Psalm 15 starts with the question: “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?” It’s a question concerned with the qualities that matter most to God.  The Psalm catalogues various traits that would render someone worthy of standing in the presence of God.

The Psalm upholds a lofty standard.  You can’t step far into it without soon realising your complete lack of qualification! If this was an entrance test, the results would be miserable indeed. We’d have no place.

Thankfully, Psalm 15 is not really about us. Not in the first instance, at least.  Psalm 15 is primarily concerned with the purity of God’s perfection. It helps us to see the white-hot glory of his holiness.  Our inability to satisfy the requirements listed is precisely the point:  God is uniquely holy, and it is a matter of utmost privilege to enter his presence. The questions of “who may dwell?” and “who may live?” draw out the point.

In addition to this, Psalm 15 helps us see the absolute perfection of Jesus.  While we fall short of the ideal, Christ fulfils it flawlessly.  He alone is qualified to enter the presence of his heavenly Father. The proof of this is seen in Christ’s resurrection and ascension.  As God “exalted him to the highest place”, he demonstrated Jesus’ absolute worthiness of glory.

But while Psalm 15 is not primarily about us, reading it through the lens of Christ’s fulfilment only accentuates the implications for us.  We’re not absolved of responsibility.  We are, instead, privileged with responsibility. God’s holiness always serves to prompt holiness in his people.  To be made in the image of God inherently means modelling ourselves off God, and being conformed more and more into his image, particularly the image of his Son.

As such, all the characteristics listed in Psalm 15 are vital.  But perhaps the one that rings most powerfully is verse 4: “(the one) who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind”.

Human beings are notoriously self-serving and fickle. For some, even the slightest hint of personal discomfort will cause them to abandon friends. And in a culture increasingly fuelled by a “pleasure-pain” ethic, vows made under the banner “til death do us part” are rapidly giving way to a “til my interest wanes” mindset.

Godliness refuses to permit such flagrant disregard and disdain for others. On the contrary, our Saviour’s commitment to us through the excruciation of the cross showcases the depth of virtue that permeates his kingdom.  His single-minded devotion to suffer all for our sake, expressed through unimaginable pain, is exactly what Psalm 15 upholds.  He perseveres in his commitment even when it hurts. And as benefactors of his grace, we do best when we emulate his committed love towards others.

Even when it hurts.