In his book Man of Honor, Ray Pritchard shares the story of his stroll in a cemetery where he discovered a man’s grave marker with a wordy tribute. But he then describes a more eye-catching epitaph on the gravestone of the man’s son: “A man of unquestioned integrity.” As Pritchard wrote: “Five words to sum up an entire life. Sixty-plus years distilled into five words. But, oh what truth they tell.”
In Psalm 15:1, we find questions asking after a certain kind of person: “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” (v. 1 nlt). The answer involves integrity and is captured in the word blameless found in verse 2: “Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts” (v. 2 nlt). The question (v. 1) and answer (v. 2) combination refers to communion with God. The rest of the psalm summarizes—in positive and negative terms—what a God-honoring life looks like.
When we have intimate communion with God, it’s displayed in a life of integrity, particularly in how we treat others as the Spirit helps us (see Matthew 22:34-40; 1 John 3:16-18). It’s the posture of life that we assume when we believe in and follow Jesus—the one who lived in perfect communion with His Father.
What does your life say about your closeness to God? What spiritual disciplines might you need to adopt to have a closer relationship with Jesus?
Dear Father, please give me strength to love You with all my heart and to demonstrate this by integrity in my life.
David asks, “Who may dwell in your sacred tent?” (Psalm 15:1). If we answer this question honestly, we’ll admit we often fall short of the high standards enumerated here. Who among us can claim to be “blameless” (v. 2)? The writer to the Hebrews sheds light on this. Of Jesus, that New Testament letter says, “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). Our high priest Christ “sacrificed for [our] sins once for all when he offered himself” (v. 27). This meant that He “entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption” (9:12). His once-for-all sacrifice on our behalf enables us to follow and obey Jesus as we treat others with the love and respect that honors our Father.
