What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? How can I have fellowship with God? What happens after we die? What is wrong with the world? What can make it right? These are big questions—questions that must be answered. Too often, the smaller concerns of life consume our attention, and a lifetime can pass without ever settling the answers to the most important questions.

Who gets to decide the answers to these big questions? If we have to ask the questions, it means the answers cannot come from within ourselves. We need something—Someone—greater than us. God is the One who has the authority to answer these questions. And the good news is: God Himself has revealed the answers!

One big question the Psalmist asks in Psalm 24:3 is this: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in His holy place?” In other words, who gets to live with the holy God? That is a big question.

Let me ask you: Who would you let live with you? Who should get to decide who lives in your house? The obvious answer is—you do. You decide who lives with you.

Now look at verses 1–2:
“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.”

God has all authority. The earth belongs to Him—everything and everyone in it. He is the Creator, and He alone has the right to decide who may dwell with Him.

His answer should concern us. Psalm 24:4 says:
“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.”

God says the only ones who can live with Him in heaven are those with clean hands—they have never committed a sinful action. They must also have a pure heart—no evil thought or intention has ever been in them. Only those who do not lift up their soul to what is false—who have never trusted in anything other than God—can dwell with Him. And only those who have never told a lie, who have always spoken the full truth in every situation, may stand in His holy place.

Those—and only those—can live with God.

Who can go to heaven and live with God? **No one—**not on their own merit.

Psalm 24:5–6 says:
“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.”

Notice where the righteousness comes from: it comes from God. So back to the big question—who gets to live with God in heaven? Only those who have the clean hands, pure heart, devoted soul, and truthful lips of Jesus Christ.

And here’s the good news: these are a gift—not a reward for being good, but a gift for those who know the truth about themselves:

That their hands are dirty,
their lips are deceitful,
and their hearts are sinful.

To those who turn from their sin and trust in the forgiveness of Christ, God gives the righteousness of Jesus. They are the ones who seek God—and they are the ones who get to dwell with Him.

Now, ask yourself the most important question: Will God let you live with Him?

Here is God’s answer:
Have you turned from your sinful ways and trusted that the Son of God came to earth to live the life you couldn’t (and wouldn’t) live, took the penalty for your sin by bearing God’s wrath on your behalf, died, and rose again for you? (See 1 Peter 2:24)

If your answer is yes, then you are welcomed into God’s family and into His eternal home.

If your answer is no, then your eternal dwelling will be separated from God, and you will face His just wrath for your sin. (John 3:36)

Today’s bills, stress, and worries pale in comparison to eternal death.
Eternity is at stake. Don’t ignore the most important question and answer of your life.