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\u201cLord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart\u201d (Psalm 15:1).

This psalm begins with difficult questions. Does it make you squirm? If it doesn't, look at the rest of this psalm. If you are not squirming yet, you better read it again, a little slower. How can any of us live up to what is required in this Psalm? How can we live with God when the standards are so high?

Moses could not see the face of God and live (Exodus 33:20). Priests got burned if they did not respect God's instruction (Leviticus 10:1-2). A man died because David did not have the ark carried properly (2 Samuel 6:7). Even angels cover their faces not daring to look at God (Isaiah 6:2).

The questions leading this psalm are rhetorical. Their answer is meant to be obvious: no one can. God is dangerous. Not one of us can dwell in His sanctuary. Nobody may live on His holy hill.

This Psalm causes many Christians to do a spiritual audit. We may even get so far as to do some extra repenting and resolve to live better lives. So, I could encourage you to do this so that maybe you could spend a moment in God's presence without getting burned.

But that would be useless. As Paul reminds us, \u201cThere is no one righteous, not even one\u201d (Romans 3:10). Yet, later, he adds, \u201cThere is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus\u201d (3:22-24).

The practice of conducting a spiritual audit has a long history in the Christian church. But its goal is not that we try harder to be righteous. Its goal is that we turn our eyes on Jesus, God's suffering servant. He is the one who lived up to all the expectations of Psalm 15. He is the true Israelite, the truly righteous one, the ideal godly human.

He came from God's sanctuary and has returned there (John 16:28). And all who trust Him He will take with Him (John 14:1,14). Amazingly, Hebrews tells us that we may enter God's sanctuary boldly (10:19-22). If we are in Christ, God is no longer dangerous.

We should not pass over this too quickly. This is the amazing story of the gospel. This needs to permeate our souls, the amazing grace and beauty of our Saviour's suffering. What was impossible is now possible. Hallelujah!

Is that all we should say about this Psalm? I think there is more. Those who walk with Jesus develop a passion for holiness, a hunger for righteousness. They long to be people living up to Psalm 15. They walk in step with the Spirit who is 'transforming us into Jesus' likeness with ever increasing glory" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Finally, the promise at the end of the Psalm still stands. Those who live with the integrity described in this psalm will not be shaken. Life may be difficult; but we know the path, we know the way, we know how to live, and we know where we are going.

We know that God is with us. All is well.

And we join Jude who ends his letter with this doxology:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy\u2014 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen (Jude 24,25).