Listen to last week’s sermon: Blameless Living from Psalm 15.

In the sermon he delivered on April 24, 2022, Pastor Eric stressed the importance of living a blameless life.

Read Psalm 15:1-5

In verse 1, David asks, “Who may dwell in your sacred tent?” As the Hebrew word for dwell signifies sojourn, it evokes the idea of a temporary stay, similar to that of a guest. A guest would not reside there permanently but would visit for a short time. Back then, guests would be lavished with hospitality. The hospitality described here refers to an individual passing through a foreign land and being dependent on the kindness and generosity of the host.

Maclaren writes,

…in the gracious hospitality of the antique world, a guest was sheltered from all harm; his person was inviolable, his wants all met. So the guest of God is safe, can claim asylum from every foe and share in all the bountiful provision of His abode.

This text refers to those who will be welcomed into the Lord’s holy tent as guests: those who will benefit from God’s abundance, provision, and hospitality.

The New King James version uses the word tabernacle rather than tent in verse 1. God and His people would gather in the Tabernacle, also known as ‘the meeting place’ or ‘the tent of meeting’. Being a mobile structure, its setup and location were temporary.

Moses and Israel were instructed by God to construct a tabernacle for Him during the Exodus. Priests would offer sacrifices there, and it was also considered a meeting place between God and His people. Thus, it symbolized fellowship with God and the manifestation of God’s presence. In a similar way, God desires that we remain in communion with Him, not only on Sundays but throughout the week, as He desires an ongoing relationship with us.

Read Psalm 27:4

David desired to remain in the House of the Lord, for it was a symbol of God’s presence and hospitality. He wanted to experience spiritual communion with God and see His glory. In spite of his desire to live there, David was unable to do so since he was not a priest. Nevertheless, David was not overly concerned about the location, since what matters is not the building itself, but what takes place within it. The meeting place is more important than the size and appearance of the building.

In Pastor Eric’s opinion, there are currently too many Christians who lack the spiritual thirst and hunger David had for the Lord. They are content to simply obtain second-hand information about God, rather than know Him personally. Mark 12:30 states, however, that we should not love God exclusively with our minds.

Read Mark 12:30

According to the passage above, we should strive to have a love for God that transcends what we say and what we know. We are to love God with our entire being. Such love for the Lord permeates every aspect of our lives. David is therefore asking for more than a mere intellectual understanding of God. He is essentially saying, “I want God! I long to be in permanent fellowship with the Lord.”

Read Revelation 21:1-2

David then asks who may live on God’s holy mountain. The word live implies permanence. While the holy mountain originally referred to Jerusalem, Revelation 21 refers to a new Jerusalem, also known as the Kingdom of God.

Read Revelation 4:8-10

As Christians, it is important for us to understand what the word holy means, for two reasons:

1 – God is described as holy.

Revelation 4 records twenty-four elders bowing down to God and singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” In Hebrew, repetition conveys a sense of assurance and faith. They were thus conveying the truth of God’s supreme holiness with force and passion. In view of this, it is necessary for us to understand the meaning of the word holy since God is holy.

2 – We, as believers, are also called to be holy.

Christians are called to be holy. Being holy means to be distinct, set apart. This is also true of God’s holy mountain and God Himself. The holiness of God sets Him apart from all living things and alleged gods. He is distinct from all other beings, just as light is distinct and separate from darkness.

Read Mark 1:24, John 7:14, and Luke 7:16

Demonic spirits also acknowledged the holiness of Christ. They recognized that Jesus was more than just a good person, a teacher, and a prophet. He is the Holy One of God. No one is equal to Him in power, purity, glory, love, compassion, and righteousness. Who then shall reside on God’s holy mountain? The answer is found in the last four verses: the one whose actions are righteous and whose conduct is faultless. It can be summed up in two words: our character. 

Read Psalm 15:2

Character matters. Our attitude determines our standing with God. Who will dwell in God’s Tabernacle? It is he who exemplifies holiness: the one who walks blamelessly and performs what is righteous, like his Lord.

1 Peter 1:14-16

In the above passage, Peter says, “Now that you are obedient children of God do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted. But be holy in all you do, just as God, the One who called you, is holy. It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy because I am holy.” As someone said, “Holiness attracts the divine power of God.”

Paul refers to the members of the church as Saints. Some translations use the word holy. Saints refers to sanctification. It essentially means that someone is freed from sin and approved by God for service. Throughout the Bible, God calls His people holy.

Read Leviticus 20:26

In part, holy living is defined as being set aside by God for His purposes. The Lord said, “I have set you apart from other nations to be my own.” In other words, “You will be exclusively Mine.” The Lord cares deeply for His people. It is therefore essential to clearly distinguish the world from the church, since God’s people are called to be holy. We are not to engage in the same worldly activities as non-believers. Having surrendered our lives to Christ, we are born again and have acquired a new nature. As a result, God sees in us the righteousness of Christ. Therefore, it is now our responsibility to embrace this new identity, this new nature, that we have received from God. We must safeguard and uphold it on a daily basis.

Read 1 John 1:6

John contends that if we declare that we have fellowship with God but act as though we do not, then we are lying. It is essential that we walk in righteousness. We are to abstain from any act that defiles the soul and avoid temptation.

Read Genesis 39:9-12 and Matthew 18:9

While Joseph was being seduced by Potiphar’s wife, he abandoned his coat and fled. It is unfortunate that so many people today fall prey to temptation. According to Matthew 18:9, it is imperative that we identify the root cause of the problem and eliminate it.

Read Matthew 26:41 and Proverbs 27:12

Even though we feel strong today, it is important to pray that we do not give in to temptation because, during times of weakness, we are vulnerable to temptation and may not be able to pray effectively.

How do we avoid succumbing to temptation? We anticipate it and take steps to prevent it.

Read Psalm 15:3, James 3:9, Matthew 15:11

Misuse of the tongue, including gossip and slander, is one of the greatest sources of conflict in our world today. Speaking with wisdom is a hallmark of walking in holiness. Jesus stated that it is not what goes into a person’s mouth that defiles them, but what emerges from it.

Read Matthew 12:34-36 

Keeping our lips and hearts in sync is essential. A tongue problem is usually a sign of a God problem.

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? He whose walk is blameless, who does what is right, who speaks the truth from his heart, whose tongue utters no slander, and who does no wrong to his neighbour.

Read Matthew 5:37

Jesus did not believe in oaths. According to Him, it is sufficient to say either yes or no, for anything beyond this is a deceitful act.

Read Psalm 15:5, Romans 12:1, 2 Timothy 2:21, and Hebrew 12:14

Psalm 15:5 is analogous to Romans 12:1. Worship, according to Paul, consists of more than singing songs, attending church, and tithing. It’s a way of life. Although we are not perfect, we should strive to attain God’s level of excellence. It is inappropriate for us to live a life similar to the rest of society since we are called to be holy.

Are you living a holy life?

Watch video here.

Additional resources:

Small group notes (Connection Groups)