LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
The question asks who may live and remain in God's presence and dwell with Him in His dwelling place as a citizen of Zion. It is answered by the rest of the psalm, which sets out the faithful character God accepts and the plain duty required of all who desire His promised blessings. That character is to walk uprightly, work righteousness, and speak truth sincerely from the heart, with clean hands and a pure heart. Above all it forbids backbiting with the tongue, doing evil to a neighbor, and taking up a reproach against him, whether by originating it, repeating it, or listening to it without reproof. Jesus answered the question by His own perfect life of uprightness, righteousness, and truth, and he who does these things shall never be moved but stand steadfast on the eternal Rock.
Meaning of the Question
The question is who may live and remain in God's presence, receiving His approval and dwelling with Him in His tabernacle and on His holy hill, in His dwelling place and holy place and heavenly courts as a citizen of Zion. It asks who may abide there and who may dwell there, who may remain there and live with God there. The answer is given by the verses that follow, which set forth the upright life, righteous action, inward and sincere truth, care that refuses to slander or harm a neighbor or take up a reproach, reverence that rejects the vile and honors those who fear the Lord, and faithful dealing that keeps a costly promise without change and refuses usury, exploitation, and bribes against the innocent, with the promise that such a person shall never be moved and shall remain steadfast. Even to repeat a reproach one did not originate brings condemnation under that answer, so dwelling with God is bound to integrity including truthful and careful speech.
The rest of the psalm therefore describes the faithful character God accepts and defines who will do so, presenting the plain course and duty required of all who desire His promised blessings. That fitness is to dwell in the mansions Christ has gone to prepare, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise. It belongs to the pure in heart who will see God, with clean hands, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully, receiving blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation, and it presents the character change needed before God can acknowledge people as His children and apply right conduct and order in the church. One who backbites or takes up a reproach against a neighbor is excluded from dwelling there and cannot receive God's approval, and carrying evil reports from church to church and from conference to conference to weaken churches, institutions, and conferences is hated by God, who will call every man engaged in it to account. These traits cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved.
Upright Heart and Life
The one who may abide with God and dwell on His holy hill is the one who walks uprightly, works righteousness, and speaks the truth in the heart, living uprightly, doing what is right, and speaking truth inwardly and sincerely. That upright, righteous, truthful character is the only character that shall never be moved, and it is shown in harmony, cheerfulness and wholeheartedness in work together with refusal to listen to or receive complaint, peevishness, murmuring and accusing. It lays aside criticism, flaw-picking, accusation, condemnation, and talk of the deficiencies and mistakes of brethren preaching the Word that uproots confidence in them, and instead humbles the heart to be a doer of Christ's words and to walk in His footsteps. Righteousness and unrighteousness are revealed by speech, and fitness for God's presence is described as this righteous life that does no evil to a neighbor and keeps its oath even to personal hurt without changing.
Dwelling in His tabernacle on His holy hill is dwelling in His presence, in His dwelling place and holy place, and belongs only to the pure and lowly, to the pure in heart who shall see God. It requires clean hands and a pure heart, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully, and those who so walk receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation. Lustful passion and inward corruption disqualify from His presence even among those who profess Sabbath truth while corrupt at heart, and God will prove and expose such folly and sin. The verse thus gives plain instruction on the duty required of all who desire the promised blessings, fitting the upright in walk, righteous in work, truthful in heart, clean in hands and pure in heart to dwell with Him and to inherit what Christ promised to the meek who shall inherit the earth, to those hungering for righteousness who shall be filled, to the merciful who shall obtain mercy, and to the pure in heart who shall see God.
The answer calls not for mere profession of belief but for practical Christlikeness, kindness, generosity, and help for the needy, for truth must refine and sanctify the life or religion loses its power. This is the character all must possess to dwell in the mansions prepared, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world. That fitness comes through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise, whose all-powerful influence makes men of faith like God. These traits cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved. Keeping Christ before the mind as the example of perfection is the way to meet that standard, refusing to dwell on the supposed imperfections of others, since dwelling on the faults of others makes a person sinful in word and deed and fills the soul with evil.
Speech and Neighbor Conduct
The one who may abide in God's tabernacle and dwell on His holy hill does not backbite with the tongue, does no evil to a neighbor, and does not take up a reproach against a neighbor. To walk uprightly, work righteousness, and speak truth in the heart is to live uprightly, do what is right, speak truth inwardly, and refuse to slander, harm, or spread reproach. The question of who may remain in God's presence, live with Him in His tabernacle and on His holy hill of Zion, receive His approval, and dwell with Him is answered by upright conduct and truthful, loving treatment of others. One who backbites or takes up a reproach is excluded from God's presence and from abiding in His tabernacle and dwelling in His holy hill, and cannot receive His approval. Whispering about brethren and commenting on and magnifying and exaggerating their supposed errors likewise exclude, incur God's displeasure, and show Satan's work rather than Christ's.
Taking up a reproach includes even repeating a reproach one did not originate. It includes listening to a reproach without reproving the speaker, and listening to a reproach against a brother is itself taking up that reproach. It includes carrying the evil report from one to another. It includes hearing and accepting charges against God's servants as true without bringing the charge to the accused, acting as though they were true and thereby creating dissatisfaction, which is treachery and shows little knowledge of Christ and a mind fed on scandal. Not only the bearer of false witness is condemned but also the listener to the report, so both bearer and listener are condemned. Charges borne against God's servants are borne against Christ in the person of His saints.
Violations of this test include whispering about brethren and whispering a brother's supposed errors among themselves, commenting on them and magnifying faults, tearing down, discouraging and destroying. They include commenting on and magnifying and exaggerating supposed errors, dwelling on supposed imperfections and faults of others, and gossip and focusing on others' faults. They include criticizing and finding fault with sneer and contempt, standing off and firing shots at a fellow worker's work on the strength of others' reports and making things out to be as bad as possible, faultfinding, false reports, jealousy, and harmful speech marking defects in Christian character that must be overcome. They include passing judgment on another's motives, making public what was spoken in confidence, leading others to betray confidence, delighting in fault-finding, gossip, and cruel criticism. Dwelling on the faults of others makes a person sinful in word and deed and fills the soul with evil, while gossip and focusing on faults can leave a person neglecting the soul while sinful habits take root.
Honoring God and Keeping Word
The one who may abide rejects and despises what is vile and honors those who fear the Lord. He does not fear to call sin by its right name, and his conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole. This honoring of God is joined to upright living, righteous doing, and inward truthfulness of heart.
He swears to his own hurt and changes not. He keeps his word and promise even when it brings personal loss and cost, without turning back. Such costly faithfulness belongs to the character that shall never be moved.
He does not put out his money to usury and does not take reward or bribe against the innocent. He lends without charging unjust interest, deals justly with money, and refuses bribes. This just and generous use of means, rather than exploiting others, marks the life that may remain steadfast in God's presence.
Christ the Perfect Example
Jesus Himself is the living answer to who may abide in the tabernacle and dwell on the holy hill, for His perfect life and character fulfilled the requirement to walk uprightly and work righteousness and speak truth in the heart. From childhood and youth His course was one of strict obedience and integrity, continually increasing in wisdom and in favor with God and man. That perfect obedience qualified Him as Teacher to call others to keep His commandments and abide in His love, even as He had kept His Father's commandments and abode in His love.
His uprightness appeared in peace and serenity and in refusing to enter any plans bearing commonness or guilt. He was always kind and courteous, ever taking the part of the oppressed whether Jew or Gentile, so that He was beloved by all. He set such an example that little children could see in it nothing to justify any evil deed. To abide in the tabernacle is therefore to abide in the Father's love by keeping His commandments, as Christ kept His Father's commandments and abode in His love.
When His companions criticized Him for being too particular in His daily work, and when a quarrel arose, He answered not by arguing or justifying Himself but by singing this psalm. The spirit of the song touched the hearts of those with Him and led them to join Him in singing. In that singing they forgot differences of opinion and angry words. Following the same course hides a person in Christ and makes him a partaker of the divine nature.
Promise to the Steadfast
He who does these righteous things shall never be moved, remaining steadfast and unshaken in God's presence. To abide in His tabernacle and dwell in His holy hill is to live uprightly, work righteousness, speak truth inwardly and sincerely, refuse to slander or harm a neighbor or take up a reproach, honor those who fear the Lord, keep a costly promise without changing, and refuse usury and bribes against the innocent. This is the character all must possess to dwell in the mansions prepared for them, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom. These traits of character cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved.
Such steadfastness is the world's greatest need: men who will not be bought or sold, who are true and honest in their inmost souls, who do not fear to call sin by its right name, whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, and who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. Only this character is fit to dwell with God in His dwelling place and holy place. It belongs to the pure in heart who will see God, with clean hands, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully.
Those who so walk uprightly, work righteously, and speak truth in the heart receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation. The verse gives plain instruction on the duty required of all who desire the blessings promised to the meek who shall inherit the earth, to those hungering for righteousness who shall be filled, to the merciful who shall obtain mercy, and to the pure in heart who shall see God. Mercy cultivated will be reflected back, and uprightness, righteousness, inward truthfulness, clean hands and pure heart fit a person to receive blessing and righteousness from God and to dwell with Him. It presents the character change needed before God can acknowledge people as His children, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise, whose all-powerful influence makes men of faith like God.
Applying the Psalm Today
When a brother is thought to be in the wrong, the psalm lays out the plain course of going to tell him his fault between him and thee alone, then taking one or two more if he will not hear, then telling it to the church, and if bringing a gift to the altar and remembering that a brother has aught against thee, leaving the gift and first being reconciled to the brother. Toward an erring brother the duty is to think well of him until compelled to think otherwise, not to hastily credit evil reports, but to go to him kindly and pray with and for him. Instead of judging on the strength of reports brought by someone else, one must go to see the work for oneself in order to make a true report, and talk with a brother as brother should, with counselling and prayer.
Carrying evil reports from church to church and from conference to conference, thereby weakening churches, institutions, and conferences, stands condemned by the test of who may abide and dwell with God. God hates all such work and will call every man engaged in it to account. A church that does not rebuke members who by evil speaking create dissension and strife is itself guilty before God.
Dwelling with God requires laying aside criticism, flaw-picking, accusation, condemnation, complaint, peevishness, murmuring, worry, disaffection, suspicion, envy, jealousy, and evil-surmising about brethren, including talk of the deficiencies and mistakes of brethren preaching the Word that uproots confidence in them. The door of the heart and the soul must be firmly closed and barricaded so the tongue never voices such words even when they are spoken by father, mother, brother, sister, friend, or enemy, refusing to listen to or receive complaint, peevishness, murmuring, and accusing. There must be no sowing of distrust, jealousy, or enmity, but obedience to God's Word. Instead one must humble the heart, be a doer of Christ's words, walk in His footsteps, and keep Christ as the example of perfection before the mind. Temptation in this is overcome by taking hold of Christ by faith for strength to resist the devil and draw nigh to God, working in harmony with cheerfulness and wholeheartedness.
The character described means stopping all surmising of evil against brethren and refusing to criticize, accuse, and destroy the reputation of fellow workers. It means pressing together and loving one another as Christ loves, loving God supremely and the neighbor as self. Keeping Christ's new commandment to love one another as He loved is a step heavenward for the believer and the one thing that gives God's people supremacy. By it His people are made one with the Father and the Son so the world may believe, with Christ's joy remaining in them and their joy full, thus fulfilling Christ's longing and prayer that His people be made perfect in one.
The question asks who may live and remain in God's presence and dwell with Him in His dwelling place as a citizen of Zion. It is answered by the rest of the psalm, which sets out the faithful character God accepts and the plain duty required of all who desire His promised blessings. That character is to walk uprightly, work righteousness, and speak truth sincerely from the heart, with clean hands and a pure heart. Above all it forbids backbiting with the tongue, doing evil to a neighbor, and taking up a reproach against him, whether by originating it, repeating it, or listening to it without reproof. Jesus answered the question by His own perfect life of uprightness, righteousness, and truth, and he who does these things shall never be moved but stand steadfast on the eternal Rock.
Meaning of the Question
The question is who may live and remain in God's presence, receiving His approval and dwelling with Him in His tabernacle and on His holy hill, in His dwelling place and holy place and heavenly courts as a citizen of Zion. It asks who may abide there and who may dwell there, who may remain there and live with God there. The answer is given by the verses that follow, which set forth the upright life, righteous action, inward and sincere truth, care that refuses to slander or harm a neighbor or take up a reproach, reverence that rejects the vile and honors those who fear the Lord, and faithful dealing that keeps a costly promise without change and refuses usury, exploitation, and bribes against the innocent, with the promise that such a person shall never be moved and shall remain steadfast. Even to repeat a reproach one did not originate brings condemnation under that answer, so dwelling with God is bound to integrity including truthful and careful speech.
The rest of the psalm therefore describes the faithful character God accepts and defines who will do so, presenting the plain course and duty required of all who desire His promised blessings. That fitness is to dwell in the mansions Christ has gone to prepare, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise. It belongs to the pure in heart who will see God, with clean hands, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully, receiving blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation, and it presents the character change needed before God can acknowledge people as His children and apply right conduct and order in the church. One who backbites or takes up a reproach against a neighbor is excluded from dwelling there and cannot receive God's approval, and carrying evil reports from church to church and from conference to conference to weaken churches, institutions, and conferences is hated by God, who will call every man engaged in it to account. These traits cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved.
Upright Heart and Life
The one who may abide with God and dwell on His holy hill is the one who walks uprightly, works righteousness, and speaks the truth in the heart, living uprightly, doing what is right, and speaking truth inwardly and sincerely. That upright, righteous, truthful character is the only character that shall never be moved, and it is shown in harmony, cheerfulness and wholeheartedness in work together with refusal to listen to or receive complaint, peevishness, murmuring and accusing. It lays aside criticism, flaw-picking, accusation, condemnation, and talk of the deficiencies and mistakes of brethren preaching the Word that uproots confidence in them, and instead humbles the heart to be a doer of Christ's words and to walk in His footsteps. Righteousness and unrighteousness are revealed by speech, and fitness for God's presence is described as this righteous life that does no evil to a neighbor and keeps its oath even to personal hurt without changing.
Dwelling in His tabernacle on His holy hill is dwelling in His presence, in His dwelling place and holy place, and belongs only to the pure and lowly, to the pure in heart who shall see God. It requires clean hands and a pure heart, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully, and those who so walk receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation. Lustful passion and inward corruption disqualify from His presence even among those who profess Sabbath truth while corrupt at heart, and God will prove and expose such folly and sin. The verse thus gives plain instruction on the duty required of all who desire the promised blessings, fitting the upright in walk, righteous in work, truthful in heart, clean in hands and pure in heart to dwell with Him and to inherit what Christ promised to the meek who shall inherit the earth, to those hungering for righteousness who shall be filled, to the merciful who shall obtain mercy, and to the pure in heart who shall see God.
The answer calls not for mere profession of belief but for practical Christlikeness, kindness, generosity, and help for the needy, for truth must refine and sanctify the life or religion loses its power. This is the character all must possess to dwell in the mansions prepared, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world. That fitness comes through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise, whose all-powerful influence makes men of faith like God. These traits cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved. Keeping Christ before the mind as the example of perfection is the way to meet that standard, refusing to dwell on the supposed imperfections of others, since dwelling on the faults of others makes a person sinful in word and deed and fills the soul with evil.
Speech and Neighbor Conduct
The one who may abide in God's tabernacle and dwell on His holy hill does not backbite with the tongue, does no evil to a neighbor, and does not take up a reproach against a neighbor. To walk uprightly, work righteousness, and speak truth in the heart is to live uprightly, do what is right, speak truth inwardly, and refuse to slander, harm, or spread reproach. The question of who may remain in God's presence, live with Him in His tabernacle and on His holy hill of Zion, receive His approval, and dwell with Him is answered by upright conduct and truthful, loving treatment of others. One who backbites or takes up a reproach is excluded from God's presence and from abiding in His tabernacle and dwelling in His holy hill, and cannot receive His approval. Whispering about brethren and commenting on and magnifying and exaggerating their supposed errors likewise exclude, incur God's displeasure, and show Satan's work rather than Christ's.
Taking up a reproach includes even repeating a reproach one did not originate. It includes listening to a reproach without reproving the speaker, and listening to a reproach against a brother is itself taking up that reproach. It includes carrying the evil report from one to another. It includes hearing and accepting charges against God's servants as true without bringing the charge to the accused, acting as though they were true and thereby creating dissatisfaction, which is treachery and shows little knowledge of Christ and a mind fed on scandal. Not only the bearer of false witness is condemned but also the listener to the report, so both bearer and listener are condemned. Charges borne against God's servants are borne against Christ in the person of His saints.
Violations of this test include whispering about brethren and whispering a brother's supposed errors among themselves, commenting on them and magnifying faults, tearing down, discouraging and destroying. They include commenting on and magnifying and exaggerating supposed errors, dwelling on supposed imperfections and faults of others, and gossip and focusing on others' faults. They include criticizing and finding fault with sneer and contempt, standing off and firing shots at a fellow worker's work on the strength of others' reports and making things out to be as bad as possible, faultfinding, false reports, jealousy, and harmful speech marking defects in Christian character that must be overcome. They include passing judgment on another's motives, making public what was spoken in confidence, leading others to betray confidence, delighting in fault-finding, gossip, and cruel criticism. Dwelling on the faults of others makes a person sinful in word and deed and fills the soul with evil, while gossip and focusing on faults can leave a person neglecting the soul while sinful habits take root.
Honoring God and Keeping Word
The one who may abide rejects and despises what is vile and honors those who fear the Lord. He does not fear to call sin by its right name, and his conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole. This honoring of God is joined to upright living, righteous doing, and inward truthfulness of heart.
He swears to his own hurt and changes not. He keeps his word and promise even when it brings personal loss and cost, without turning back. Such costly faithfulness belongs to the character that shall never be moved.
He does not put out his money to usury and does not take reward or bribe against the innocent. He lends without charging unjust interest, deals justly with money, and refuses bribes. This just and generous use of means, rather than exploiting others, marks the life that may remain steadfast in God's presence.
Christ the Perfect Example
Jesus Himself is the living answer to who may abide in the tabernacle and dwell on the holy hill, for His perfect life and character fulfilled the requirement to walk uprightly and work righteousness and speak truth in the heart. From childhood and youth His course was one of strict obedience and integrity, continually increasing in wisdom and in favor with God and man. That perfect obedience qualified Him as Teacher to call others to keep His commandments and abide in His love, even as He had kept His Father's commandments and abode in His love.
His uprightness appeared in peace and serenity and in refusing to enter any plans bearing commonness or guilt. He was always kind and courteous, ever taking the part of the oppressed whether Jew or Gentile, so that He was beloved by all. He set such an example that little children could see in it nothing to justify any evil deed. To abide in the tabernacle is therefore to abide in the Father's love by keeping His commandments, as Christ kept His Father's commandments and abode in His love.
When His companions criticized Him for being too particular in His daily work, and when a quarrel arose, He answered not by arguing or justifying Himself but by singing this psalm. The spirit of the song touched the hearts of those with Him and led them to join Him in singing. In that singing they forgot differences of opinion and angry words. Following the same course hides a person in Christ and makes him a partaker of the divine nature.
Promise to the Steadfast
He who does these righteous things shall never be moved, remaining steadfast and unshaken in God's presence. To abide in His tabernacle and dwell in His holy hill is to live uprightly, work righteousness, speak truth inwardly and sincerely, refuse to slander or harm a neighbor or take up a reproach, honor those who fear the Lord, keep a costly promise without changing, and refuse usury and bribes against the innocent. This is the character all must possess to dwell in the mansions prepared for them, formed daily in the divine image with skill and ability for sure service in God's kingdom. These traits of character cannot be bought or sold, but pure and uncorrupted principles cherished ensure faithfulness and keep the holder riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, so he shall never be moved.
Such steadfastness is the world's greatest need: men who will not be bought or sold, who are true and honest in their inmost souls, who do not fear to call sin by its right name, whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, and who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. Only this character is fit to dwell with God in His dwelling place and holy place. It belongs to the pure in heart who will see God, with clean hands, without lifting the soul to vanity or swearing deceitfully.
Those who so walk uprightly, work righteously, and speak truth in the heart receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of salvation. The verse gives plain instruction on the duty required of all who desire the blessings promised to the meek who shall inherit the earth, to those hungering for righteousness who shall be filled, to the merciful who shall obtain mercy, and to the pure in heart who shall see God. Mercy cultivated will be reflected back, and uprightness, righteousness, inward truthfulness, clean hands and pure heart fit a person to receive blessing and righteousness from God and to dwell with Him. It presents the character change needed before God can acknowledge people as His children, possessing the character of Christ and representing that character in the world through practical spiritual work in diligently obeying God's commandments and taking hold of God's promises through faith in Jesus Christ who stands behind the promise, whose all-powerful influence makes men of faith like God.
Applying the Psalm Today
When a brother is thought to be in the wrong, the psalm lays out the plain course of going to tell him his fault between him and thee alone, then taking one or two more if he will not hear, then telling it to the church, and if bringing a gift to the altar and remembering that a brother has aught against thee, leaving the gift and first being reconciled to the brother. Toward an erring brother the duty is to think well of him until compelled to think otherwise, not to hastily credit evil reports, but to go to him kindly and pray with and for him. Instead of judging on the strength of reports brought by someone else, one must go to see the work for oneself in order to make a true report, and talk with a brother as brother should, with counselling and prayer.
Carrying evil reports from church to church and from conference to conference, thereby weakening churches, institutions, and conferences, stands condemned by the test of who may abide and dwell with God. God hates all such work and will call every man engaged in it to account. A church that does not rebuke members who by evil speaking create dissension and strife is itself guilty before God.
Dwelling with God requires laying aside criticism, flaw-picking, accusation, condemnation, complaint, peevishness, murmuring, worry, disaffection, suspicion, envy, jealousy, and evil-surmising about brethren, including talk of the deficiencies and mistakes of brethren preaching the Word that uproots confidence in them. The door of the heart and the soul must be firmly closed and barricaded so the tongue never voices such words even when they are spoken by father, mother, brother, sister, friend, or enemy, refusing to listen to or receive complaint, peevishness, murmuring, and accusing. There must be no sowing of distrust, jealousy, or enmity, but obedience to God's Word. Instead one must humble the heart, be a doer of Christ's words, walk in His footsteps, and keep Christ as the example of perfection before the mind. Temptation in this is overcome by taking hold of Christ by faith for strength to resist the devil and draw nigh to God, working in harmony with cheerfulness and wholeheartedness.
The character described means stopping all surmising of evil against brethren and refusing to criticize, accuse, and destroy the reputation of fellow workers. It means pressing together and loving one another as Christ loves, loving God supremely and the neighbor as self. Keeping Christ's new commandment to love one another as He loved is a step heavenward for the believer and the one thing that gives God's people supremacy. By it His people are made one with the Father and the Son so the world may believe, with Christ's joy remaining in them and their joy full, thus fulfilling Christ's longing and prayer that His people be made perfect in one.