Notice that this psalm provides no information about the earthly author. We know, however, that all the psalms are inspired by the Holy Spirit as part of God’s word no matter the human that penned them.
Psalms 33:1 ¶ Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
This psalm is a song of praise. The composer urges those that trust in the LORD to rejoice in Him. Words of praise are beautiful and befitting those that benefit from God’s goodness.
Spurgeon: “To rejoice in temporal comforts is dangerous, to rejoice in self is foolish, to rejoice in sin is fatal, but to rejoice in God is heavenly.”
Psalms 33:2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Psalms 33:3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
The song urges the people to praise the LORD with musical instruments, playing skillfully and loudly. We should always do our very best in anything that we do for the LORD. We are also encouraged to compose new songs to maintain a freshness in our worship.
Well, that certainly describes the praise music at my church! The people that lead our worship ministry make a point to introduce new songs and encourage the use of original songs from those that are being trained through and participate in that ministry. I am especially blessed to enjoy original songs by my granddaughters that are both beautiful and biblically based. New songs help us keep our worship fresh so that it doesn’t become vain repetition or rote words.
Ironside: “That is what worship is: it is the soul’s adoration of God Himself. It is occupation not with His gifts, not coming to Him to receive something, but occupation with the Giver; the heart going out in gratitude not only for what He has done for us but also for what He is in Himself.”
Psalms 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
Psalms 33:5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
In this section of verses, the writer begins to give reasons for which one should praise the LORD. First, He is a God that is righteous and just. His word is steadfast and sure, and His works are faithful. The Hebrew for truth also refers to having moral fidelity; in other words, His works adhere to and reflect what is right. The LORD loves all that is moral and just as revealed in His law. The earth is filled with evidence of His beauty and kindness.
It is so easy in our times to get overwhelmed with all the evil that prevails in our world that it is easy to take for granted or lose sight of all the beauty and kindness that evidence God’s love. I especially love to take pictures of the beauty of the creation around us and use it to frame truths from scripture to use to encourage and comfort others. He holds the atoms together to support our existence. He provides all the things necessary to sustain life. He has given us amazing bodies with the ability to see, hear and enjoy the creation around us. He has given us the ability to love and be loved in return. He surrounds us with miracles—the most beautiful of all seen in the face of every newborn baby. I could go on and on!
Spurgeon: “God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand which never fails.”
Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
These verses acknowledge the LORD as our Creator as well as the fact that He created just by speaking things into existence. That is truly amazing when one ponders the vastness of the heavens and their stars and planets and their constancy throughout history.
Psalms 33:7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
It is the LORD our Creator that keeps the waters of the sea together and the waves from covering the land. He has set boundaries beyond which they are not allowed to pass without His permission. He has the great depths of the oceans controlled in a depository, a specific place, according to His own determination.
Job 38:8–11 “Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth....and set bars and doors, And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?”
Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
Psalms 33:9 For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
The composer calls for the whole earth to fear the LORD, to respond to Him with reverence and awe. That is the response that consideration of the creation around us should inspire. Wherever we look, it should fill us with wonder that the LORD could just speak to bring it all into being with such precision, intricacy and continuity. It should fill us with profound respect for the power and authority that could bring this about.
Psalms 33:10 The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
I like the simplicity of the NLT for this verse: “The LORD shatters the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes.”
Again, this is a truth that can be easily lost when overwhelmed with all the evil that pervades the nations on planet earth—and its spread is increasing daily. The fact is that God is ever in control, and His plan is being worked out and will one day destroy evil.
Isaiah 46:9–10 “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure….”
This verse also made me think of another verse from Isaiah that talks about how the LORD frustrates the evil of men as well as nations.
Isaiah 44:25 “That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish….”
Spurgeon: “The cause of God is never in danger: infernal craft is outwitted by infinite wisdom, and Satanic malice held in check by boundless power.”
Psalms 33:11 The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Counsel and thoughts both make reference to God’s word, and His word will never fail; its truth will forever stand firm.
Psalms 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”
1 Peter 1:24–25 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.”
Matthew 24:34–35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
Spurgeon: “Men come and go, sons follow their sires to the grave, but the undisturbed mind of God moves on in unbroken serenity, producing ordained results with unerring certainty. No man can expect his will or plan to be carried out from age to age; the wisdom of one period is the folly of another, but the Lord's wisdom is always wise, and his designs run on from century to century.”
Psalms 33:12 ¶ Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Oh that the people of America understood this truth! The nation that chooses to honor God as LORD, the One to whom they are accountable and is Sovereign over all, is blessed. Israel is the specific reference of the psalmist as the nation God chose as His own among the nations.
Deuteronomy 14:2 “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.”
However, we as Christians represent a chosen people set apart among the nations as well. He has set us apart to do what Israel failed to do—to show forth the goodness and the praises of God.
1 Peter 2:6–10 “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded…. ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
Sadly, in general, we seem to be following the same path of failure as did Israel.
Psalms 33:13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
Psalms 33:14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
Psalms 33:15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
The composer reminds us that the LORD is omniscient; as He looks from His dwelling place in heaven, He is aware of ALL the inhabitants of the earth—each and every one of us. It is He that formed our hearts, and He understands all the whys and wherefores of all that we do.
Psalms 33:16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
Psalms 33:17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
Psalms 33:19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
The psalmist is basically saying that the greatest army, the strongest men, nor the most powerful tools of war can save a king. They might protect him for a while, but they are all fallible. Only the LORD can provide complete protection and provision for those that fear Him with reverence and awe and place their complete faith in Him as their Savior. Nothing can touch the man or woman of God that He does not allow for His own purpose for good.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Psalms 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
Psalms 33:21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Speaking for all men of faith, the psalmist declares that we trust in the LORD as our help and shield, our protector. This is the reason that our hearts rejoice. His name represents all that He is. There is no other “god” like Him; there is no other Savior. That truth is emphasized over and over in the book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”
Isaiah 45:5 “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me….”
Isaiah 45:21 “there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.”
Isaiah 46:9 “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me….”
Spurgeon: “The root of faith in due time bears the flower of rejoicing. Doubts breed sorrow, confidence creates joy.”
Ironside regarding waiting on the LORD: “Remember, if He does not answer immediately it does not mean that He is indifferent. God’s delays are not denials. We need to learn that and to wait for the Lord, for in His own time and in His own way He undertakes and answers prayer.”
Psalms 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
The song closes with a plea for the LORD to show mercy (lovingkindness and favor) to His people because they have placed their hope in Him. Biblical hope involves more than just wishing for something; it is exercising a confident expectation of action—faith.
Hebrews 11:1 “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.” (NLT)
Jesus declared faith to be a key to answered prayer.
Matthew 9:28–29 “And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.”
Mark 5:34 “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
Luke 7:50 “And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”
Psa. 34:0 A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.
In trying to find the reference of the incident being referenced, I didn’t find the names to match up. In the incident I first thought of, the king’s name was Achish, king of Gath (1Samuel 21). Abimelech appears to have been used as a proper name as well as a title. It was the name of the Philistine king whom Abraham tried to deceive by calling Sarah his sister (Genesis 26). In Strong’s Hebrew, it is also simply a word meaning “father of king, king, royalty.” This seems to be the title used by the Philistines for their kings, since Achish was also a Philistine king.
Psa. 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Psa. 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
This Psalm was written shortly after David had to flee from Saul. He sought refuge with Achish, but the servants of Achish reminded him that David was a mighty warrior, even mightier than Saul. This evidently made Achish think that David was going to try to overthrow him, and David realized this. So he pretended to be a mad person in order to escape.
David had been anointed king by Samuel, but circumstances certainly didn’t seem to support that this was God’s intention. David is on the run and hiding in a cave. Instead of falling victim to his circumstances, David lifts up his voice in praise to the LORD.
David has made a choice. He is going to praise God at ALL times—continually. He is not going to let the circumstances of life cause him to start questioning God. The word boast includes the idea of celebration and singing praise. The word humble includes others who are depressed and/or in needy circumstances. The idea is that David is conscious of his example in his times of distress and need and aware that his response to the LORD will influence the response of others.
I think we sometimes think that we are not important enough for our example to make such an impact—but it does. We all have a circle of influence. Our example can be powerful when we choose to trust God in spite of the circumstances. There are several precious saints in my memory that greatly influenced me as a teen and young woman with their steadfastness of faith and lack of complaint regarding their circumstances in life. I wasn’t even in their close family circle; they were just precious older saints in the church whom I was privileged to know and observe and with whom I was able to spend a little time. I would pray that my influence would impact others in the way theirs impacted me.
Psa. 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
At the time when David wrote this Psalm there were about 400 men traveling with him.
1Samuel 22:2 “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.”
David not only praised God himself, he encouraged others to join him in praising God. I can really connect with David in this area; it’s how I feel in particular about the study of God’s word. I have experienced the blessing and thrill of connecting with God’s heart through the study of His word and am eager for others to share that connection. That is the whole purpose behind establishing a web site to post my journals.
Psa. 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
So many of the psalms contain reference to David’s seeking the LORD, the LORD hearing David’s prayer, and the LORD delivering David in answer to his prayer. Why does David express this truth so many times? Because he knows from experience that God will respond.
Psalm 9:10 “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
Psalm 4:3 “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.”
Psalm 54:7 “For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.”
Psa. 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
“They” – This appears to be referring back to the humble from verse two. David has not only had personal experience of God’s faithfulness, he has been witness to God’s faithfulness to others. The word looked does not simply mean to see. The Hebrew states, “look intently at; by implication, to regard with pleasure, favor or care.” This helps explain the next phrase. To be lightened references to sparkle and to be cheerful. When we focus on the LORD with pleasure and favor, then our countenance will radiate that attitude. Using Hebrew poetic expression through repetition, David repeats that thought in a different way—“their faces were not ashamed.”
Psa. 34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Psa. 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
“poor” = depressed, afflicted, needy
David is reiterating that when the LORD hears one of his servants calling out to Him in need, He will answer with deliverance.
“angel of the LORD” – This phrase is always thought provoking. There are times in the scripture when I believe that this is a direct reference to Jesus preincarnate and times when I believe it is a reference to one of His angelic host on duty ministering to believers. The important point is that the LORD is making provision for men and women of faith who are living in obedience to Him and delivering, equipping and strengthening (all from the Hebrew for delivereth) them according to their need.
Guzik: “A cry is short, and not sweet. A cry is brief and bitter. A cry is the language of pain.”
Psa. 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
I liked one of Webster’s definitions for taste--“To become acquainted with by actual trial; to essay; to experience; to undergo.”
“see” = to discern, have experience, perceive
“Taste and see” is obviously referencing knowledge based on experience, on relationship and intimate fellowship. If we will submit to the LORD and follow Him in faith and obedience, we will find that He is good. This is not an if statement; it is a statement of fact. Fellowship and obedience to the LORD always result in a happy person. What does it mean to be happy? Again, let’s look to Webster: “….Experiencing the effect of favorable fortune; having the feeling arising from the consciousness of well-being or of enjoyment; enjoying good of any kind, as peace, tranquility, comfort; contented; joyous….”
This definition includes the obvious, but it also includes the not so obvious—a feeling of joy and peace because your conscience is clear and you know you are in fellowship with the LORD. We know that every servant of God will experience times of testing that God allows in our life for spiritual growth, but we can still experience peace and joy through those times if we keep our focus on God’s love for us, knowing that the reward will be well worth the experience.
Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven….”
2Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight (abundance) of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Psa. 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Psa. 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Continuing in poetic repetition, David is emphasizing that the person who fears the LORD will lack nothing that they need, in fact they will lack nothing that is “good” for them. To fear God is to recognize Who He is and to respond with obedience and reverence in light of that knowledge. The “young lions” seems to be a reference to lions that are not yet mature and knowledgeable enough to be consistently successful in their endeavors at getting the necessary food for growth and sustenance. Those who seek (pursue, to worship, with diligence) the LORD will be given every good thing needed for spiritual growth and sustenance.
The LORD is obviously also aware of our physical needs and will supply those as well. The fact is that He is more concerned with our spiritual needs. The thing to remember is that how we define our needs compared to how He defines our needs may be entirely different. Jesus taught this way in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Wiersbe: “Those who fear the Lord need fear nothing else, for this is the fear that drives out all fear.”
Psa. 34:11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psa. 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Psa. 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psa. 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
David is not afraid to assume the position of teacher in an area of spiritual knowledge with which he has experienced some success. He wants to share what he has learned with others. Verse 12 seems to be a statement that living in fear of the LORD will also result in a good long life. Following are actions that evidence the fear of the LORD in one’s life.
Do not speak evil or deceitfully.
Depart from evil.
Do good.
Eagerly seek and pursue peace.
I’m always interested in the order in which the Spirit inspires some listings in scripture. The first thing addressed in showing fear of the LORD is control of the tongue. That has surely been one of my weakest areas of propensity to sin. It’s much easier to sin with your mouth than through other actions. Most actions require at least some thought and intent; words can more easily just come spilling out. James is very specific regarding the tongue.
James 3:5-10 “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
We are sinners from birth. We must determine to turn away from the wicked desires of our sin nature and choose to do good. The psalmist is aware that we have the ability to make choices in life. If we have a great desire to experience peace (both of mind and with our fellow man), we are more apt to be making choices that are in line with the character of God. Obviously, this will not be true 100% of the time in our relationship with other people because sometimes our choices according to God’s truth clearly identify another person’s sin, and this can result in persecution. Even so, you will possess the peace of God through that time of persecution because you know that rewards in heaven are well worth any testing or persecution experienced in this lifetime. The Hebrew for “seek” added a specific reference to searching out, specifically in worship or prayer. In other words, don’t seek in your own strength; ask the LORD for His help in the process.
Psa. 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
God is omniscient; He sees everything done by everybody—righteous and unrighteous. David is saying that the LORD is watching His servants with eyes of love and concern for what is good for us. His ears are always listening for their cries for help in time of need or distress.
The Apostle Peter quoted from this verse and the following.
1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”
Psa. 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
This is a very strong statement regarding the wicked; it is a statement of direct contrast to verse 15. Though the LORD watches His servants with love and concern, He watches the wicked with a desire to rid the planet of their wickedness. Most of us don’t like to hear this truth presented; we would rather hear about God’s love and forgiveness. God would rather that all men repent and live, but those who choose not to repent will be judged accordingly. Planet earth will one day be renewed and will never again experience the effects of sin.
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live….”
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the 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.”
Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
Psa. 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psa. 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Verse 17 is basically a repeat of verse 15. Note that the LORD will hear and deliver the righteous from their troubles. The righteous will have troubles, but they can always look forward to deliverance. The unrighteous can only look forward to worse trouble—an eternity without God.
Verse 18 expands the thought of God’s deliverance of the righteous. A broken heart or contrite (crushed, bruised) spirit can be caused by someone else or can result from agony of spirit due to your own sinfulness. I think God’s nearness is evident to His servants in both types of experience. The nearness of God speaks to me of love, comfort, and sustenance. Salvation speaks of complete deliverance through healing and/or forgiveness.
Psa. 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Psa. 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
The psalmist acknowledges that the righteous will experience many afflictions (bad things at the hand of the wicked, trouble, adversity). The key is that he will be delivered.
David’s psalm definitely takes on a prophetic inspiration at this section drawn from personal experience. Scripture tells us that it is only because of the righteousness of Jesus that we can be made righteous.
1Corinthians 1:30 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption….”
Jesus, the righteousness of God, was greatly afflicted by man, but victoriously delivered by the Father through the resurrection. Verse 20 tells us that in spite of the many ways that Jesus was beaten and tortured in death, the Father did not allow one of His bones to be broken. This statement obviously cannot be said about many of the righteous in faith who have lived through the centuries; it is specific to the Savior.
John 19:33–36 “But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.”
Psa. 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
This verse makes me think of John 3:18: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
It is man’s wickedness, his choice to reject God, that will result in the destruction of the wicked. The Righteous Judge will pronounce the judgment and enforce the punishment, but each man basically convicts himself.
Psa. 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
In contrast, the LORD has provided redemption for those who choose to believe in Him and accept that provision.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
1John 2:1-2 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
The deciding factor is trust/faith. No one who places faith in the LORD will be desolate (punished, perish, found guilty).
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus….”
How is that faith reflected in our lives?
John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
1John 5:1-3 “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments….