Create In Me a Pure Heart
In Psalm 51:1-12 we read, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so that you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desire faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
This a prayer of confession and a plea for renewal offered in sincere shame from the sins David has committed. This is the example from Scripture most often referred to regarding confession. It is written in the Bible, but it reveals that David confessed out loud, with his mouth. Let us discuss his sins to which he confessed
Confession is made with the mouth to God and often times to another person.
Confession Before Prayer
This amazingly powerful prayer is King David’s response to his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and his arranging the murder of Uriah his faithful Captain and Bathsheba’s husband. Once it was pointed out to him, by Nathan the prophet in 2 Samuel 12:7-9, he confessed. David’s response to Nathan’s revelation of the sin David had committed yielded this from David, “I have sinned against the Lord.” He spoke these words. He confessed with his mouth. In Psalm 51 David is penitent and willingly offers up his cares and his desires for recovery; he confesses again by writing a poem/psalm. He knew from experience that one sin often leads to another. His murder of Uriah followed his sleeping with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife so that he might keep her. Whatever led David to ignore his sins fell away as that sin was pointed out. He was convicted, his heart was pierced and again, he confessed with his mouth.
Things had compounded quickly. David knew that his sins were punishable by death; Leviticus 20:10 “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committed it, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” As the planner of Uriah’s death David was doubly guilty as murder is also punishable by being put to death.
In his prayer David in Psalm 51 he asks for inner renewal and promises thanksgiving and improved ministry. He does not want God to reject him. He asks God to renew the joy of his salvation. He takes ownership of his sin, “mine iniquity, my sin, my transgressions …” Like any of us he knew what sin was and once he fully admitted that he was guilty he immediately sought the forgiveness that only God could provide.
In our own sinful lives, we need as quickly as possible to confess all sin with our mouth wherever possible, regardless of its gravity. David provided us with a framework to use to approach God and to re-establish that right relationship that we must maintain.
Use this example of a sincere, prayerful confession and understand that no sin is beyond forgiveness and redemption. Plead the sacrificial blood of Jesus and go to your Father God immediately when you have sinned. He is waiting for you! We must say the words telling of our sin. Amen.
PRAY YOU CAN FIND REFUGE IN GOD BY CONFESSING ALL SIN
REFUGE
“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.
Therefore, we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple
into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil.”
Psalm 46:1-3 (CSB)
::::::
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress
and my deliverer; My God, my strength,
in whom I will trust, my shield and
the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18: 2 (NKJV)
::::::
Rest in the assurance that all battles
are God’s to fight. As our Creator
He is also our protector.
Stand and be strong!
Maranatha Lord!
OUR ADVOCATE
As believers we have an advocate who is at the right hand of God this very moment speaking on our behalf. Do not doubt this, read what the Apostle Paul said in the Epistle “Hebrews” to early Jewish Christians who were in danger of returning to Judaism.
“Here is the main point: we have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the Majestic God in Heaven. There He ministers in the Heavenly Tabernacle, the place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands. But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for He is the one who mediates for us a better covenant with God, based on better promises.” Hebrews 81:1-2, 6 (NLT)
Christ is our advocate sitting at the right hand of our Lord God and he pleads for you and I continuously.
Hallelujah!
INTENT
“Intent shall be manifest by the circumstances connected with the perpetration of the offense, the sound mind and discretion of the person accused.” This is a definition from criminal law. In Scripture we see that all sin is dealt with in terms taken entirely from civil, criminal and moral law. Ponder this question, “Can a person be defined by what they do? You know the answer to that.
I Am At Rest - I Will Never Be Shaken
Life Can Be Eternal
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep.
According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come and let him who hears say, “Come!” and whoever wishes, to let him take the free gift of the water of life.
May God Be With Us
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18,
Revelation 21:4; 22-17 NIV
Taken from the Baptist Hymnal pg. 710, 1991
Scripture Says Confess with Your Mouth
A true confession of sin emanates from our lips to God. We speak to Him in our prayers and confess our transgressions and plead forgiveness. It is with our mouths too that we confess Jesus as our Lord. In fact, we need to do what follows first to make our prayers meaningful and sincere. This puts us in right relationship with God for it is through Christ that we are redeemed from our sin and can go to Him and confess. He is good to forgive us, but first …
“… The message is near you. Inside your mouth and your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him (Jesus) from the dead, then you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:8b-10 CSB
We must speak to God with our mouths (of course some cannot use their voices and God will listen to the way they communicate their confession). Just saying the words does not secure salvation. The heartfelt declaration that Jesus is Lord indicates a commitment that comes from the center of your heart. What will matter is living with Jesus at the core of your existence. The phrase “Walking the Talk” applies directly here. The declaration is between you and God and perhaps public indicating a life position with Christ at the center.
In verse 13 of this same passage Paul says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He is indicating that without a public declaration of your belief you are being secretive and that puts the lie to what you may think you feel and/or are doing. You cannot be a “secret” Christian, just like you cannot successfully get by with being secretly married. Believe in your heart and then say so ... and do it often! To further cement your stated belief, you will need to get baptized as an even more solid confirmation of that belief. It is one thing to believe, another to say so and to lock down what you claim listen act this as soon as you can: “And Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 CSB Repent with your mouth.
“Baptism which corresponds to this [exiting the Ark being saved], now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21 CSB
Find a Bible teaching church and tell them what you need, and they will help you. God is waiting for you right now to move forward! Amen.
