Psalm 15:4-5
Most
people want to live in a just world, a world where everyone gets a fair shake.
Unless of course you are one of the corrupt people, and want to hang onto your
power, the power you obtained by doing injustice. Then you want things to stay
just the way they are, but put on a good show by saying that things must change.
In order for things to actually change, the evil power-grabbers would have to
give up most of their power, like that is going to happen!
In
order for justice on a less global scale to happen, a scale closer to home, we
must do four things, according to this psalm. Each is presented in a pair of
statements about the character of the person who will be allowed in God’s
presence in heaven. Each gives us a good picture of what a Jesus-follower’s
walk should look like. Not that a righteous walk gains entrance to heaven; only
perfection does that. But since we have accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins,
we can now, through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, live a life
that pleases the LORD, a life that reflects His character in this world.
The
first, (which is really the second, honest communication being the first from
verse two and three), is that our judgments would line up with His judgments.
We would have the same attitude toward evil behavior that the LORD does. We
would reject the actions of the same people the LORD rejects. Those He would
label vile, we label vile. We boo at the evil and cheer at the good. We reject
the baser actions of people and applaud those who get it right. Too often we
spend so much time pointing out the evil that we miss the opportunities to
honor those who are doing it right.
The
third deals with the way we make decisions and keep our commitments. Too many
people back out of their commitments too easily. I love the way the writer
speaks of keeping his commitment, He says we need to keep it “even when it
hurts.” When it is inconvenient is when we need to keep it. When it is hard to
keep our word is when our character gets tested. We need to do what we say. Our
walk must match our talk. People are looking at us, wondering if we are people
of integrity. We need to keep our promises.
Some
people solve this by never making promises, never making any real commitment,
always keeping their options open. They say “I’ll think about it.” Or if they
want to put a spiritual spin on it they will say “I’ll pray about it.” I’m not
saying that everyone who says one of these things is making an excuse, but if
they don’t actually think or pray, it is an excuse. Let your “yes” be your “yes.”
The
fourth and final practical example of what righteous living looks like deals
with money, a delicate subject for most people. The first half of this pair of
instructions deals with a rule that was given by the LORD around lending money.
When someone made a loan to a poor person, they were to do it without charging
any interest. That’s right, 0% loans. In doing so they recognized that their
wealth was not theirs, it was the LORD’s, and they had an obligation to help
the poor. To charge interest would be a double insult: they can’t afford to pay
it, and you don’t need it.
The
other side of money has to do with how money corrupts justice. It is not just
the bribes that are taken, but the more subtle taxes and exemptions that get
added to legislation that favor one group above another. All these laws have
the effect of taking money from one group and giving it to another. They are
done as favors for past or future actions. They pervert justice.
All
these specifics answer the question asked in the first verse of this psalm, who
is qualified to enter God’s presence. And since we all fail, we must rely on
the LORD’s mercy. We must humbly bow before Him, submitting our past, present and
future into His hands. And then live a life that honors Him, that reflects His
loving character to the world.