Psalm 24:3-6
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not appealed to what is false,
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who inquire of him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
The Psalmist asks a very good question. Who can go up to the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? Throughout the Scriptures people are blown away by the presence of God and some are even killed. It begs the question then–“Who can enter into it?”
He gives a clear answer. It’s the one who has a clean hands and a pure heart…welp, I’m out. The book of Romans reminds us in chapter 3 that there isn’t anyone who righteous–not one. So, no one can enter the mountain. No one can enter his holy place…except one.
Jesus.
That’s right. Jesus is the only one who has had clean hands and a pure heart. That is a good thing–especially for those who love and follow him. You see, Jesus enters in as the greater high priest (Hebrews) and he is our advocate and propitiation (1 John 2). This means when God sees us, he sees the righteousness of Christ.
Jesus didn’t only pay the penalty for our sins but gave us the right to be called sons and daughters of God. Therefore, we can go up to the mountain of the Lord and we can enter his holy place because it’s Jesus in you who makes you clean and pure.
Pray a prayer of humility.
Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2020), Ps 24:3–6.
