PSALM 15 TO DWELL WITH GOD

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 
¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
² He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
³ and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
⁴ who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
⁵ who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

As a man addresses the deity the normal question is what must I do to enter into your presence? How can I be made worthy to stand before you? What is the proper cultic ritual that must be performed correctly in order to earn an audience? In contrast, the Psalmists asks God, not what we must do, but who we must be if we are to dwell in the house of the Lord. And through the Holy Spirit, God gives us the answer. The requirements are moral and not ritual. If we are to live in God’s presence we must be holy. Both our internal attitude and our external actions must align with God’s will.

Lest we despair because of our fallen nature which precludes us from achieving such holiness on our own, God has given us a pattern and a gift. The pattern we have been given to imitate is that of Jesus, who as a man lived a holy life ever in the presence of God. If we aspire to dwell with God we need to labor at developing into an increasingly closer approximation of Jesus. At the same time we need to realize that like a man trying to reach a goal by successively halving the distance remaining between him and the goal will never actually reach the goal, we are incapable of perfect holy living. Therefore, we also need a gift to cover the remaining distance.

That gift is also Jesus Christ. When we commit to following Jesus and intentionally submit to living our lives in obedience to his will, we become transformed. As St. Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”2 (Corinthians 5:17). Elsewhere he speaks of the necessity of putting on Christ like a new garment in order to be descendents of Abraham and heirs of the promise (Galatians 3:27). It was Abraham’s faith that was reckoned to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3). Thus if we are to be righteous and dwell in the house of the Lord, Jesus is our answer. And if our life is hidden in Christ we will dwell secure indeed.

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4).

Almighty God, I come before you seeking lodging with no righteousness of my own, but only at the mercy of your grace. Pour out your Spirit upon me so that I might be empowered to conform my life to that of your dear Son Jesus and be transformed into what you created me to be. I repent of my ways and desire to live according to your commands and the model of my Lord Jesus. Continue the work you have begun in me so that I may dwell with you forever. Amen.