Read Psalm 35:19-28. 19Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. 20For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit. 21They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!” 22You have seen, O Lord; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! 23Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! 24Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me! 25Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, our heart’s desire!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” 26Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me! 27Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” 28Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
Jesus warns us that verse 19 is our lot when we follow him.
John 15:18. If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
This is how evil always responds to good. All it can do is make things up – Aha aha our eyes have seen it. All it can do is hate without cause. All it can do is lie and deceive. And now that we are in Christ we will be the target of evil until the day Jesus returns again for his own. Just as Jesus was wrongfully hated and accused so must we be in this world.
But don’t believe the lies, Christian. Don’t believe the accusations that our enemy, the Devil, will bring forward against you. When he cries, Aha, see I told you so, remember, the Lord sees! The Lord will not stay silent. The Lord will vindicate us. Not because our Enemy is wrong (in fact he is likely right about us), but because our righteousness is Christ’s. Ours is a righteousness that God himself delights in, a righteousness that makes the hosts of heaven and the saints of earth shout for joy. A righteousness credited to us by the sinless sacrifice of Jesus. There is no room for self-righteous boasting here. Only praise to the Lord. Great is the Lord!
To live is Christ is knowing that our Enemy is going to hate us undeservedly because he hates Christ undeservedly. But it is also knowing that Christ our vindication is coming again to put him to shame.
Prayer. Jesus, vindicate me by your grace and your imputed righteousness, and I will praise you all the day long. Amen.
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To Live is Christ 