Psalm 15 1/17/10

Who may abide and who may dwell Isn’t that what we all desire? All of humanity wants a place that: – Calms our fears – Fills us with joy – Where there are no tears – Where we have all that we need – We are at peace in our hearts

We must walk uprightly in righteousness How is it that we can walk uprightly? – Force ourselves to live up to some religious expectation? – Act like we have everything together? Ecc 7:29 Matt 25:31-46 Romans 5:18

Speaks the truth in his heart Speaking the truth is to be sincere in all that you do False friendships, “faking it to you make it”, and any other for of deceit keeps you from His presence Honesty, sincerity, and truthfulness are required

Backbiting, evil, or reproach Some Christians find ways of backbiting (tearing someone else down) and then explaining it away Tallest Pygmy Syndrome How dare we, who are set free only by God’s grace and Jesus blood, look down on others for where they are, or how we act

Vile people and honor It is really easy to honor vile people who have money, power, or influence It is equally easy to dishonor someone who is poor – God would want them to have better, so they must be doing something wrong

Swearing, usury, and bribes Swearing to your own hurt means sticking to your word, even if it does not benefit you – Ever made a promise you wish you hadn’t, you must follow through with it Does not lend to those with the hope of benefitting from their hardship Taking a bribe doesn’t just mean money. It could be favor, it could be some other benefit

Sealed with a promise He who does these things shall never be moved

Matthew 27:51 The veil tore in two The earth itself shook The rocks blew apart Their was an eclipse (we just learned that) And a Spiritual Trumpet Sounded

Through Jesus You have been made upright You have been made righteous You have the ability to be sincere in all things You’ve been set free from gossip You can bless your neighbor instead of do evil You don’t need to fear those with power or money You can bless others without trying to turn a profit

Through Jesus You may abide and dwell!