which they’ve been entrusted. And they sense that it is safe to connect with them in order to receive that treasure. The gentle person keeps lines of communication open; he is approachable, even to opponents or strangers. He is more than just “nice.” Communication is easy, or at least looks easy, for the Christian who has disciplined himself to bear such fruit. Gentle people reach out to others in ways that make others want to reach out to them.
Conversely, what kind of man or woman lacks gentleness? It is easy to see that the loud, insensitive, rough person fails the test of gentleness. But the withdrawn, shy person also fails to qualify as gentle. The work of the Holy Spirit is necessary for each of these souls to become gentle.
A gentle person can relate to all kinds of people. Even when situations are awkward or when difficult matters must be discussed, meek saints leave others knowing that they love them even in the midst of conflict. And that, indeed, requires great strength. Jerry Bridges wrote, “Gentleness is illustrated by the way we would handle a carton of exquisite crystal glasses; it is the recognition that the human personality is valuable but fragile and must be handled with care.”