According to a national poll, the most trusted professions are nurses, medical doctors, grade-school teachers, pharmacists, military officers, police officers and day care providers. It would be interesting to know the characteristics that respondents considered when issuing high marks in “honesty and ethical standards.” While I don’t know the criteria of the poll, I do know a list of those standards can be found in Psalm 15.
The opening words of the psalm are, “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” And the closing words are, “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Access to the presence of God and being described as steadfastly dependable is the picture of trustworthiness to be sure! Could there be a more honest and ethical goal to strive after?
What then are “these things” that earn that description? According to the Psalm 15 they are noble character, restrained speech, uncompromising loyalty and honest business practices. Here is the breakdown.
Verse 2, “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.” These are the descriptors of someone with noble character. It is a person of integrity. It is one that does what is appropriate and true regardless of anyone else knowing or watching. It is a person whose speech is unstained by half-truths or “white lies.” This person’s truthful speech matches their righteous actions.
Verse 3, “Who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend.” Here the one that meets God’s honesty and ethical standards is characterized by what he does not do. He does not gossip or speak ill of others. Nor does he entertain or encourage idle talk from others. He’ll have none of it. Therefore, the godly person is not only one that speaks truth, but one that restrains his speech.
Verse 4, “In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change.” The trustworthy person is loyal to God above all others. He recognizes immoral people for what they are and does not align himself with them, even if it is to his apparent disadvantage. Conversely, he knows what other godly people look like and unashamedly associates with them. When it comes to discerning between the worldly and the godly, his allegiance cannot be called into question.
Verse 5, “Who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent.” The God-honoring businessman is, at all times and in every transaction, honest. He does not take advantage of someone in a vulnerable financial position and he does not alter contractual terms for illegitimate reasons. He refuses to allow a money-making opportunity to distort his love for God and his neighbor.
The result? “He who does these things shall never be moved.” Noble character, restrained speech, uncompromising loyalty and honest business practices are “these things.” To be clear, salvation cannot be reverse engineered. The exercise of “these things” are not a way to earn righteousness points on a heavenly scoreboard. They are the fruit of a person that has been saved by God. Although these things are impossible to produce apart from God, having them delineated by the psalmist is helpful. It is a reminder that they should be consistent with our way of living.
Today you will be faced with multiple opportunities to act with integrity, even in small things. You may be tempted to complain to a friend about another person. Others may be watching when you are given the choice to identify with a godly person that is foolish by the world’s standards. An unexpected deal might fall squarely in your lap that would earn you good money but requires you participate in “mild dishonesty.”
It is in small moments just like these that life is lived. It is in these moments, often disguised as “opportunities,” that decisions are made—decisions that reveal your trustworthiness. If your heart’s desire is to move toward being immovable, then pray that God would help you honor Him in each of these things. Ask Him to alert your conscience when you are tempted to act contrary to them.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. (Ps. 62:6)