There are many places that have entrance requirements, things one must do or be in order to gain entrance. In our psalm for today, David asks the question of who, or what type of person will be allowed to dwell with God, and be allowed into His heavenly presence.
In this psalm, David, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives about ten or so characteristics of this person. They are upright and righteous. They are honest, and kind in their speech to or about others. They keep good company, keep their word, are kind to the poor, and won’t take bribes. As we look over this brief list of those requirements, it might look impossible to fulfill all of them, and it is. When we know how far we have fallen short of God’s holiness, and always will (Romans 3:23), we will realize our great need for a Savior. In order to achieve this level of holiness, we must depend on Jesus. He is the only one who can prepare us to abide with the Father.
That being established, let’s look at these requirements and see what we, through the power of the Holy Spirit, need to strive for. People around us may say not to bother trying to live an upright life, but as we see, the standards and morals of this world have become corrupted, and are getting worse each day. As followers of Jesus, our standards should not come from this world’s society, but from God.
In verse two we read of someone who walks uprightly, works righteousness, and speaks the truth. Looking at ourselves, are we trustworthy and honorable in all we do? Are we truthful? How blessed it would be if others could speak of us as being an honest man or woman.
Our words are important (vs 3). How we use our words reflects on our relationship with God. Are we able to control our speech? We need to be sure we speak the truth in everything. How about the way we speak about others? Believers should never take part in slandering other people. Our speech when talking either to or about others, should not be sharp, cutting, or scornful. That is not the way Jesus spoke to others. Before we speak, we should be very careful in our choice of words (James 12:1-12).
Another requirement that the Lord has given is in verse four. Here we are told to be very careful about who we keep close association with. God has told us throughout Scripture that someone who despises Him and spiritual things will have a bad impact on our walk with the Lord (I Corinthians 15:33). We emulate those we spend time with, so those who are our good friends should be fellow Christians.
How are we when it comes to keeping our word? A follower of Jesus should be known as one who keeps his promises, not as the opposite (vs 4). When we take an oath or make a promise, our word should be good, or as this passage says, “swears to his own hurt”. Our word should not change every time we turn around. Instead we should be men and women of integrity.
In the final verse of our psalm, David tells us that God is not happy if we make a profit on loans to the poor and needy. We should help our Christian brothers in need, not expecting a reward. Watch out that we don’t become obsessed with money, and that it doesn’t become a controlling force in our lives. If so, it may harm ourselves and others, and destroy our relationship with God. The Word of God here also warns us against either taking or giving a bribe to be dishonest in our judgment or corrupt our conduct.
This is a pattern of the way a believer in Jesus should behave in his daily walk. As mentioned earlier, no one in their own strength can ever achieve this. However, when we’ve asked the Lord Jesus to be our Savior, and are depending upon His strength and power in us, we are able to live for Him. God loves us so much. The fact that He does should cause us to desire to live according to His high moral standards.
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