“He hath not slandered by his tongue, He hath not done to his friend evil;
And reproach he hath not lifted up Against his neighbour.^a
Despised in his eyes is a rejected one, And those fearing Jehovah he doth honour.
He hath sworn to suffer evil, and changeth not;^b
His silver he hath not given in usury, And a bribe against the innocent Hath not taken;
Whoso is doing these is not moved to the age!^c”

A) Verse 3 of this psalm shows a principle that Jesus taught regarding our thoughts and our actions. The verse is broken up into three parts, the first two of which deal with our thoughts and actions. Jesus told those around him that even if we think anything slanderous, hateful  thoughts towards our neighbor, we might as well have committed murder. (Matthew 5:21-22) When the psalmist says, “He hath not slandered by his tongue”, this is showing that as a Christian, a righteous man or woman of God, he has nothing on the tip of his tongue that is derogatory or evil inside of him. Often when we have suddenly forgotten the answer to a question a common phrase we use is, “It’s on the tip of my tongue.” If we have slander on the tip of our tongues, even if the thought of slander is not there but the feeling of it, the emotion of something negative towards your brother is consuming you even though you can’t pin it down, that’s still sin. We are to be free from all malicious thought and any accusations against our brothers. The Apostle John reminds his readers the same thing that Christ said; he also reminds them that the love we are to be clothed in is a self-sacrificing love. (1 John 3:15-16) Let our feelings, thoughts and actions be not on belittling those around us, but on how we can serve each other in thought and deed. Resist Satan, and he will flee, for we are not called to be anywhere near the evil of this world. (James 4:7) So let nothing but the Spirit itself dwell in us, may we submit to Him and let him do what He wills in us. (John 14:23)

B) This verse has two ways of being interpreted. One way is to say that the man of God holds in contempt those whose actions are wicked, while still being able to be free from the presence of evil thoughts or words. The second way is that the Christian is to find himself rejected and worthless in his own eyes. Both are great ways to read this verse. The first way of interpreting the verse we see a very godly man who is able to rightly judge his brothers, yet has an undying love for them. He sees their actions and knows the wicked things that they have done, yet he can only think of how he can build them back up. He holds them in contempt, at a distance, not because he views himself as more, lest he sin, but a distance so that he does not fall into the same snare. This idea is echoed in Paul’s writing in Galatians when trying to restore a fallen brother in Christ. (Galatians 6:1)

The second way of reading this verse actually comes from a translated version by Aben Ezra, “He is mean and contemptible in his own eyes” which is also a valid translation from the original, “ נבזה בעיניו נמאס, nibzeh beeynaiv nimas”. I don’t know which I like more because I stumble continually with trying to separate the sin and the sinner, and yet there is something so glorious and redemptive in the second way this verse is interpreted. We are to never put ourselves on a high pedestal, or think anything great of ourselves. We are to serve each other, and view ourselves as nothing. (1 Corinthians 10:24) Just as Christ came to wash our feet and save us from our sins, we are to have the same attitudes towards our brothers. As Christ humbled himself, and by taking on the form of man, not grasping at the being of God and took on our form, there shines something beautiful in that. (Philipians 2:6-8) How can someone so holy, so perfect in every way become lower just to serve, just to save us while we were sinning against Him? (Romans 5:8) This is the God we serve, we serve a God who has given himself to us, saved us and given His Word to use, so that all who believe in Him are saved. (2 Corinthians 11:4)

When was the last time that you lowered yourself, humbled yourself not to those who are close to you, but to those who despise you? Sinners show love to those who love them, so shouldn’t we do more? (Luke 6:32) If Christ showed the standard for living on Earth, and His whole time He spent humbling himself, putting those who had no right to be near the living God ahead of him, why are we not doing the same? Christians often use the term, “taking up the cross” as an expression about dying to ourselves, but I do not see many dead men or women around me. I don’t see people who gasp for breath, who are begging for a drink of water or a piece of bread, I see people who are healthy and do not have any thirst or hunger. Do I see a generation of dead men and women as we are called to be? I am the first to admit as I look in the mirror I do not see a dying man, and for that God convicts me. But let this be a note to anyone who reads this, if you look in the mirror and see an emaciated man, do y0u not also see the light of Christ in shinning through your life?

C) The last verse in Psalm 15, ties everything together. We have a man who does not take advantage of those who are innocent, for he is ultimately a man who fears the Lord. This whole psalm is also to point out that these things are only accomplished by those who fear God. These are the standards and the rules that he has given us that we need to keep. We are to abide in Him daily, and have the Holy Spirit convict us of the truths that He has already spoken. (John 14:26) When a Christian neglects these truths, he is not abiding close to Christ, and the fear of the Lord is not in his eyes. (Romans 3:18) I think that is important to look around and see anyone else that isn’t living up to this psalm. When we see a brother or sister in Christ who is not abiding in Christ, we are to restore them and pray for them. (Galatians 6:1) Let us not forget though, that it is a sin if we know we are to be praying for someone and fail to do so. (1 Samuel 12:23) Restore and pray for those who are shaken, help them see the truths of God and the love He has shown us. Be certain that you don’t have a log in your eye before you go to your friend with the speck, but be prayerful of those who you can help.

The psalmist ends with a promise, a guarantee that Christ gives to his followers. Those who keep God’s commandments and abide in Christ are on solid foundation that is unshakeable. When we start studying the Word, we find more about God and see more of what He has done for us. Too many people neglect to study the Bible, and are seeking experiences only. This is one of the most dangerous things possible because your foundation is going to be based on moment to moment feelings rather than everlasting truth. This is why we study God’s word so that we may pour more concrete on our foundation. Knowing who God is and what He has done for us is the concrete that we build our lives on.

“Jehovah, who doth sojourn in Thy tent?

Who doth dwell in Thy holy hill?^“

As Paul would lay out the characteristics of those who are not fit to enter the kingdom of God, David shows us who is able to dwell with the Lord in Psalm 15. (1 Corinthians 6:9,10) Sometimes it is easier to look at what we should have in our daily lives as a Christian, rather than what we should be abstaining from. If we can walk with this psalm in our hearts, and by the help of the Holy Spirit, we will further our sanctification and become more like Christ. (2^nd Thessalonians 2:13)

As much as this is a rhetorical question, David asks it because who really is fit to be in the tent of the Lord? Who can say they are free to dwell on His holy hill, Zion? The priests of the old had to wear little tassels made from pomegranate shells on the bottom of their outfit so if God were to strike them dead, they would know because the sound produced from the shells would stop. (Exodus 28:33-35) The priests were the only people who were allowed to come into the Holy of Holies, and even they were not completely protected from God.

A Christian might say that since their body is a tabernacle for the Holy Spirit, they may approach God in any manner, or even haphazardly. (2 Peter 1:13) Solomon puts it very clear; when we approach God, we are to make our words few because if we make a promise or an oath to God and do not keep it, God has every right to take away the fruits of our labor. (Ecclesiastes 5:2-7) God is not our best bud, or our boyfriend, so to treat him like that is to not give him the respect nor honor that is due to Him. The Lord is so holy that he cannot even look at our sins, and he won’t even hear us when we pray if we have blood on our hands. (Habakkuk 1:13, Isaiah 1:5) Treating the Creator of the universe with such an earthly love shows a lack of true regard for who God is. Their love ceases to be agape, and turns into a sinful eros and phileo love.

So who can approach the Lord Almighty? As Christians, we have been given the greatest gift of all; communion with the Lord. Since the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are only one prayer away from being in communication with God. This is something that in many is not utilized as it should, including myself. When Christ died, he tore the veil of the Temple, and gave us a chance to be in communion with Him. Does this mean we can live our lives in any fashion and still be able to walk with God? The Apostle John points it out very clearly that if we have any darkness in us; the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:6) Psalm 15 shows us a great example of what a righteous Christian should be like as He walks with the Lord. It is a very powerful and precious gift that we have received through the blood of the Lamb. To treat this with a lackadaisical attitude, we cheat God and ourselves. The psalmist promises us, that the man who is described in the psalm will not be moved when anything comes against him. (Psalm 15:5) This is a promise given by the Holy Spirit, and since God is not a shifting shadow, we know that if we walk in this manner, we will not be shaken by the calamities of our life.  (James  1:17)

“Grace to you^a, and peace be multiplied 
in the acknowledgement^b of God and of Jesus our Lord!  ”

^A) The word for grace in Greek is charis, (χάρις) means acceptable, benefit, or favour.  When the Christian speaks of grace, he speaks of being accepted into the presence of God (Ephesians 2:13).   He has received the ultimate benefit to be called a child of the Most High and is now an heir to the kingdom of God, sharing in all things with Christ (Galatians 3:26, Romans 8:17) and finding undeserved favor in the sight of the Lord (Romans 3:23,24).   This is a gift that has been given to us on no merits of our own.  This grace makes our hearts rejoice because by this gift, we who were once dead have been made alive through Christ (Ephesians 2:1-5).

We have found favor in God through Christ, but we are told to grow in this favor (2 Peter 3:18).   Since we do not have a supreme knowledge of Christ, the more we learn and seek Him out, the more we find, and the more we are steadfast in Him.   Peter writes later in this letter that those who find favor with God are steadfast and do not fall out of faith.   This grace or favor is in correlation with the knowledge we have of Christ.  The more knowledge we have about the Lord, the stronger we are and the closer we are to God.   We do not each receive special treatment from God for he has no favorites; but we are further sanctified and drawn towards Him, and this is the most glorious thing we can strive for.   Be careful not to think that God’s favor can grow, because it is limitless; but know that in this infinite grace that he has for us we are to expand ourselves within it.   Christ has opened the doors so that we may do everything we can to find favor and closeness with our Father.   Only through faith in Christ can we do anything that pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).   Jesus has presented us an immeasurable amount of grace that we can have in the Lord— the grace that separates us from the world and draws us near to Him.  (For further clarification on favoritism and the elect, check out Mark’s article Does God Show Favoritism to the Elect? )

^B) If you can have unlimited grace and peace, would you not partake of it?  John Gill describes this type of knowledge as, “not of a natural, but of a spiritual and evangelical knowledge; of a knowledge of God, not as the God of nature and providence, but as the God of all grace, as in Christ, and a covenant God in him, and of the person, offices, and grace of Christ”.  This type of knowledge is something that is not passive but active.   We do not sit and wait for God to give us this knowledge but we should actively seek it.   Some people see it as a foolish attempt to look at the deeper mysteries of God because they are too deep to understand.   Do not take a passive stance towards the knowledge and wisdom of God, for there is an abundance of grace and peace that is intertwined one with the other.  How many times do you sit and pray for peace that all your anxieties may go away?   Matthew Henry puts it beautifully.  “There is in the word of God a proper remedy for all our spiritual maladies”.  The knowledge of Christ, the active searching out who He is, is the remedy for all our spiritual maladies.   In Proverbs, Solomon says that wisdom and knowledge are life unto those who find them and to keep them guarded in your heart (Proverbs 4:20-22).   I caution you, do not look for what you want to hear or understand about the Lord for you will never let Him get a chance for Him to talk, you will just be talking for Him.   When you open the Word only to have specific questions or concerns answered, you manipulate His word into fitting your circumstance.   Let the Lord speak what he pleases, for all knowledge of Christ brings favor and peace with it.

“Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ^a,
to those who did obtain a like precious faith with us^b
in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ^c”

^A) Simeon Peter described himself as a bondservant, slave or servant of Christ. The Greek word for this is doulos (δοῦλος), which takes its root from the word deō, (δέω) bind or tied to. The life that Peter lived was tied to Christ’s. He was subject and submitted to the will of God, no matter what the cost. A rightfully made declaration that Peter made about himself, even though he rejected Christ three times, and was being used by Satan himself when he was defending the ways of man rather than God. (Mark 14:66-68, John 18:15-18, Matthew 26:71-75, Matthew 16:23) For a man to walk away from Christ and not look towards the plans of the Lord, and still declare that he is a slave of Christ is truly the work of the Holy Spirit. For who draws a man away from the world and towards the Lord, besides Himself? By his actions in the Gospels, it seems as though Peter was not tied to Christ, and even tried to sever those ties. But the irresistible grace of Christ can never be severed, for God is sovereign and will always succeed. Peter tried three times to untie himself from being next to Christ but never once did he separate himself from the presence of God completely. God is always willing to forgive our trespasses and make us clean. We are never but one prayer away from being back in His presence.

^B) Peter writes to the same group of people he wrote to in his first epistle. These epistles aren’t written to a certain church like Paul did in his letters, but to a multi-national group of people all over the Middle East. (1 Peter 1:1) There is no reason to believe that Peter wrote these as the Bishop of Rome, or as the first Pope as Catholicism believes. Interestingly enough, Peter was never meant to be the apostle, or messenger/diplomat of the Gospel to the Gentiles, but to the Jews. (Galatians 2:7)
Peter tells these Jews that they obtained a precious faith that he and the other apostles have received. All too often people read the Bible and pray they could live a life like the apostles. They look at their faith and consider it petty, or a lesser-grade faith. As if Christ gave out a varying degree of certifications of faith to His followers. This is only a lie that we are told to believe so we strive for something that is a figment of our imagination. Peter tells us plainly that we have the same precious faith that they have! The simple reason why it is precious is because Christ shed his innocent, precious blood for sinners who deserved nothing but a wrathful judgment. (Romans 3:23) The faith that was instilled in the apostle’s hearts is the same one that saw Christ during the Transfiguration and hearing God speak from the Heavens that this was his Son. (Luke 9:28-36) We can no longer wish we were like the apostles and had their faith, because the truth is we do.
Why don’t we see the amazing things we read about in the Old Testament then? There are a lot of reasons why, and one I would like to express deals with planting the seeds of righteousness. Hosea 10:12, God tells Israel to start planting seeds of righteousness in fallow ground. This fallow ground that he speaks of is the areas in your heart that you have not given to the Lord. John Gill, an 18th century commentator wrote this regarding Hosea 10:12, “which were like ground unopened, unbroken, not filled and manured, nor sown with seed, but overrun with weeds and thistles; and so were they, hard and impenitent, destitute of grace, and full of sin and wickedness, and stood in need of being renewed in the spirit of their minds.” We all have fallow ground that has become so hard towards sin that only by the Word itself can it be split apart. (Hebrews 4:13) The common faith that has been given to us by Christ is not being cultivated by many. This leads to a stale faith, much like the lukewarm one depicted in Revelations. (Revelations 3:16) As followers of Christ, we are given every chance to break up all fallow ground and have the fruits of the Spirit grow exponentially. How can we have a crop if we do not endure the labor of breaking the land up? If you do not tear up the dry land of your heart, do not expect to have a faith like the apostles, nor a faith that Christ would accept.

^C) The righteousness that Peter speaks of is actually the act of justification that Christ displayed on the cross. By being the blameless sacrifice that God poured His wrath into, Christ took the ransom of our sins. This faith we are given, that enables us to do all of which is equal to it, is because Christ laid down his life for us. The most interesting thing about this verse is the last thing that Peter says in his greeting. He says, “…of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” The correct translation of this verse, shows how the Trinity is ever present in the Bible. The way this verse is correctly read, shows that Peter is actually calling Jesus, God and Saviour. Adam Clarke wrote, “his is not a proper translation of the original του Θεου ἡμων και σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου, which is literally, Of our God and Savior Jesus Christ; and this reading, which is indicated in the margin, should have been received into the text; and it is an absolute proof that St. Peter calls Jesus Christ God, even in the properest sense of the word, with the article prefixed.”