Plea for a Clean Heart
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/11/2018 AM |
Text: | Psalm 51:10-12 |
Psalters: | 10, 142, 300, 251 |
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper |
- The need.
- David asks God to give him a clean “heart” and a right “spirit.”
- The word “heart” refers, not to his regenerated heart, but to his inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding, his thinking.
- Man’s “spirit” is man’s spiritual being, the inner seat or organ of mental acts.
- David is a saint who is in communion with Jesus and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit with life everlasting. But the child of God still has an old man, a sinfulness which cleaves to us and against which we constantly struggle till death.
- The sinner who has been made to be sorry for his sin is troubled by the power and corruption of sin within.
- David asks God to give him a clean “heart” and a right “spirit.”
- David pleads with God to “create in me,” to “renew,” to “restore,” and to “uphold.”
- After deceiving ourselves for so long denying our sin, we easily despair of the possibility of sin’s power being broken.
- We are desperate to know that God is able to deliver us from the pollution and power of sin.
- But we learn that God is able, and thus turn to Him, persisting to use the means He has appointed for giving grace.
- David prays to God to do what he cannot. We cannot cleanse ourselves within, to renew our spirits.
- Sanctification is God’s work on the regenerated and justified sinner; God’s continuing work of saving.
- The word “create” indicates that sanctification is a work of God.
- When God cleanses His child within, then that person’s “spirit” will become “right.”
- After deceiving ourselves for so long denying our sin, we easily despair of the possibility of sin’s power being broken.
- The fruit of God’s sanctifying work is the restoring of the joy of sweet fellowship with God.
- David’s great concern is that He lost the experience of God’s presence (11a).
- It is the Spirit Who gives us what we need to enjoy consciously this shining face of our Father and know the joy of salvation (12a).at the Lord’s Table.