Citizen of Zion

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?

Who may live on your holy mountain?

The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.

Psalm 15: 1-5

We saw the desperation of the remnant of Israel in Psalms 9-14, and the depravity of mankind in general, as the earth endures the tumultuous time of tribulation. The natural human is described as filthy and rebellious in Psalm 14, and totally corrupt. By contrast, those who believe in God and are waiting for the Messiah are characterized in Psalm 15 by their faith and integrity.

Because of their faith in the finished Work of Jesus Christ, they have received in themselves the very character of Christ. Only those can abide in the LORD’s tabernacle who have taken on His likeness by faith in Him. This is not something earned. It is given by God’s grace. Such a person conducts himself with integrity that originates from Jesus Himself. He produces good fruit from the source of God’s Own righteousness. He has the truth stored in his soul as a frame of reference, and imparts truth when he speaks. He treats others in grace because of Whose he is, not because of what they are.

He treats others with fairness and honesty, keeping his friends’ best interests at heart. Interestingly, this Godly person does not simply accept the behaviors of a reprobate (vile person), but despises, or scorns him. The self-righteous worldlings among us are offended by this. They call it hate. With the natural man, everything should be tolerated but Godly standards. Well, those believers who fellowship with the LORD do not tolerate disgusting behavior, but do honor fellow believers who respect Him and value His Word. If the Christlike believer has made a promise that proves to be costly to himself, he will still honor that promise. What he has said, he will do. He does not practice usury in his business dealings, nor will he be bribed to injure an innocent person.

He who does these things takes his relationship with the LORD seriously. His faith in Christ is the most important thing in his life. His lifestyle and personal practices reflect the character of the Christ Who purchased his salvation. His position is forever IN CHRIST, Whose character is what the Father sees in the believer, because by faith he has received the Righteousness which belongs to God. We are clothed in Jesus’ own Person. That is our covering; our mantle of integrity.

That can never be taken away.

The citizen of Zion will never be shaken.