May 05 2023

Today, Friday May 05

“Behold, You Desire Truth…”

Psalm 51:1-7

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight-- That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Psalm 51 is King David’s public confession of his sin! David “acknowledges his transgressions and his sin” (v. 3) of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. He knew that God desired for him to be honest and truthful in his heart about what he had done. God wants us to do the same!

If we are believers and have the Holy Spirit living in us, even the thought of sinning should cause us to feel His conviction and warning not to commit the sin. But and if we do sin and transgress God’s holy law, both the Holy Spirit and our conscience should feel the guilt and defilement of the sin. The Scriptures teach us that sin will defile our conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit. And if we ignore this convicting power of the Holy Spirit and continue in our sin, we can “quench” the Holy Spirit and even “sear” our conscience so that we will deceive ourselves into believing that there is nothing wrong with our sin.

The prophet Isaiah said that the day had come when the people of Israel was doing this very thing: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!” (Isaiah 5:20-23)

Years later when the prophet Jeremiah was pronouncing the coming judgment upon Judah and Israel, he said this: "Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 6:13-15)

Wow! This sounds exactly like what has happened in America today. Even our church leaders have chosen the path of “proclaiming peace”, becoming so “seeker sensitive” to draw larger numbers, that instead of calling sin for what it is, they attempt to “heal the hurt” and brokenness, that sin has brought into the lives of people, by ignoring their sins and trying to make them feel good. Like Israel, we have come to the sad state where “we are not ashamed of our abomination and no longer blush at our sins”. As a matter of fact, we justify and glorify these abominations and seem to honor those that commit them.

My friend, if we want to be forgiven of our sin, we must realize God wants us to look inside and admit the truth (v. 6). The truth is that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Quoting from the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul put it this way: “As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known." "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans 3:10-18)

We cannot experience “peace with God” (Romans 5:1), or the “peace of God” (Philippians 4:7) if there is unconfessed sin in our heart. When we do acknowledge our sin, and confess and repent, we will find that God’s Truth, Jesus Christ Himself will come alive in our “inward and hidden part”, and we will enjoy “His Wisdom” (v. 6). 1 Corinthians 1:30 says it this way: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption”.

God bless!