A Word this Lord’s Day for Abusers from Psalm 24

A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.  Selah Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O 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, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!  Selah  (Psalm 24:1-10  ESV)  [Emphasis added.]

Clean hands = no blood on them = hands that do not do evil.

A pure heart = a regenerated heart that now loves the Lord and loves His Word.

Lift up one’s soul to what is false = to have affections for wickedness and lies rather than for the Lord and His truth.

Swear deceitfully = well, it means just what it means. A bold-faced liar with no conscience.

Here the Lord plainly declares that the wicked will never stand and be established in His presence. They will not enter the kingdom of God. They may play the hypocrite and pretend to be one of Christ’s own. But He is THE KING OF GLORY, STRONG AND MIGHTY, THE LORD, MIGHTY IN BATTLE. Man, who are you? Do you think that this Mighty God does not see the blood on your hands? Do you think that He does not see the inner recesses of your wicked heart that loves the evil that you do in your home? On Sundays perhaps you go to church and put on a show of lifting up your heart and soul to God, but Christ knows perfectly what your real affections are for – falsehood. And though you might fool men with your false vows, though you plant doubts and uncertainty in the hearts of those you victimize, the Lord is not duped for a moment. You run here, you run there. But the spotlight of His eye is on you.

You will not stand in His holy place. You think that you can mock God by sowing to your flesh and still reap a harvest of eternal life. You will not. You deceive yourself. God is not mocked. What you are sowing, you most assuredly will reap.

Perhaps the final call to repentance given by the Psalmist is a fitting end to this exposure of your ways:

Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.  (Psalm 2:10-12  ESV)

[October 11, 2022: Editors’ notes:

—For some comments made prior to October 11, 2022 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be an exact match.
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If you would like to compare the text in the comments made prior to October 11, 2022 that quoted from the post to the post as it is now (October 11, 2022), click here [Internet Archive link] for the most recent Internet Archive copy of the post.]

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UPDATE Sept 2021: I have come to believe that Jeff Crippen does not practise what he preaches. He vilely persecuted an abuse victim and spiritually abused many other people in the Tillamook congregation. Go here to read the evidence. Jeff has not gone to the people that he spiritually and emotionally abused. He has not apologised to them, let alone asked for their forgiveness.