Psalms 15:4
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
God answers who may live in His presence and stand firm forever by describing the character that fits for heaven. Such a person despises what is base and vile and calls wrong by its true name, while honoring all who fear the Lord instead of finding fault with them. He holds his sworn word and promise sacred and keeps it without turning back even when keeping it costs him loss and harm. This goes together with walking uprightly, doing right, speaking truth from the heart, refusing dishonest gain and bribes, and refusing to backbite, reproach a neighbor, or listen to evil reports. It is shown in working together in cheerful unity, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, and obeying God's commandments through faith in Jesus.
Character for God's Presence
Psalm 15:4 gives God's own answer to who shall abide in His tabernacle and dwell in His holy hill of Zion. It describes those who shall join His worship in the heavenly courts, stand in His holy place, dwell in the mansions prepared for them, possess Christ's character and represent it in the world, and never be moved. Together with walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking truth in the heart, not backbiting with the tongue, doing no evil to a neighbor, taking up no reproach against a neighbor, putting out no money to usury, and taking no reward against the innocent, it marks the plain course to follow when thinking a brother is in the wrong. Those who whisper among brethren about supposed errors, comment on and magnify and exaggerate them, backbite, spread criticism, carry evil reports, and create dissension and strife are excluded from abiding there and cannot receive God's approval. Their course brings God's displeasure, weakens and annoys those who might be strong in God, causes the world to judge professed truth by bad fruit, and requires the church to rebuke such members or stand guilty before God.
The one God accepts looks with disapproval and contempt on what is base and vile in his eyes. He rejects vile conduct, despises a vile person, and calls sin by its right name. He honors those who fear the Lord. That means he does not put himself on the judgment seat over preaching brethren, watch for cause to accuse them, talk of their supposed defects and mistakes, pick flaws in men placed in trust, denounce and condemn them, or uproot the confidence of others in them. Instead he honors God-fearing ministers who would rather sacrifice life than yield truth and righteousness.
Such a person swears to his own hurt and changes not. He holds a solemn oath, promise, and pledged word sacred. He keeps it even when keeping it brings personal loss, harm, and cost, without turning back.
This character belongs with walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking truth in the heart, doing no evil to a neighbor, putting out no money to usury, and taking no reward against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved and remain secure. It is incorruptible integrity that cannot be bought or sold, with inward truth, a conscience as true to duty as the needle to the pole, and steadfast loyalty to the right though the heavens fall. It keeps one firm and unmoved, riveted to the eternal Rock as Daniel was kept, by pure and uncorrupted principles cherished in the heart ensuring faithfulness. Joined to refusing dishonest gain and bribes and refusing to look at evil, it brings God's care that He knows his days, his inheritance will last forever, he will not be ashamed in evil time and will be satisfied in famine, he will dwell on high with bread given and water sure, and his eyes will see the King in His beauty and the land far off.
Integrity in Speech and Promise
The one who may dwell with God does not backbite with the tongue, take up a reproach against a neighbor, whisper about supposed errors, comment on faults and magnify and exaggerate them, tear down and discourage, dwell on others' faults, evil-surmise, criticize, murmur, carry evil reports, or create dissension and strife. Listening to a charge against a brother or sister is itself backbiting, so both the bearer of false witness and the one who listens without reproving him are condemned. Those who hear and accept reports as true and act on them without going to the accused create dissatisfaction, feed on scandal, and show they know little of Christ. Charges borne against God's servants are borne against Christ in the person of His saints. Such speech brings God's displeasure, weakens and annoys those who might be strong in God, causes the world to judge the truth by bad fruit, excludes the doers from abiding in His tabernacle and dwelling in His holy hill of Zion, and requires the church to rebuke them or stand guilty before God.
The same character works in harmony with cheerfulness and wholeheartedness, barricades the soul in speech, refuses to voice evil suggestions whether they come directly or through father, mother, brother, sister, friend, or enemy, closes the heart against complaint and accusation, and stands on guard against suspicion, envy, jealousy, and complaining. It views each case correctly, clears the guiltless, jealously preserves unity, and presses together loving one another as Christ loves them. This means loving God supremely and neighbor as self, keeping the first four and the last six commandments and Christ's new commandment to love one another, diligently obeying God's commandments and through faith in Jesus taking hold of His promises until shaped to have faith like God. It is practiced through purity and Christlikeness rather than mere profession like salt without savor, as the rule for church members, the need for order in the church, and a thorough change of character and repentance for wrongs against fellow believers.
Keeping an oath to one's own hurt means an agreement must be kept even when it brings personal loss rather than changed to escape the cost. Honesty must not bend even in small matters because changing plans after promising shows undependability and retreating from small commitments leads to retreating from larger ones. A pledged word must be held sacred so long as it does not require a wrong act, and deception, revenge, gain, and self-interest do not justify breaking it.