Psalm 15
1 Who may worship in Your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill?2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord and keep their promises even when it hurts.5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.
What does this Psalm say to you?
It speaks to me very much like the 10 Commandments speak. The 10 Commandments tell me that if God doesn't save me, I will never be rescued, redeemed, restored, healed or flourish as a human being. The "straight-edge" of the Law brings into sharp relief the crookedness of my fallen Adamic nature, left to myself.
It is just as clear that I am unable to do what Psalm 15 states are the requirements necessary to come into God's Presence; to worship the Lord in His Presence, His Holy Presence. I have already failed and will do so again even as try hard not to. But in that very reality, I find a great hope. For God knew that there would never be a time and place or a moment when I would be able to affect my own salvation to any degree whatsoever.
There is One Who has done for me what I could never do for myself.
I have been rescued by One Who perfectly kept all of God's Commandments and requirements at all times, in all places and in every circumstance. His Name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah, the only Name given among humans whereby we might be saved from sin, hell and eternal death. Jesus kept His promise to be the Lamb of God, even when it cost Him the death-of-deaths. Even His great wrath at the flagrant sin of the Sadducees and Pharisees was pointed so that they might own their own brokenness and blindness and be saved by God's grace rather than attempt redemption on their own only to fail eternally.
Jesus has done for humanity what humanity could never, ever, ever, ever even begin to approach doing. There is no one more ineffective than a dead person...and all human beings were and are spiritually dead apart from a God-given, grace-based, life-changing relationship with God due to what Jesus has accomplished and finished by His death and resurrection.
God gives those who will believe Him, a new heart and a new spirit, a new life, eternal life that begins to work its transformation of a person, reproducing in them the Life, Character and Nature of Jesus, Himself. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell permanently withing the follower of Jesus Christ and begins to transform that one from the inside out. He is the One Who renews our minds. It is His fruit that is produced in the life of the believer. It is His power that is manifested to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth.
It will never be human effort that does what God requires. I have learned a secret that I want to share. Whenever God commands anything of us, in that command, at its heart, is a promise that He will enable us to do what He has commanded us to do. Our reliance must ever be on Him and never on us. Our ability to even cooperate with Him is His Gift to us.
Follower of Jesus Christ, you may with humble boldness approach the Throne of Grace to find God's help in time of need. You can worship on His Holy Hill. The cross you find there tells you that you can.
Psalm 15
1 Who may worship in Your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill?
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
3 Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful
followers of the Lord and keep their promises even when it hurts.
5 Those who lend money without charging interest, and who
cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will
stand firm forever.
What does this Psalm say to you?
It speaks to me very much like the 10 Commandments speak. The 10 Commandments tell me that if God doesn't save me, I will never be rescued, redeemed, restored, healed or flourish as a human being. The "straight-edge" of the Law brings into sharp relief the crookedness of my fallen Adamic nature, left to myself.
It is just as clear that I am unable to do what Psalm 15 states are the requirements necessary to come into God's Presence; to worship the Lord in His Presence, His Holy Presence. I have already failed and will do so again even as try hard not to. But in that very reality, I find a great hope. For God knew that there would never be a time and place or a moment when I would be able to affect my own salvation to any degree whatsoever.
There is One Who has done for me what I could never do for myself.
I have been rescued by One Who perfectly kept all of God's Commandments and requirements at all times, in all places and in every circumstance. His Name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah, the only Name given among humans whereby we might be saved from sin, hell and eternal death. Jesus kept His promise to be the Lamb of God, even when it cost Him the death-of-deaths. Even His great wrath at the flagrant sin of the Sadducees and Pharisees was pointed so that they might own their own brokenness and blindness and be saved by God's grace rather than attempt redemption on their own only to fail eternally.
Jesus has done for humanity what humanity could never, ever, ever, ever even begin to approach doing. There is no one more ineffective than a dead person...and all human beings were and are spiritually dead apart from a God-given, grace-based, life-changing relationship with God due to what Jesus has accomplished and finished by His death and resurrection.
God gives those who will believe Him, a new heart and a new spirit, a new life, eternal life that begins to work its transformation of a person, reproducing in them the Life, Character and Nature of Jesus, Himself. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell permanently withing the follower of Jesus Christ and begins to transform that one from the inside out. He is the One Who renews our minds. It is His fruit that is produced in the life of the believer. It is His power that is manifested to continue the ministry of Jesus on the earth.
It will never be human effort that does what God requires. I have learned a secret that I want to share. Whenever God commands anything of us, in that command, at its heart, is a promise that He will enable us to do what He has commanded us to do. Our reliance must ever be on Him and never on us. Our ability to even cooperate with Him is His Gift to us.
Follower of Jesus Christ, you may with humble boldness approach the Throne of Grace to find God's help in time of need. You can worship on His Holy Hill. The cross you find there tells you that you can.
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