Psalms 15:1 (NKJV)

‘Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?’

There’s been an age-old debate about whether we are fully saved by grace alone or by grace and by works. This debate really is not necessary if we understand the true work of grace. Somehow, we have bought into one of the dual lies. One version says that if I don’t work hard enough, God cannot accept me so I must be totally perfect in works before approaching God. The other says that once we have received redemption in Christ, we can approach God anyhow irrespective of our daily actions and lifestyle.

Here David is asking the Lord a question: ‘Who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill?’ Am not sure if it’s David replying or the Lord, but there are eleven specific instructions in answer to that prayer request. These eleven requirements are not humanly possible without grace, so we need the grace of God through the redemptive power of Christ to make us acceptable to enter the Lord’s holy hill; and that redemptive work includes giving us the enablement to fulfill these eleven requirements. We need grace to enter and having entered, we need grace to remain.

‘Lord, these eleven requirements are far beyond what I can fulfill by human strength but I thank God that Jesus enables me to enter in boldly because of the work of atonement. Lord, help me fully exercise the graces released to me through the atonement, so that in Him, I am able to live out these eleven requirements. This I ask through Christ. Amen.’