Psalm 15 captures what it means to be righteous. The psalm is attributed to David, who stands out in the Old Testament as “a man after God’s own heart.” Of course if you’re familiar with David’s story, you know he doesn’t always live up to the standard of righteousness outlined in his psalm. There are accounts of David using deception and dishonesty to get what he wants; accounts of David abusing his power and taking advantage of those more vulnerable than himself. It may be hard to take Psalm 15 seriously, knowing the ways its author failed to live up to his own standard.
The truth is, none of God’s people is able to live up to God’s standard of righteousness. In Romans 3:23 the Apostle Paul says, “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All of us who seek to live as followers of Jesus are to some extent hypocrites. Faced with this knowledge, we have two choices. We can acknowledge the gaps between the way we live and the way we know we should; or we can do our best to hide them. We can spin the truth to make ourselves seem, to ourselves and the world, more righteous than we are.
It’s remarkable that the predominant ethic of the righteous person described in Psalm 15 is honest speech. The righteous “speak the truth from their hearts; they cast no slurs; they refuse to slander.” What sets the righteous apart is integrity – that is, consistency between inner character and outward conduct. The actions and words of the righteous person do not serve the purpose of masking insecurity or compensating for inadequacy. They are expressions of the deep-rooted peace, generosity, and compassion that arise from a heart that is in tune with the heart of God. A person who has adopted the practice of honesty is far better positioned to become righteous than someone who hides his sins from himself and the world. And a person who is righteous – that is, connected to God and committed to God’s will – has no need for spin. That person has nothing to hide – from herself; from the world; from God.
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