Psalm 15 and the Right Way

Psa 15:1  A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 

Psa 15:2  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 

Psa 15:3  He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 

Psa 15:4  In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 

Psa 15:5  He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Whom shall abide in God's house?

It is those whom WALK uprightly and WORK righteousness. In others words what we actually DO matters, how we conduct ourselves matters.

In order to WALK uprightly and WORK righteousness we must "speak truth in our heart." A parallel to this thought is the Parable of the Sower as taught by Jesus of Nazareth...

Luk 8:5  A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell...

Luk 8:8  ...on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

...

Luk 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Fruit is brought forth with patience by those whom having "heard the word" then "keep it." These people are those with an "honest and good heart" the same as those whom "speak the truth in their heart."

Who shall abide in the tabernacle? Whom shall dwell in the holy hill? The Apostle Paul wrote that it is those who patiently continue in "well doing"...

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

...who receive eternal life.

Why would that be? It is simply because they have have been established as "worthy." How may we be established as "worthy"? It is very simple...

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 

Mat 10:39  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 

The Cross is an instrument of death typifying the death of an "old life" that was "self seeking and disobedient to righteousness"...

Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

It is in losing our old life (through genuine repentance - 2Cor 7:10-11) that we die to both contentiousness and disobedience to righteousness and truth. Being "dead to sin" we may then be raised up to "WALK in newness of life."

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 

Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 

Now carefully examine the Parable of the Wedding Feast as taught by Jesus of Nazareth...

Mat 22:1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 

Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 

Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 

Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 

Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 

Mat 22:6  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 

Mat 22:7  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 

Mat 22:8  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 

Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 

Mat 22:10  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 

Mat 22:11  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 

Mat 22:12  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 

Mat 22:13  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

The "wedding garment" is very simply an upright walk, working righteousness, in conjunction with speaking truth from the heart as depicted in Psalm 15.

Psa 15:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Psa 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Dear reader, are you worthy?

Do you walk uprightly, work righteousness and speak truth from the heart?

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul once again...

Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 

Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 

Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 

Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 

Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 

Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Paul is teaching that what we DO matters. God is not a respecter of persons, He is a respecter of PERSONAL CONDUCT. We are not judged in regards to whether we are intellectual or not, whether we are rich or poor, or whether or not we are esteemed by others.

Our conduct or "fruit" is a manifestation of the true condition of our heart. We either have a heart established in the "love of God" through genuine "repentance and faith" or we don't. There is no middle ground or grey area, we cannot serve two masters (Mat 6:22-24), light and darkness do not mix (2Cor 6:14) and sweet and bitter water cannot be brought forth from the same fountain (Jam 3:11-12).

This is why John the Apostle wrote...

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

You CANNOT love the world and the things in the world and at the same time be established in the "love of God." True righteousness is not "smiley faced niceness" nor is it "tolerance and good feelings." True righteousness is a love of God and His way for God's way is the RIGHT WAY.

This temporal world and all its vanities will pass away in contrast to "the way, the truth, and the life" which NEVER will pass away.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

In order to be "found worthy" we must be ALIGNED with "the way, the truth, and the life." In other words me must spiritually aligned with REALITY.

The reality of God is LOVE hence...

1Jn 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 

1Jn 4:12  No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 

1Jn 4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 

1Jn 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

1Jn 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Not a superficial love as expressed so commonly by mankind, rather "divine love" which is truly sacrificial in seeking the well being of others, as demonstrated by Jesus sacrifice upon the Cross, where he "gave up" His life for the sake of "others" as an EXAMPLE to follow (Joh 12:23-26, 1Pe 2:21-25).

By following and abiding in that EXAMPLE we put on the "righteousness of Christ"

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

...

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

...

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The Apostle Paul both understood and walked the right way.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Paul had taken up his Cross following the example of Jesus and had therefore "walked uprightly" and "working righteousness" as he spoke truth in his heart.

I no longer wanted to be a part of the problem of evil in this world and therefore also decided to take up my Cross and die to my old life of worldliness and vanity. Jesus Christ worked wonders for me bringing me true peace and purpose, a peace upon my soul that was simply unimaginable.

Dear reader, how about you? Righteousness does work. The Cross is a wonderful opportunity that we have. I preach Christ Crucified and the Cross because IT WORKS.

1Co 1:23  ...we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 

1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 

1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 

1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

IT WORKS! Not just in the here and now, which to be plain, is really more than enough. It also works in the sense that we'll be able to continue to dwell in the richness of God's kingdom in the world to come.

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Apostle Paul, Romans 8:18

Please consider.

Scott