Psalm 1:5

On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand

“Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” Psalm 1:5 KJV

            The ungodly tend to walk pridefully in this life. The Bible says that they are stiff-necked. They refuse to bow their head in humility. “Pride compasseth them about like a chain” (Ps. 73:6). They say in their heart, “I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity”, and “God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it” (Ps. 10:6, 11). They live as if they will never be judged. Contrary to what they think, one of these days they will stand before a just, holy and all-knowing Judge. When He judges them, they will not stand. The Hebrew word translated as “stand” here is “qum”. It means to rise or strengthen. It carries the idea of continuing, abiding or being established. They will not rise on that day of judgment. Their strength will perish and they will fall before The Judge of all the earth. They will not continue in their sin and conceit any longer without recompense. On that day it will be said of all the ungodly, “There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise” (Ps. 36:12). The reason that they will not stand lies in the preceding verse. They are like unto chaff; therefore, they will not stand before the righteous judgment of God. Morally and spiritually, they are intrinsically worthless, and on account of this they will be swept away. 

            As a result, they will not stand in the congregation of the righteous. Heaven will have no ungodly or wicked person to enter through its gates. Christ will, “bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Then He will, “sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 13:49-50). He will separate the wheat from the tares, the goats from the sheep, and the chaff from the trees.

            Maybe you are thinking you’re really glad that you’re not one of those ungodly and wicked people that will be judged by God. Hold on just a minute. The Psalmist David wrote, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” (Ps. 130: 3). Can’t you see friend that none of us can stand in the judgment upon the merits of our own righteousness. All our righteousness is as filthy rags and chaff before The Holy One. “How can I withstand the judgment of God?”, you ask. The Apostle John said of Heaven, “there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27). Your name must be written in the Lamb’s book of life! You must be covered by the righteousness of Christ, the Savior of sinners. You must be found in Him, not having your own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith (Phil. 3:9). Then and only then will you be able to stand; when you are standing on Christ the Solid Rock.

“When He shall come with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in his righteousness alone

Faultless to stand before the Throne

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand” (Edward Mote, 1834)

Verses for further study: (Malachi 4:1, Ps. 5:5, Rom. 14:10, Matt. 7:24-29)