AM I DISQUALIFIED?

PSALMS 15:1-5: “A Psalm of David. LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.” NKJV

OBSERVATION: Am I disqualified? Whenever I read this Psalm I feel like it is talking about someone else. When I read the qualifications of the one who will abide in the presence of God I wonder who it is talking about. Surely, this cannot be talking about me!

At first glance, one can be tempted to create a list from this Psalm and use it as a litmus test. If we do this we will be tempted to think that our salvation is based on our works rather than God’s grace. One rule of interpreting Scripture is to view all Scripture against the full counsel of God’s Word. 

When we do this we realize that this Psalm must mean something else. To be honest, all of us would be disqualified if our actions and attitudes had to perfectly match the qualities the Psalmist describes. So, I come full circle to my opening question.

Am I disqualified?

Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ my Lord! No one has lived by this list and manifested this character flawlessly except one – Jesus Christ our Lord! Jesus came to do what we could not do. He came to fulfill all righteousness. He came to live a sinless life. He came to do the will of the Father. He came to give His life as a ransom for our sinfulness and brokenness.

Jesus is our qualification!

I cannot approach God in my righteousness or in my own strength. As the Apostle Paul writes,

• “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith…” (Php 3:7-9 NKJV)

My righteousness is found in Christ alone! All of my works are but rubbish when compared to the righteousness of Christ. If I were to approach God based on how I have fulfilled Psalms 15 I would be quickly disqualified. Yet, when I come into the presence of God, cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, I am welcomed and embraced as a son of God!

So how do we treat Psalm 15? Is it just a Psalm that shows how sinful we are and has no practical application to our daily lives? No! It is a picture of the righteousness of Christ. It is a reflection of the character of Christ. And, it is our call to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our life into the image of Christ.

We cannot do this on our own. Yet, as we yield to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives we can experience our character being transformed into His image. When a person is truly born again it does not just change their ultimate eternal destination it also transforms their journey. It places the believer on a lifelong journey of sanctification – becoming more like Jesus every day.

As I reflect on this I can view this Psalm in a much different way. I do not see a litmus test of my righteousness. I see a reflection of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And, I see the character that God is desiring to work in my life through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not the list of what I must do to be saved. Rather, it is the list of what I aspire to be in Christ who has saved me by His great grace.

So, once again, with the Apostle Paul, I say…

• “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Php 3:12-14 NLT)

Lord, thank You for Your grace! Thank You for Your righteousness in Christ Jesus! Thank you for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working daily in my life! Grant me the grace to press on and to reach the end of the race – becoming like Jesus Christ my Lord!

In Jesus’ Name@