O LORD,
Who is able to enjoy fellowship with you? Who will be able to dwell with you forever? Who is it that enjoys fellowship with you and experiences your protection, unable to ever be moved?
Lord, you are holy, holy, holy. You are set apart from all as the only God. You are set apart from us as perfect. We cry out with Isaiah, “Woe on us! May we be cursed! We are people with unclean lips, which means we are people with unclean hearts. We are not perfect, we are not sinless. We deserve your wrath!” So, who is able to dwell with you? We cannot see God and live. How can we come before God?
You give the answer in this fifteenth Psalm, but it provides us little comfort if taken on its own. We look at these requirements and say, “We can’t do this!” To walk blamelessly? Yet, that is what you say we must do, if we are to dwell with you. To do what is right and speak truth with no lies? To not slander at all and do no evil to our neighbor? To take no reproach with our friends? To despise those who are vile, and to honor those who fear you? To keep our word, even when it hurts us? To deal fairly in all our dealings? This is the man that will never be moved. God, this is impossible. We cannot do this! We look at this list like the Ten Commandments, and we only see our failure completely. We do not keep your law perfectly.
So, we do not look to ourselves but look to Jesus. He is the blameless man in his perfection. He lives and abides forever. Father, you have set him as the King in Zion, forever. He is the One who is blameless in all things, perfect in absolutely every way. He obeyed your commands perfectly, never offending his Father. He never lied or used his tongue for evil purposes. He fulfilled his promises to his own hurt, the ultimate hurt of death on the cross. He was righteous in every way, in his person and actions. He, the Righteous One, died in the place of the unrighteous many, that he might bring us to God. He, the richest of all, became poor for our sakes, so that we might become rich.
So, we by faith take hold of this great and perfect Savior, our Lord and our God. We trust in his perfect righteousness alone. He was obedient in our place, because we cannot be perfectly obedient. He took our sin on himself and died for us. Now, in his perfect obedience to the point of death, we are forgiven and clothed with his righteousness. So, in Christ we are blameless, righteous, and holy.
By faith, we take up Christ’s breastplate of righteousness. In love, faith and gratitude we look to our holy God and hear your call, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” We call you, Father, so we conduct ourselves with fear and trembling through the time of our stay in this world. We know that we have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, the perfect Lamb without spot or blemish and we no longer belong to ourselves but to Him.
We answer the call to be holy, set apart in our hearts and lives for you. We know that we cannot do this on our own. However, we are confident that you have given us repentance and faith as a gift. Having rescued us for yourself, you will keep us by your grace. Preserve us, Lord God, as you have promised. The faith you have given us will show itself in obedience. Your grace has not only saved us, but it continually trains us to reject ungodliness and to live godly lives as we await Jesus’ coming. So, train us by your grace, and may we be submissive. Train us to expectantly await Jesus’ coming.
Looking to Jesus, we follow him in blamelessness and truth, knowing that the righteous live by faith. We follow him, knowing that the One who gave his life for us would never call us to do what he will not enable. Knowing that he would never call us to do what is not for our good. Knowing that he will lead us safely home.
So, in faith, we embrace this fifteenth Psalm, knowing that you will never allow us to be moved.
To the praise of your glorious grace, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, establish the work of our hands.
Amen.
In order to aid flow, cross references have not been listed in the actual prayer. The following is a list of verses that are either referenced, alluded to, or related to the prayer above:
Isaiah 6:1-3, 5; Exodus 33:20; Psalm 15: 2-5; Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 2:6; 1 John 1:6; Mark 1:11; Philippians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 2:23, 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21, 8:9; Ephesians 1:7-8, 6:14; 1 Peter 1:15; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 1:16-18; Acts 11:18; Ephesians 2:8-9; Jude 24-25; James 2:14-26; Titus 2:11-14 Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:16-17; Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 8:28-30; Revelation 21:7; Psalm 15:5; 55:22; 121:3-8; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14; Psalm 90:17
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