Cleansed by the Word.

     I love how Psalm 119 reads in the Amplified version. I think it brings great clarity to the meaning of this passage of scripture.
     1.  Blessed (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) are the undefiled (the upright, truly sincere, and blameless) in the way [of the revealed will of God], who walk (order their conduct and conversation) in the law of the Lord (the whole of God's revealed will).
    2.   Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are they who keep His testimonies, and who seek, inquire for and of Him and crave Him with the whole heart.
    3.   Yes, they do no unrighteousness [no willful wanderingfrom His precepts]; they walk in His ways [1John 3:9; 5:18.]
     We are shown the blessedness of holiness. Those who walk with God, order their lives by His word, keep His ways, are blessed. They are happy! They have peace with God, their fellowship with Him is close, in fact He is their hearts desire! Verse two shows us that holiness depends upon our seeking God. It is God that we desire above all. Our hearts cry for Him, and long for Him above all else. Too often we long for the things that God can give us, for what He can do for us, but our desire for Him diminishes. Our obedience to God must flow out of a love for Him. He alone must be the great object that our hearts go out to. We may keep up forms of obedience, and appear very religious, but without love it is empty and meaningless (1 Cor 13:1-3; Rev 2:1-4).
     God has called us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15,16). Holiness can be defined as separation from sin and self, and dedication to the service of God. We are to be separated from sin in, and living Godly, in ALL our manner of conduct. Without a genuine love for God, without the burning of our hearts after Him, our efforts amount only to self serving attempts at pleasing God.
     We can see this in daily life, when two individuals are in love, they will find out what will please each other, and willingly go to great lengths to do these things. Not out of compulsion, but out of a genuine desire to make the other person happy. Likewise, when we are passionately in love with Christ, we will seek to honor, and please Him in all we do. His desires will be our desires, and we will willingly do all we can to promote His interests.
     Throughout this Psalm, the writer calls on God for strength, and help in remaining steadfast in his walk. This is true, for apart from Christ we can do nothing (John 15:5). We are told to be filled with the Spirit, exhorted to walk by the Spirit, it is God who is at work in us, we are called and set apart (sanctified), by His Spirit. We are dependant on God, but we must yield to Him, obey Him, by faith. This is a faith that works by love, a faith that is fully commited to Christ, and depends on Him at all times, and in all circumstances.
     Those who love Him, and trust Him, will walk as Jesus walked. Our salvation is a life long process. We have been justified, made right with God, and now we are being formed into the image of Christ!