SERMON SERIES: A SUMMER IN THE PSALMS

CHARACTER QUALITIES OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON

Psalm 15
"Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart:
He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord:
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; he who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
HE WHO DOES THESE THINGS SHALL NEVER BE MOVED."

MESSAGE:
Let's take a moment to get acquainted with the author of most of the Psalms. His name was David, the son of Jesse. He arrives on the scene of Israel's history as God's choice to take the place of Saul, the first king of Israel. The decline of Saul was a terrible thing to see. The Scriptures teach that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul but came mightily upon David.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 gives us the record: "And Samuel said to Saul, "You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, for now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
"But now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."
1 Samuel 15:24-25 continues the story: "Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord. "But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.

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"And as Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe and it tore.
So Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
"And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind."
Then he [Saul] said, "I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me that I may worship the Lord."
Shortly after this event, Samuel, the prophet of the Lord goes to the house of Jesse and there anoints the shepherd lad, David.
Psalm 78:70-72 says:
"He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands."
You can find all seventy of David's years wrapped up in these three verses. "He chose David His servant" when he was about seventeen. "He took him from the sheepfolds" when he slew the giant and first left the sheep. "He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people" at age thirty. Between the years of seventeen and thirty, you will recall, David is on the run from Saul. Then, finally, at age thirty he comes to that pinnacle moment in his life when he takes the throne of Israel. And what happened then? "And he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands" for his final forty years.
For the first fifty years of his life, David walked in the integrity of his heart. Though there were few temporary excursions in the flesh, most of David's young adult years were years of triumph. Then came the tragedy of the last twenty years of his life. The first part of his life is a model of character and integrity, and the last part of his life is a downhill slide until, I believe, David died a broken man with a broken heart.
The Psalms which we will be studying are the heartfelt expressions of man reaching out for God...a man that fails deeply and yet never ceases to chase after God.

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"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, 0 God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2)
Psalm 15 begins with a throbbing question...a question I believe is deep within the heart of every person.
LORD, WHO WILL ABIDE IN YOUR TABERNACLE? WHO MAY DWELL IN YOUR HOLY HILL?
Let's say it with words that we can understand...Lord, who shall be permitted to have fellowship with You?
Who shall be admitted to be one of your household, to live in your presence, to be blessed with Your mercy and kindness? What are the characteristics of persons that enjoy your divine smile of approval?
In Psalm 24, David asks a similar question. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."
What kind of person has entry into the presence of God in times of prayer and worship? What are the marks of a life that display the righteousness of God and thus, provides entrance into His throne?
Or, we could say it this way. What gives evidence that a person has an intimate relationship with God? Does his lifestyle reveal his walk with God? What is it about my life that will point persons to Christ...my deeds and my words?
Our Psalm today gives us some characteristics of a righteous person:
(1) He walks uprightly...that is...he does what is right in the sight of God. That is called righteousness.
(2) He does not backbite with his tongue. He is a person who understands that the day will come when we must give account of every idle word, thus he will watch his tongue with all diligence and his words will be spoken with the sense of accountability, not only to man, but also to God.
(3) He is a person who loves his neighbor as himself. His life will be marked with selflessness, thoughtfulness and kindness toward mankind. God will be first, others will come next, and then, myself will be last.

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(4) Our text says..."nor does he take up a reproach against his friend." We would say it this way...A righteous person will protect the character of others, especially his friends. He will not allow gossip to be spread. He is one that contrives to do all the good he can to his neighbors, but is very careful to do hurt to no man, and is, in a particular manner, tender of his neighbor’s reputation. He makes the best of everybody, and the worst of nobody. If an ill-natured character of his neighbor be given him, or an ill-natured story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it shall die with him and go no further. His charity will cover a multitude of sins.
(5) "In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord." We could say it this way. A righteous person is one who has a hatred of sin and a love for what is right and godly.
Psalm 1 says: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful." The word which we translate UNGODLY signifies such as are unsettled, aim at no certain end and walk by no certain rule, but are at the command of every lust and at the beck of every temptation. These the good and righteous person sees with a sad heart. He does not do as they do. He does not take his measures from their principles nor act according to the advice which they give and take. He flees the very appearance of evil. A righteous person finds great joy and delight with those who honor God in their lives and actions, and seeks to encourage them and lift them up.
(6) "He who swears to his own hurt and does not change." A righteous person is one who keeps his word, even if it costs him everything! He does not change an agreement even though he miscalculated the outcome. He is one that always prefers a good conscience before any secular interest or advantage whatsoever; for, if he has promised upon oath to do anything, though afterwards it appear much to his damage and prejudice in his worldly estate, yet he adheres to it and changes not.
Numbers 30:2 says: "When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said."

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(7) "He who does not put out his money at usury." A righteous person is one who does not take advantage of another person in the matters of finance. In Exodus 22:25, it says: "If you lend money to one of my people, among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender, charge him no interest." Proverbs 28:8: "He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor."
The demanding of excessive and grinding interest is a sin to be detested; the taking of the usual and current interest in a commercial country is not contrary to the law of love.
The Jews were not engaged in commerce, and to lend money even at the lowest interest rate to their fellow farmers in times of poverty would have been usurious; but they might lend to strangers, who would usually be occupied in commerce, because in the commercial world, money is a fruitful thing, and the lender has a right to a part of its products.
In the Psalm we are studying, David adds one more character quality that marks a righteous man.
(8) Our text says: "Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent." A godly person will never become a part of any plan that perverts justice. We have a saying in our day..."Every person has a price" which suggests that when there is enough benefit assumed, a person will do anything to obtain that benefit.
But, a person who desires fellowship with God will not take a bribe, for "a bribe doth blind the words of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. (Deut. 16:19). And verse 20 says: "Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Proverbs 17:23 "A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the course of justice."
Isaiah 1:21 continues to list the sins of which Israel was guilty. "How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves, everyone loves bribes, and follow after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them."

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Remember, our Psalm began with a question that is eternally important to all of mankind...WHAT KIND OF PERSON HAS DELIGHT OF DWELLING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD, ENJOYING HIS FELLOWSHIP AND THE BENEFITS OF GOD'S MERCY, GRACE AND BLESSING? And David has answered the question by listing the qualities of character that opens the heart and throne of God to the seeker.
NOW LET'S MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS FROM THIS LIST.
(1) It is obvious that our life-style and values have tremendous importance to God. The way we live does affect our relationship to God and God's relationship with us.
One segment of evangelicalism has even begun to propound the doctrine that conversion to Christ involves "no spiritual commitment whatsoever." Those who hold this view of the gospel teach that Scripture promises salvation to anyone who simply believes the facts about Christ and claims eternal life. There need be no turning from sin, no resulting change in life-style, no commitment--not even a willingness to yield to Christ's lordship. Those things, they say, amount to human works, which corrupt grace and have nothing to do with faith.
But the Bible teaches clearly that the evidence of God's work in a life is the inevitable fruit of transformed behavior. Faith that does not result in righteous living is dead and cannot save. Professing Christians utterly lacking the fruit of true righteousness will find no biblical basis for assurance they are saved and will not enjoy a thrilling and personal fellowship with God.
Our Psalm is very clear...RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST BE THE HEARTBEAT AND GOAL OF ALL OUR LIVING! Think with me for a moment on this great subject...righteousness. In the wide sense, it means faultlessness or guiltlessness; with reference to man it has to do with man's conformity to God's holiness.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matt. 5:6) Jesus went on to say in this sermon..."But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

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One great theologian writes: "Righteousness is the necessary basis of God's dealing with saint and sinner; the ground too, on which grace gloriously sways its scepter. Romans 5:19-21 says: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The super-structure on which all Christian life, progress and service repose is righteousness. It underlies every position and relation in life. Righteousness is the keystone of the arch of divine revelation.
Remember, the simple idea resident within the word...RIGHTEOUSNESS...is that of "doing what is right."
Righteousness can be defined as "consistency in every given position and relation which a creature occupies in regard to others."
God is righteous, and as such, demands righteousness, for without it there can be no possible fellowship between the Creator and His creatures. The consistent testimony of Scripture is that two cannot walk together except they be agreed.
RIGHTEOUSNESS CANNOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
Here is the problem...Man has no righteousness of his own with which he may meet the righteous and inexorable demands of God. The human heart is corrupt, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, and cannot therefore out of rottenness produce righteousness acceptable to God. It was because of our utter inability to satisfy the righteous demands of God that He Himself provided a garment of perfect righteousness. The garment represents the righteousness of God, clothing all who believe. The glory of the Gospel is that lawbreakers, and not law-keepers, believing in Jesus, are accounted righteous by God.
THE SINNER, THROUGH BELIEVING, IS CONSTITUTED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST, THE SINLESS, RIGHTEOUS ONE. Our righteousness, then, is not something but SOMEONE. The righteousness of God is that righteousness of which He is the Source and the Owner. It is God's in a real sense, divine in quality and character!

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It is also toward men as from God, reckoned unto man on the ground of Christ's finished work. DIVINE RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN ONLY BECOME OURS BY FAITH.
It is essential to exhibit practical righteousness in everyday life. We deceive ourselves if we deem ourselves righteous yet fail to manifest righteousness in life. OUR STANDING BEFORE GOD IS REVEALED IN OUR STATE AMONG MEN. Positional righteousness has its reflection in practical righteousness.
Oh! The manifold blessings resulting from the acceptance of a divinely provided righteousness.
(1) THE RIGHTEOUS ARE SURROUNDED WITH DIVINE FAVOR. Psalm 5:12
"For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou compass him as with a shield."
This is why David ends the Psalm we have been studying with these words: HE WHO DOES THESE THINGS SHALL NEVER BE MOVED.
(2) The righteous are blessed with prosperity.
Isaiah 3:10
"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."
(3) THE RIGHTEOUS ENJOY PEACE, QUIETNESS AND ASSURANCE. Isaiah 32:17
"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."
(4) THE RIGHTEOUS EXPERIENCE DELIVERANCE FROM AFFLICTION.
Psalm 34:19
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."
(5) THE RIGHTEOUS ARE CONSTANTLY GUARDED.
1 Peter 3:12
"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers."
THE ULTIMATE BLESSING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH IS ETERNITY WITH HIM WHO IS OUR RIGHTEOUS. This is the glad hope of the righteous.
"Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? It is the person who has made Jesus Christ the center and circumference of his life, and the passionate desire to live rightly before God and before man.