Q 40) Who shall ascend to the Hill of God? - updated

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false - Psalms 24
The hill of God represents the presence of God.
1. Clean hands
Hands are a picture of our works. We need to raise holy hands in worship - 1 Timothy 2: 8 I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands. All of us are tempted to get angry. But the scripture urges us to refrain from anger and disputing. A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult. Proverbs 12:16. A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1.

2. Pure heart
To enter God’s presence, we need to have a pure heart “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Matthew 5:8. A pure heart is one that is not defiled by unforgiveness, greed, lust, jealousy, or pride. A pure heart seeks to serve God without having a personal agenda or expecting personal gain in return. Instead, a pure heart seeks the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom at all times, without having a spirit of entitlement.

3. Not lifting up our soul to an idol
Soul is our mind, will, and emotions. Jesus said:” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' Mark 12:28-30. Do we think about Jesus (not ministry) often? Do we talk about Him to others? Do we spend time intimately with alone? How much of our money, time, and energy to we spend for His Kingdom? These are good questions to ask ourselves regularly.

4. Not swearing falsely
God is after is truth from the inside out (Psalm 51.6) He wants “Men who won't cheat, women who won't seduce.” Psalm 24:4 (The Message). He wants us to be set apart and different from the world around us.

We cannot do this by our own strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us and keep us from falling. We need Jesus’ blood to cleanse us from all sin.

The Lord’s blessing is reserved for such people; they will have a right relationship with God. They are the ones who can seek God and worship in His presence. They will be the ones to usher the King of Glory into their homes, churches, and communities.