- Stand in Holy Place
Psalm 24:3
3. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place?
4. He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
“Ascending into the hill of the Lord” and “standing in his holy place” are two promises of one thing: “Coming into the presence of the Lord.” This is a conditional promise since it is impossible for any sinner to be in God’s Holy Presence with sin clinging to him. If you have a clean outward life and a pure inner heart, and if you have not regarded any idol in your heart or been dishonest with anyone, then you are given the right to come into the Presence of a Holy God.
The Promise is wonderful, but the conditions are terrible, for no one can meet them. Purity, holiness, and righteousness are demanded of any person who should want to go to heaven or dwell in the presence of God. That only makes sense for holiness cannot be tainted or touched by anything unholy or unclean, for God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil.”
That, of course, leaves us sinners out of the Presence, out of heaven, and out of hope, until we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ: He has cleansed our hands and our hearts and forgiven our idolatry and dishonesty. Christ has sanctified us (made us holy) so that under the blood of Christ we may safely and joyfully enter into the Holy Place where God dwells. That Holy Place is carved out in our hearts as a sacred dwelling place for a Holy God, and we may through repentance and faith stand in that special place. What a privilege we have as beloved children of God; what a privilege we often neglect as needy children of God.
This forgotten promise is available for us to enter into when we need comfort, safety, protection, answer to prayer, or just to enjoy the Lord. It is awesome to think that the Lord allows us to stand in his holy place, but it is more awesome to think that we so often forget His promise and neglect the privilege. “Enter the joy of the Lord.”