In contrast, the Psalmist of Israel proceeds to give us the following, which is affirmative:
1. “His delight is in the law of the Lord.”
2. “In his law he meditates day and night.”
The Lord gives the following guarantee to those who do not say the negative part, but do the affirmative:
“He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.”
What an awful contrast with this is the ungodly:
“The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregations of the righteous.”
To this the Lord adds the following conclusion:
“The Lord knows the way of the righteous,” or approves it, “but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
The negative is to be preached and taught in all that pertains to preaching and teaching as zealously and faithfully as the affirmative, and is to be regarded equally as much of divine authority. The first commandment the Lord ever gave to a human being was negative. It was in these words: “You may not eat of it.” This was negative—what must not be done. The Bible abounds with this negative teaching, setting forth what may not be done. Look at the following list, gathered from I. Cor. xiii. 4–8, setting forth affirmatively and negatively, or what love will and will not do. First look at the affirmative side, or what love will do: