Read: Psalm 51:1-17
“Give Me a Clean Heart”
Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. Our scripture is a Psalm by David after he had committed a sin with Bathsheba and he wanted to be right with God again. The psalm is a prayer for forgiveness. Salvation saves the sinner but does not take away his ability to sin. Anyone who claims total sinless perfection once they are saved is in a terrible state of self-deception.
Sin cannot take away our salvation, but it does tear us down spiritually and emotionally. As long as we occupy our bodies there will be the capacity for sin. David hurt a lot of people in his yield to temptation when he slept with Bathsheba but ultimately his sin was against a holy God.
David was broken because he had hurt God. This is the difference between a slave and a son. The slave fears the master’s whip, but the son fears the father’s displeasure. If you fear only the punishment of sin, you had better check your salvation. A true Christian weeps not over the consequences of his actions, but he weeps because he has offended and displeased his heavenly father. David has lost his joy and he wants it back.
Joy is the by-product of a right relationship with God. If true joy is missing in your life it’s because something has gotten between you and God. Sin sours the spirit. Sin can cause spiritual indigestion. The only solution or cure is repentance. David confessed his sins and God’s right to judge. God is not looking for excuses or alibis, he is looking for honesty. If you want to be right with God, you must come clean. David requested cleansing - when we allow God to cleanse us, great things take place. The mountain of our guilt is removed. Our condemnation is taken away. Our sin is buried in the grave of forgetfulness. God removes the penalty and pollution of our sin. He restores our joy and receives us back into close fellowship with himself.
Thank you God for sending your son to take away our sins and transforming us to new life.
Rev. Dr. E. Allen Stewart
Consulting Pastor
“Give Me a Clean Heart”
Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. Our scripture is a Psalm by David after he had committed a sin with Bathsheba and he wanted to be right with God again. The psalm is a prayer for forgiveness. Salvation saves the sinner but does not take away his ability to sin. Anyone who claims total sinless perfection once they are saved is in a terrible state of self-deception.
Sin cannot take away our salvation, but it does tear us down spiritually and emotionally. As long as we occupy our bodies there will be the capacity for sin. David hurt a lot of people in his yield to temptation when he slept with Bathsheba but ultimately his sin was against a holy God.
David was broken because he had hurt God. This is the difference between a slave and a son. The slave fears the master’s whip, but the son fears the father’s displeasure. If you fear only the punishment of sin, you had better check your salvation. A true Christian weeps not over the consequences of his actions, but he weeps because he has offended and displeased his heavenly father. David has lost his joy and he wants it back.
Joy is the by-product of a right relationship with God. If true joy is missing in your life it’s because something has gotten between you and God. Sin sours the spirit. Sin can cause spiritual indigestion. The only solution or cure is repentance. David confessed his sins and God’s right to judge. God is not looking for excuses or alibis, he is looking for honesty. If you want to be right with God, you must come clean. David requested cleansing - when we allow God to cleanse us, great things take place. The mountain of our guilt is removed. Our condemnation is taken away. Our sin is buried in the grave of forgetfulness. God removes the penalty and pollution of our sin. He restores our joy and receives us back into close fellowship with himself.
Thank you God for sending your son to take away our sins and transforming us to new life.
Rev. Dr. E. Allen Stewart
Consulting Pastor