The Fruit of Real Faith

The following verses do not negate the all-embracing call of the gospel that anyone “whoever believes” ( Gen 15:6 , John 3:16 , Rom 10:9 ) is saved unto eternal life. But there is so much more than that! The LORD desires to be in close fellowship, communion with us! This is why we were made!

PSALMS OF DAVID

PSALM 24:3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.

Ascending is going up! We can go up spiritually! “Hill of the Lord” and “holy place” denote that we are entering into His Divine Presence! Have you ever felt this Divine Presence? Have you ever sat quietly before the LORD, speechless in His Divine Presence? Have you ever been in a church when the Divine Presence came in? There are few churches that enter in, possibly because they are restricted by time. They miss out! Yet I have had this privilege many times.

Praise and worship is a key to having communion with the Divine Presence. King David, a lyricist and musician, praised the LORD through His many psalms. He was aware of the Divine Presence!

PSALM 15

This same concept of having “clean hands and a pure heart” before gaining His Presence is also expressed in another of David’s psalms.

A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

“TEN COMMANDMENTS”

These are “ten commandments” to keep abiding in the “holy hill” and have a closer, deeper fellowship with our Almighty God. Most of these commandments are concerned with loving our neighbor! If one does not show agapé love to our neighbors, then he is out of fellowship with God, or worse yet, he is an unbeliever.

1JOHN 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

1. PSA 15:2a He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,

“Walking uprightly” is comparable to having a “pure heart”. It is by the Spirit of Christ indwelling us that we are given pure hearts and made righteous! Actually, the LORD is Our Righteousness!

JER 23:6b … Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

As we grow in our Christian faith, this righteousness through the Spirit of God should manifest more in how we live our lives.

2. PSA 15:2b And speaks the truth in his heart;

EPH 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

COL 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

3. PSA 15:3a He who does not backbite with his tongue,

Backbiting is basically slander, speaking with malice against a person. This violates the Biblical ideals of love, truth, and unity.

JAMES 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

GAL 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

4. PSA 15:3b Nor does evil to his neighbor,

ROM 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

5. PSA 15:3c Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

The Hebrew word “reproach” actually means “the stripping of the trees of autumn fruit” so, this would mean in context “the stripping of honor and reputation from someone”. (from Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers)

“The good man does not, even when it is true, spread an ill report concerning his neighbour. He prefers to keep silence, and let the report die out.” – Pulpit Commentary

6. PSA 15:4a In whose eyes a vile person is despised,

This version leaves out the “person”:

(Berean Standard Bible) who despises the vile …

This expresses better that we should detest the sinful act, not the person. Yet we should not hang out with wicked people either!

1COR 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

“Despise” is to reject and distance ourselves from all evil influences. The righteous person is called to set a Godly example, not aligning oneself with wickedness.

PRO 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

AMOS 5:15b Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate …

ROM 12:9b … Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

This principle is seen over and over in Scriptures. “Love the sinner but hate the sin”, an expression that has evolved in Christendom, is consistent with Biblical thought. As believers, we should also pray for those who practice wickedness that their souls be saved. Have you ever prayed for salvation for someone who is evil?

7. PSA 15:4b But he honors those who fear the Lord;

One should honor the righteous. “Fearing the LORD”, in the Hebrew culture, is synonymous with hearing and obeying His commandments and statutes. This idea, to “fear the LORD”, is also repeated throughout Scripture.

8. PSA 15:4c He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

The Christian Standard Bible explains this better:

“who keeps his word whatever the cost”

In the Hebrew culture, breaking an oath was seen as a serious offense. Also, a Christian should not break his word. So we should avoid any rash or impractical vows. “I will always be there for you” sounds nice, but we may not always be there. We could die, or have an illness, and that child or person is wondering why we weren’t there. Adding an “I hope” or “if possible” solves this problem.

9. PSA 15:5a He who does not put out his money at usury,

When I was wondering if Christianity was true, I read in C.S. Lewis’s book that usury was against Biblical principles. I found that very interesting – that God would care about this, but now I know that God is love and cares for His people.

“In ancient Israel, lending money without interest was a principle rooted in the Mosaic Law, specifically in Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:35-37. These laws were designed to protect the poor and prevent exploitation. Charging interest to fellow Israelites was prohibited, emphasizing community support and compassion. This principle reflects God’s character of mercy and justice, encouraging believers to act selflessly and prioritize the well-being of others over personal gain. The practice of lending without interest is a call to trust in God’s provision rather than relying on financial gain.” – Study Bible

I wish this was the case today, for the interest rates are much too high, some up to over 30%. It is usury … and highway robbery!

10. PSA 15:5b Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

In the Book of Isaiah, there is a list of “woes”, in this case, impending judgment to the unrighteous. One “woe” is directed at those who take bribes!

ISA 5:23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,
And take away justice from the righteous man!

This thought is repeated through other Scriptures:

EXO 23:8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

AMOS 5:12 For I know your manifold transgressions And your mighty sins: Afflicting the just and taking bribes; Diverting the poor from justice at the gate.

Corrupt practices such as bribes may harm the innocent and poor. Taking a bribe, either as a judge or a witness, may bring charges against an innocent person. Justice can be perverted through a bribe.

MIC 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.

NEVER BE MOVED

The final verse is a promise to “never be moved” if we keep to these “ten commandments” of Psalm 15. We won’t be moved or shaken because our lives are fixed on the LORD’s ideals. Psalm 16:8 and Psalm 62:6 both say that true believers “will not be shaken”.

In God’s moral laws, we will “never be moved” and we gain stability and strength. Yet, if we are weak in a particular area, the Spirit of God helps us in our weaknesses. Rely upon the Holy Spirit indwelling you!

CONCLUSION

This is the real fruit of genuine faith: that we would love God and therefore love our neighbor.

1JOHN 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

God is love. We must also show forth this fruit of the Spirit.

GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Psalm 15 outlines sins against our neighbors. However, this is the only the beginning. Demonstrating agapé love could be providing forgiveness; helping people in times of crisis; praying and interceding for them; caring for people in the hospital; and providing needed shelter, clothing or food.

JAMES 2:15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

If we truly love the LORD, we should love our brethren as they are created in the image of God.

GAL 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”