WORDS

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 15:1-5  NASB

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
² He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
³ He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
⁴ In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵ He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Whenever you receive this, it is the reflections of an early Saturday morning.  The Lord’s Day is tomorrow and the question of Psalm 15:1 is unusually pressing.

“Who can go to church on Sunday morning with a good conscience, and fellowship with God and His people?”  Will you not admit this to be a pressing question?

The writer follows his question with a description that is as plain as it is peculiar.  The plainness lies in the clear statements of the requirement. 

Looking at his words we find:  “He speaks the truth in his heart.”

The truth he speaks is a result of character.  There are a couple of facts about truth.  It is always precious or desirable.  It very often will be, or least can be, costly.  It is a necessity to fulfill the Divine commandment.  “He does not slander with his tongue…nor takes up a reproach against his friend.”

This appears to be two sides to one coin.  It is the fact that a friend’s reputation is precious.  Nothing hurtful is to be spoken against him even if it is true and it can be avoided.  Very simply there is no requirement that we say all we know.  “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

“He swears to his own hurt and does not change.”  This is the price of truth.  Truth is precious.  It is more valuable than I am.  My hurt is never to be compared with or allowed to contest truth.

This description of a good conscience does not appear particularly difficult.  But there is something strange about it.  Though it is a major portion of the description given there is a single subject, the speech of a believer.

Why is this?  First it identifies our spiritual condition, “Out of the multitude of the heart the mouth speaks.”  We only fool ourselves when we think we are not known by our speech.

Secondly it is harmful to others.  We often do not realize the hurt we cause and the damage we do with the words we speak.

Read James 3:1-12.