Who May Ascend

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. 

Psalm 24:3-4 

How may we be acceptable to God? David is asking a pertinent question. The second portion of the text is the answer to it; however, it gives rise to more questions. Who actually has clean hands? Who has a pure heart? How do we who are born sinners by nature and by choice arrive at such a condition as our text describes? We cannot clean our own hands nor make our own hearts pure. These are things of which we are incapable. David understood that Christ is the answer. Later in the psalm he points out that righteousness comes from God. He goes farther to bring the discussion to Christ, the King of Glory in the last section of the passage. Therefore the answer to the question, ‘Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?’ rests upon our relationship to the One Who can give us clean hands and a pure heart. These are the results of His work, not the cause of His accepting us. Clean hands and a pure heart are the results of grace, and the work of God in us. David understood this. His life was marred by many things which would have militated against him describing himself as having clean hands and a pure heart apart from the grace of God in his life. Our acceptance with God rests upon grace. He makes us acceptable. He enables us to ascend into the hill of the LORD. 

Our Glorious, Saving God 
we rejoice that salvation is Your work. 
We praise You that from beginning to end, 
You are the author and finisher of it.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning