Scripture
Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Psalm 15:5 NIV
Scripture
How can you grow in integrity?
Psalm 15 - Devotional
Integrity
Psalm 15 begins with two questions, followed by statements answering these questions.
But if we read verses 2-5 in a prescriptive way—Here’s how you must be and what you must do to be saved and close to God—it becomes weighty and feels overwhelming. If we read it in a descriptive way—This is how someone in a personal relationship with God lives—then it becomes a helpful guide for making wise decisions.
Decisions that please God help us draw closer to him. Verse 1 asks how to dwell and live with God: Have a permanent, lifelong, eternal relationship. Verse 2 points to our walk (our trajectory, that we looked at in Psalm 1): How to choose the right thing in three basic areas: character, conduct, and conversation. Verses 3-5 display what it looks like when we choose to live a life of virtue continually obeying the Lord: Blameless godly character. Living with integrity. Completely loyal to God.
Righteous, wise conduct. Honest in our dealings with others and concerned about justice. Truthful, honest conversation. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Why these three? Because God exhibits these attributes and wants his followers to display them also. (See 1 John 1:6, Ezra 9:15;
1 Samuel 15:29).
Pause to consider your own life right now.
But if we read verses 2-5 in a prescriptive way—Here’s how you must be and what you must do to be saved and close to God—it becomes weighty and feels overwhelming. If we read it in a descriptive way—This is how someone in a personal relationship with God lives—then it becomes a helpful guide for making wise decisions.
Decisions that please God help us draw closer to him. Verse 1 asks how to dwell and live with God: Have a permanent, lifelong, eternal relationship. Verse 2 points to our walk (our trajectory, that we looked at in Psalm 1): How to choose the right thing in three basic areas: character, conduct, and conversation. Verses 3-5 display what it looks like when we choose to live a life of virtue continually obeying the Lord: Blameless godly character. Living with integrity. Completely loyal to God.
Righteous, wise conduct. Honest in our dealings with others and concerned about justice. Truthful, honest conversation. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Why these three? Because God exhibits these attributes and wants his followers to display them also. (See 1 John 1:6, Ezra 9:15;
1 Samuel 15:29).
Pause to consider your own life right now.
- Character: Are you choosing, using, or endorsing words or actions that are ungodly? Why?
- Conduct: Are you honoring your commitments? Why not? The person of integrity “keeps an oath even when it hurts.”
- Conversation: Are you honest? God desires truth in the deepest recesses of our being (Psalm 51:6). Love rejoices with the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6).
Ask God to help you grow wisely in character, conduct, and conversation.
Prayer