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These prophetic words are stirring and encouraging:
"I indwell you by the Holy Spirit, therefore you are given enlightenment into what is good and true and beautiful in standards of conduct that are pleasing to Me. These standards mark you out from among others as My people. I am your Sovereign Lord. Let your conduct serve to show that I live in you. This will cause confrontation in a world of increasing degraded standards - Yes, you will suffer with Me - but soon you will reign with Me."
As I weighed carefully this timely word in the context of the state of the world and happenings among the Lord's people, it became apparent to me that church leaders, and all His people, need to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our thinking as to kingdom ethics. We need to co-operate with the Lord in living out His high standards of conduct before a needy world, no matter what it may personally cost us.
A twofold question is asked in
Psalm 15:1 "LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? " (KJV)
That there is a difference between "tabernacle" and "holy hill" is indeed very clear. The King did tabernacle among us, that is, He pitched His tent among us (John 1:14 ). He conducted Himself among us as one who "knew no sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21 ), living out among mankind the standards of God the Father, giving us a perfect example of excellence. Yet He was despised and rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3-6 ). But He,
He now rules from His "holy hill", His eternal dwelling place.
The twofold question asks, "Who is the kind of person, Lord, that could know a lifestyle of intimate closeness with You, the King, now and in eternity?" The answer given by the King lays down high standards of integrity - showing that even Old Testament characters had higher revelation than most of them practiced. In this time of slipping standards we are more inexcusable, having before us the pattern life of Jesus our Lord, and the victory that is ours through His shed blood that loosed us from our sins (Revelation 1:5 ). Further, we have the abiding helper, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16 ) so that we can do more than talking the talk - we can walk the talk, glorifying the King, by living kingdom ethics before men and enjoy closer communion with King Jesus here and now and in eternity.
The question has to do with my closeness, and experiencing the fullness of my salvation, not with my being saved (Ephesians 2:8 ). Pressing in to closeness of intimacy with the King will require the practicing of His kingdom ethics.
Psalm 15 presents an incredible survey of the expected conduct of one who craves uninterrupted communion, and union with the King. I will outline these requirements in the form of a prayer list, so that together we may work with the Lord so as to grow and develop in Christlike conduct:
Uprightly, (blameless NIV). This means living according to His will, fulfilling all the obligations that His will entails. That means accepting His will without complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:14 ). That would be expressing discontent with God's will, which would be blameworthy because it would be unbelief. The secret of the blameless life is found in
Co-operating by active faith with God's working, results in the blameless walk.
This standard requires not saying one thing but meaning another - a kingdom of God person speaks what is in the heart, truly meaning what is said. Wrong speech includes taking the Lord's name in vain (Exodus 20:7 ). How necessary it is to be kept from taking on the Lord's name to give credence to some doubtful thing being said, or to justify some wrong decision.
The Lord condemns:
TALEBEARING (Leviticus 19:16. Proverbs 11:13 ). FALSE WITNESSING (Exodus 20:16 and 23:7 ) WHISPERINGS (Romans 1:29 - NIV "gossips" ). SLANDERINGS (1 Timothy 3:11 ).
There is a growing trend among unethical leaders to slander those who do not fully agree with them, and even FALSELY ACCUSE (Exodus 23:7. Proverbs 6:16,19 ).
The ethic of true speech will keep from:
VAIN TALKING (Titus :10 ). DEFAMING (Jeremiah 20:10 ). TATTLING (1 Timothy 5:13 ). LYING (Proverbs 6:16-17; Revelation 21:8 and 22:15 ). DECEIVING (Revelation 12:9; Proverbs 24:28; 1 Peter 2:1 NIV ). BACKBITING (Psalm 15:3; Romans 1:30 ).
Kingdom people must be dependable and true to their given word.
These are two things that being a good neighbour will not permit. The Lord takes it further in Mark 12:31 telling us to love our neighbour as we love ourselves. The test of our love for the brethren has to do with what we say or hear about them.
We need to value the friendships of those who are devoted to the Lord - so much of what we are is because of the kind of people and fellow leaders who influence us.
God will always honour us when we honour Him (1 Samuel 2:30 ). He will do the adding anyway (Matthew 6:33 ).
God would have us never to take advantage of our not so privileged brother, OR or profit at the expense of the poor (Exodus 22:25-27; Luke 6:34-36 ). The ethic of mercy is hard to find among the ungodly - and is disappearing in self-centred ministries.
There are those who would be afraid to do that in a court case - but who fail to stand by those wrongly accused in the body of Christ, because they are bribed by a position or pension they might lose - and for the same reason will not to speak out against error and wrongdoing.
Remember:
Fellowship with the father and Son implies walking in the light (1 John 1:5-7 ). Intimacy with the King implies obedience to His word.
It is interesting that the prophetic word above, states that living out these ethics "will cause confrontation"; the reason being "increasing degraded standards". This is no time to be compromising. Yes, it may well cost us to be true in life and principle, but the suffering will give place to reigning with the Lord. He is coming soon.
