“In Your Holy Hill”

“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” (vs1-2)

The Lord teaches us what it means to dwell with God in holy affection and acceptance.

First, the Lord Jesus is the perfect Man, the One “in whose eyes a vile person is despised”, so that He walks in holiness, loving sinners (vs4).  The Lord is the Man “who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in His heart” (vs2).  He isn't double-faced, but sincere in his mercies and warnings.  He is the Man who "does not backbite [spy] with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach [shame] against his friend" (vs3).  He is honest, sincere, and upright in motive and speech. He doesn't say one thing and mean another, nor use His words to hate. He is perfection, worthy of trust and love. He "honors those who fear the Lord" with life eternal, forgiveness, and pleasure.  And he "swears to his own hurt and does not change", dying in the place of elect sinners, ransoming us to God by blood payment (vs4).  He does not oppress the poor, for He “does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent" (vs5).  He paid for our sins and demands no extra payment from us. He gives and gives, knowing that His blood is enough for grace to be free.  He is the perfect Man who "shall never be moved", and we are perfected in Him.

Secondly, by faith, immediate transformation happens, and we're like Christ in the inner man, so that as He is, which is loving, we are also in this world (1 John 4:12-17).  We're transformed and holiness comes out.  We're forgiven, so the evil is removed, and all that remains is righteousness at the Day of Judgment (2 Cor 5:9-10).  Through the perfect Man, we have access to God by what Christ has made us, which is clean and purified eternally. Hebrews 10:22 says, “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water”.  He does such a great work, that we become holy in our dealings, walking uprightly by faith.  We work righteousness, doing God's will, from the heart.  We are sincerely boasting in Christ and loving our neighbor, walking in humility, instead of pride.

God didn't merely justify us by imputing righteousness, but He gives righteous character, so that we don't speak ill of each other, gossip against our neighbor, nor do we smile in friends faces while slandering and promoting hateful words behind their back. Our tongue isn't deceitfully used because love is in our heart. Jesus has become the example to us, so that we walk the way that He gives us command (1 John 2:3-6).

Don't be ashamed.  Know how God sees the righteous and grow in grace.  Know pardon and stop the fear.  Know righteousness by experience, walking more and more by faith, experiencing increased fellowship with God and confidence in heaven.