PSALM FIFTEEN ACCESS TO GOD Access to God is greatly dependent upon our amity to man. Jesus Christ made this very clear when He taught His disciples to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us." This psalm is a song of a good man. It contains only one name for God - Jehovah. The great, dreadful, incommunicable name of God. It is the name given most often, in the Bible, to God. It is the name which expresses self existence, indepenence, unchangeableness, and eternity. It is the name never given to any but the True God, and is best and most commonly translated, LORD. The psalm begins with THE BIG QUESTION. Who will have access to God?...to His tabernacle - on earth; to His Holy Hill, Zion - in heaven. The tabernacle is the moveable place on earth and Zion the everlasting place in heaven. This then is the BIG ANSWER to the big question. Those who have access to God on earth will be those who have access to Him in heaven. We find the answer here and now on earth. So many hope to get to heaven, there to find the answer. The answer must be found now. In his song the psalmist gives the answer in six positives and five negatives. Life is like that; composed of negative and positive. Many people make the mistake of trying to make their lives one thing OR the other. Life is one thing AND the other. In the end the gains will outweigh the losses, for the sum of all things work together for good to those who love the Lord. In verse 2 there are three positive clauses which identify those who have access to God:- 1. "He who walks without spot." Without spot is translated "uprightly". The word, as the psalmist uses it, applies to lambs being offered for sacrifice...without spot. The Apostle Paul writing to the Colossians declared that Jesus Christ died "to present you holy, unblameable and unreprovable in his sight!". This, Christ did by His death on the cross. The greatest blemish we can have is selfishness. When we walk in our own way, this element defies all sacrifice. We must walk as living sacrifices, that is the way to access. 2. "He who works righteousness." This is an active sacrifice. No child of God is a worker of iniquity. What you do away from church services, that's what counts with God. Every action of ours needs to uphold the righteous principles of a child of God. 3. "He who speaks truth in his heart." Take note, this is not speaking truth FROM the heart. He who speaks the truth to himself. One of the most difficult things in life is to be honest with oneself. They who walk, work and talk as defined in these three clauses have access to God. Now the psalm turns to negative clauses:- 1. "He that backbiteth not with his tongue." Dogs bite with their teeth - infidels bite with their tongues. Literally, the word used for backbiting means to walk-go and is often rendered - to spy. When we go walking about in other people's business with our tongues, that is back-biting. There is no access to God for busy-bodies. 2. "Nor doeth evil with his neighbour." The word used here, for evil, can mean wickedness, harm, hurt, ill, sorrow, mischief, wrong, displeasure, affliction, trouble or calamity. A good person will not of choice do anything to harm, wrong, or trouble anyone else. If we do these things willingly, we have no access to God. Date: 05 Oct 95 18:28:35 EDT 3. "Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour." He does not cast slurs on his fellow men. Some people always have bad neighbours, no matter where they live. Isn't that food for thought? Once again the psalmist becomes positive in identifying those who have access to God:- 1. "The man in whose eyes a vile person is contemned." He despises a vile person. The Bible is full of stories about men like this, as in the cases of Mordecai and Haman, Elisha and Ahab, Daniel and Belshazzar. In our English history we have Bunyan and Charles 2nd. The believer abhors the vile man's character. As Mordecai still went about God's will, despising Haman's threat on his life; as Elijah fulfilled the will of Jehovah, despite the threatening of Ahab; so Daniel, when offered the highest honour in Belshazzar's kingdom, refused it, knowing that in the will of God, it would end that night. These have access to Jehovah, not because they despise men, but they set the will of God above all things. 2. "He honours them that fear the Lord." The right translation of the word honour should be 'Glorify', but in the English version of the Bible the word Glorify is reserved for 'Giving honour to God.' Therefore we use the word honour, but we should give the highest kind of honour to those who fear God. The family of God ignores the fictitious distinctions set up by human society. 3. "He swears to his own hurt." Having made a promise, he will never go back on it. The person who has access to God keeps his word, whatever it costs, even his own hurt. Finally the psalmist uses two more negative clauses to describe the person who has access to God. 1. "He putteth not his money to usury." Usury is where the interest is greater than the law allows. Interest is ruining the world's economy. Usury is a sin against the Divine Precepts and can bring ruin and slavery. It is a violation of love, humanity and caring. The person with access to God is against usury. 2. "Nor does he take reward against the innocent." He does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Our dealing with money is quite an important factor in our assessment of God. Because God is God, He decides who has access to Him. If we are not prepared to do His will on earth, then we will not fit in His presence. Our walk, work, talk, determine character, and in the sight of God religion without character is a monstrosity. Without justice, charity is a fraud. Truth must be found IN the heart, and facing truth is traumatic. Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. 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