Hard evidence

LORD, who may enter your Temple?
Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?
Those who obey God in everything
and always do what is right,
whose words are true and sincere,
and who do not slander others.
They do no wrong to their friends
and do not spread rumours about their neighbours. (verses 1-3)

Read Psalm 15

God offers us membership in his family free of charge. Sometimes people think they have to earn citizenship in God’s kingdom by doing good things. They don’t realise that, such is the state of human sinful hearts, no-one could ever possibly fulfil the requirements. So God gave his own Son into death to buy us admission. That’s the free ticket to heaven that we accept from God with grateful hands of faith.

How do we know who belongs to God’s kingdom? Those who have accepted God in their heart usually show some evidence of his presence. According to the list David gives in this psalm, they try to do what is right, they speak the truth, they don’t say nasty things about others and they can be trusted to speak well of their friends. In addition, they don’t take offence easily, they fear God, they do what they promise, they protect the innocent and they don’t rip people off.

That’s some of the evidence. But the ticket is free.

Dear God, help me to live as one of your people, being loving to others, speaking well of people, being a loyal friend. Amen.

by Richard Hauser, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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