Psalm 15:1-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
“1 O LORD, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
2He who walks with integrity
and practices righteousness,
who speaks the truth from his heart,
3who has no slander on his tongue,
who does no harm to his neighbor,
who casts no scorn on his friend,
4who despises the vile
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who does not revise a costly oath,
5who lends his money without interest
and refuses a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.”
Who?
Today this would be like asking who is a Christian? Who may be saved? Whose sins are forgiven? Who will inherit eternal life with God? Who is in fellowship with Jesus Christ? Who knows God intimately? And more. And the answer given us in the New Testament is those who die to (repent of) sin and who obey God and His commands (New Covenant) in practice, by the grace of God, in the power of God, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ which comes from God, and which is not of our own doing.
But “not of our own doing” does not mean we have no part in it, but that the faith to believe in Jesus is not of the flesh and of our own making, but it comes from God, and it is gifted to us of God, and it is persuaded of God as to His righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of God’s requirement that we deny self, die to sin, and obey Him in life practice. For if sin remains our practice, and not obedience to God’s commands, we do not know God, we are not in fellowship with Him, we do not have eternal life in Him, and we are liars if we claim that we do know God intimately.
Now the Scriptures do not teach that we must be absolutely perfect or we are not accepted. They do teach that it is possible that we might sin (see 1 John 2:1-2), and that God’s grace covers that sin if we are in Christ by biblical faith in the Lord Jesus. But they do teach if sin remains our practice, deliberately and habitually, and not obedience to God’s commands, that we are not in Christ, and we will not inherit eternal life with God. And this goes along with much (not all) of this list given us here in Psalm 15:2-5, although in the New Covenant we are to despise no one, but we are to despise sin.
I am unsure of what the New Testament has to say about what is mentioned in verses 4-5. I know we are to despise what is vile, but we are to hate no one, for we are to love all people. But loving all people does not include loving sin or endorsing sin or being unwilling to speak out against sin. And we should honor those who fear (respect, obey) the Lord, but lack of honor of them may not be a show-stopper. I don’t know. The main New Covenant requirements are that we obey God and that we die to (repent of) sin.
See: [Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Who May Abide?
An Original Work / November 13, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Abide in Him
Based off Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31; John 14-15
An Original Work / July 31, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
If you wait for the Lord, put your hope now in Him,
He will give you His strength and endurance within.
He will renew your strength, so you will not lose heart.
You will soar on wings like eagles, never depart.
“If you abide in Me, and My words live in you,
You will walk with Me daily and follow what’s true.
I will live now in you; give you peace now within,
If you obey My teachings and turn from your sin.”
“If you listen to Me, and do all that I say,
I will give you My comfort; be with you always.
I will heal all your pain; life with Me now you’ll gain,
If in fellowship with Me you always remain.”
