Psalm 26:1-3 English Standard Version

1 Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. 2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. 3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,  and I walk in your faithfulness.

The idea of my integrity is performance according to self-imposed standards. As we have stated in previous posts, faithfulness is only achievable by Christ in us, He is our faithfulness.

Imagine that Jesus walks in faithfulness and we follow Jesus. Our effort is in how we walk and if we feel we are following Jesus successfully, that feels like integrity. Feeling is in the mind which is flesh and is capable of deceiving ourselves. 

One of the signs of self-inflated opinion is the overuse of the word I. If we look to the purpose of this psalm we can look to the very first words, vindicate me.

Vindicate in this sense is to ask God to render a just judgment of our performance. It is based in part on insecurity. Do I trust the Lord as much as I think I do? Do I love God as much as I think I do? God do I please you?

Psalm 104:34 English Standard Version (ESV) May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.

We can be insecure in comparison to so great a love that God has poured into our lives. He has done and continues to do so much for us that our efforts pale in comparison. We can often feel like we need to do more for our Lord. Guilt is the wrong motivation for obedience of faith, love is the right motivation. 

Romans 8:27-29 English Standard Version

27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

This purpose is about those of us that are called. Purpose appears in the bible seventy-seven times. Each use has a different purpose.

What is our purpose? 

We like to understand our purpose in life because it will help us determine what steps we need to take to be successful. Since God called us to be conformed into the image of His Son, then there must be things we can do to achieve that purpose. That is God’s purpose not ours.

If we receive specific gifts, do they define our purpose or are they given to serve God’s purpose for our lives. What might clear up this issue is to understand that purpose does not equal will.

Purpose is an open ended course that does not necessarily end in God’s will

Romans 8:20-21 English Standard Version (ESV)

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

His hope is for us to love Him because He loved us first. Love has to be a choice. His will is fixed and unchangeable, there is no choice in His will. There are choices in purpose.

We often seek purpose because it gives us a sense of security. Our security does not stem from our purpose, it is born of our relationship with God.