30 Days in the PsalmsSýnishorn

Day #4: Psalm 15

“Lord, who can dwell in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?” (Psalm 15:1, CSB). Psalm 15 opens with a passionate cry from a worshiper who is deeply aware of God’s holiness and profoundly conscious of the corrupting effects of sin in human beings. There is a recognition in this cry that, without the gracious intervention of God himself, no human being will be able to dwell in the holy presence. This prayer opens with radical, desperate honesty, anticipating the answer: “No one!” As Jesus would say later, “No one is good (holy) but God alone” (Mark 10:18).

The rest of Psalm 15 is the delighted cry of a worshiper who has discovered that it is indeed possible to dwell in God’s holy presence. It’s possible for a human being to be made holy (sanctified), so that he or she can enter the presence of the Lord on his holy hill (v. 1, NLT). The rest of Scripture makes clear that this sanctifying work is not something we can do for ourselves; it’s not a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” effort or a matter of just “be better” on your own strength. What the apostle Paul calls “putting to death the deeds of the sinful nature” is possible only by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer (Romans 8:13).

When that happens, the citizens of the kingdom reflect more and more the character of their King. In Leviticus, that is expressed as “be holy for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). In Psalm 15, that “family resemblance” of holiness is described in terms of how the praying citizen of the kingdom behaves in relationship to other people. Holiness is called “blameless living” and “doing what is right.” That includes the way the worshiper speaks to and about others: they speak the truth from sincere hearts, refuse to gossip, and do not use their tongues (or keyboards!) to harm their friends or discredit their neighbors (vv. 2–3). They don’t give admiration or respect to those who flagrantly sin against the Lord, but they honor God’s faithful followers. They keep their promises even when it hurts (v. 4). They do not take economic advantage of their neighbors; generosity and honesty characterize all their financial dealings (v. 5a).

The psalm closes with the confident shout of the worshiper who has submitted to the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work. “Such people will stand firm [in the Lord’s presence, on his holy hill] forever!” (v. 5b).

Today is a good day to invite the Holy Spirit to make you into that kind of person!