Those Who Commune with God

[Psalm 24]

It is not easy to part ways, but we must also learn how to say goodbye. Of course, parting can mean death, leaving this world, but it can also mean leaving one’s hometown or breaking up in a romantic relationship. In these various kinds of partings, we may grieve, feel heartache, become discouraged, and even despair. However, we must remember that within such partings, there are also new encounters.
When I parted from all my family, church members, and friends in America, and stayed in Korea for about three years, I was blessed with other encounters.
First, the encounter with God; second, the encounter with myself; and third, the precious blessing of meeting co-workers in ministry and brothers and sisters in Christ.
As Henri Nouwen said, in every parting, we come to another meeting.

Today, in Psalm 24:3, the psalmist David asks, “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?”
This verse speaks about who can have fellowship with the great God, Creator of heaven and earth (verses 1–2).
Focusing on today’s passage, I pray that as we meditate on the four qualifications for those who can commune with God, we too will have the opportunity to gain such qualifications.

First, those who commune with God must be pure.

Look at the first half of Psalm 24:4: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart...”
This means that those who commune with God must be pure both outwardly and inwardly.
“Clean hands” refers to outward purity in conduct, and “pure heart” refers to inward purity.
In short, those who have clean conduct and a clean heart can have fellowship with God.
Of course, this purity does not mean absolute innocence or sinlessness.
It means that the believer belongs primarily to God, does not serve two masters, but seeks and desires to serve God alone (verse 6, according to Park Yoon Sun).

In terms of purity, while external cleanliness is important, we must first focus on internal purity.
The reason is that pursuing outward purity without a clean heart is an incomplete purity.
Just as we wash our bodies clean, we must also cleanse our hearts.
In other words, we must take a spiritual shower.
This is possible by obeying God’s word: “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have sincere love for one another, love one another deeply from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).
However, living in this sinful world, maintaining pure conduct is indeed a challenge.
That is why the psalmist Asaph says in Psalm 73:13, “I said I would declare this, but I was utterly at a loss.” (Note: The Korean text says “I was innocent in my heart and washed my hands, but it was in vain.” The meaning is close.)
Why did Asaph think this?
Because he envied the prosperity of the wicked (verse 3).
Asaph almost stumbled and his steps nearly slipped (verse 2).
Many of us Christians, like Asaph, see the prosperity of the wicked during our hardships and fall into the temptation of giving up our purity.
Ultimately, we should belong to God first and not serve two masters, but we often say we serve God while also serving wealth.
But Jesus clearly said:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
We must not serve two masters in our hearts.
We must serve only the Lord.
Therefore, we must guard our hearts carefully.
We must serve the Lord with a pure heart that worships only Him and with pure conduct.

Secondly, those who commune with God must not set their will on vain things.

Look at the middle part of Psalm 24:4: “… who do not set their will on vain things …”
Here, the word “vain” refers to “all vain desires for the glory and riches of this world that do not belong to God’s truth” (Park Yoon Sun).
Those whose conduct and heart are pure to commune with God set their will solely on God and do not place it on other vain things.
This is because they love the truth in their hearts and also obey the word of that truth in their conduct, thereby purifying themselves (1 Peter 1:22).
Those who “purify their souls” have no deceit.
Therefore, they are not deceived by false things nor pursue the vain glory and riches of this world.
They know that such things are vain desires.
Those who purify their souls dwell in the truth.
In other words, because they love God, they obey the word of God’s truth (1 Peter 1:22).

However, when we look back at ourselves, are we perhaps living a “thorny” faith as described in the parable of the sower?
In Luke 8, regarding the seed that fell among thorns, it says: “The seed that fell among thorns refers to those who hear the word, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature fully” (v.14).
Here we can identify three things that block our spiritual maturity: (1) life’s worries, (2) riches, and (3) pleasures.
When we worry and idolize money (material wealth) to the point of placing it alongside God, serving it, and try to satisfy ourselves with worldly pleasures, even hearing God’s word will not bring spiritual maturity.
Such a faith life can rightly be called a “thorny” faith.
The apostle Paul exhorted in Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
We must not set our will on vain things.
The things of this world are all empty and vain.
We must not let our hearts be distracted by satisfying vain desires and allow this to hinder the growth of our faith.
We must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to glorifying God and fulfilling His will on this earth.

Thirdly, those who commune with God must not swear falsely.

Look at the latter part of Psalm 24:4: “… who do not swear falsely.”
Those whose conduct and hearts are not pure set their will on vain things and live a false life.
Those who live such a life are not afraid to swear falsely.
But David’s statement that those who commune with God do not swear falsely can have two meanings:

(1) To have fellowship with God, we must not lie.

Those who set their will on vain things lie to achieve their will.
But those who set their will on God do not lie.
In other words, they do not bear false witness (Park Yoon Sun).

(2) “Before God, we must not make empty promises, but carry them out” (Park Yoon Sun).
In other words, those who have fellowship with God carry out what they have vowed in their hearts.
Even if what is vowed is difficult, it must not be changed but put into action (Psalm 15:4).

We have already been cleansed by God’s word, and the Lord’s word dwells in us.
See John 15:3-4 (first part) and 7 (first part):
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you; remain in me, and I will remain in you...
If you remain in me and my words remain in you...”
Those who are purified by God’s word are like branches that remain in the vine, who is the Lord, and in Him there is no falsehood.
Therefore, we must not give false testimony.
We must speak the truth.
Also, we must live a life of truth.
We must strive so that our hearts and conduct proclaim the true word of God.

Lastly, in the fourth point, those who have fellowship with God must receive God sincerely.

Look at Psalm 24:7-10:
“Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The LORD Almighty—he is the King of glory. (Selah)”

In these words, David commands the temple gates to be opened so that the great God may enter.
Therefore, in verse 7 he says, “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”
Dr. Park Yoon Sun said, “If we do not sincerely receive God, we are not receiving Him as the King of glory.”
Therefore, just as the temple gates are opened wide, we must open wide the gates of our hearts.
And the Holy Spirit, who is God’s Spirit, must dwell in our hearts and work freely.
In such a setting, intimate fellowship with the great God must be established.

We must separate ourselves from a world full of filth, vanity, and falsehood.
In this separation from the world, there must be an intimate encounter with God.
To have intimate fellowship with God, our hearts and conduct must be pure.
We must not set our will on vain things, nor swear falsely.
Rather, we must open wide the gates of our hearts and sincerely receive God.

With a heart longing for intimate fellowship with God,

Pastor James Kim
(Dreaming of a church established as the pure bride of Christ)