Reading: Psalm 22, 23, 24
My Verse: "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3,4).
This is such a fascinating concept. Who gets to "ascend the hill of the LORD?" Who gets to enter Your kingdom, LORD God?
Man has made such a botch of things. We have complicated this beyond recognition. Yet, it isn't complicated at all.
You, LORD God tell us that one who goes to heaven must have, "clean hands." What exactly does it mean to have "clean hands?" The ESV study notes say that the Hebrew word for clean can also be translated to mean innocent. So the term refers to "those who have acted innocently toward others."
We must also have, "a pure heart" to go to heaven. Again the ESV study notes states that he who has a pure heart is one "cleansed of all unworthy motives toward other people."
The third requirement is one, "who does not lift up his soul to what is false." Ahh, this cuts to the quick doesn't it? We must hunger after You only, LORD God. People seek any way into heaven but through You! But, You and You only are the way!
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
When the learned and scholarly man, Nicodemus came to You and asked how one gets to heaven, You answered him thus. "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. . . Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:5,7).
All those things listed as requirements to get into heaven; clean hands, a pure heart, not lifting ones soul to what is false and not swearing deceitfully, are impossible on our own. It is only through Your indwelling and constant presence in our lives that we are able to meet these high standards. We live in a fallen world. We are susceptible to the fallen way of thinking.
But You, LORD Jesus made it possible for all to go to heaven. It comes down to a very simple choice. We each need to make that choice to believe Your word and what You tell us in it. We need to believe in You, LORD Jesus - that You and You only can save us from eternal damnation!
Thank You, that I will go to heaven. I have Your blessed assurance of that!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully" (Psalm 24:3,4).
This is such a fascinating concept. Who gets to "ascend the hill of the LORD?" Who gets to enter Your kingdom, LORD God?
Man has made such a botch of things. We have complicated this beyond recognition. Yet, it isn't complicated at all.
You, LORD God tell us that one who goes to heaven must have, "clean hands." What exactly does it mean to have "clean hands?" The ESV study notes say that the Hebrew word for clean can also be translated to mean innocent. So the term refers to "those who have acted innocently toward others."
We must also have, "a pure heart" to go to heaven. Again the ESV study notes states that he who has a pure heart is one "cleansed of all unworthy motives toward other people."
The third requirement is one, "who does not lift up his soul to what is false." Ahh, this cuts to the quick doesn't it? We must hunger after You only, LORD God. People seek any way into heaven but through You! But, You and You only are the way!
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
When the learned and scholarly man, Nicodemus came to You and asked how one gets to heaven, You answered him thus. "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. . . Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3:5,7).
All those things listed as requirements to get into heaven; clean hands, a pure heart, not lifting ones soul to what is false and not swearing deceitfully, are impossible on our own. It is only through Your indwelling and constant presence in our lives that we are able to meet these high standards. We live in a fallen world. We are susceptible to the fallen way of thinking.
But You, LORD Jesus made it possible for all to go to heaven. It comes down to a very simple choice. We each need to make that choice to believe Your word and what You tell us in it. We need to believe in You, LORD Jesus - that You and You only can save us from eternal damnation!
Thank You, that I will go to heaven. I have Your blessed assurance of that!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
No comments:
Post a Comment