WEBVTT 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:16.019 Psalm 51, we're going to read verses 9 through 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:22.579 12. Verses 9 through 12. Hide your face from 00:00:22.579 --> 00:00:28.399 my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:33.600 in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:37.799 spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your 00:00:37.799 --> 00:00:40.950 presence. and do not take your Holy Spirit from 00:00:40.950 --> 00:00:46.509 me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and 00:00:46.509 --> 00:00:53.250 sustain me with a willing spirit. Our exposition 00:00:53.250 --> 00:00:59.570 will focus on verse 10 today, which reads, Create 00:00:59.570 --> 00:01:06.950 in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast 00:01:06.950 --> 00:01:13.930 spirit, As we come to verse 10, we have to recognize 00:01:13.930 --> 00:01:19.170 that David is crying out. He's praying for, he's 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:24.450 seeking a work that's different than that which 00:01:24.450 --> 00:01:29.890 he has sought out previously in the psalm. In 00:01:29.890 --> 00:01:32.709 verse 9, he says, hide your face from my sins 00:01:32.709 --> 00:01:38.140 and blot out all my iniquities. In verse 1, Psalm 00:01:38.140 --> 00:01:42.900 51, he says, Be gracious to me, O God, according 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:45.140 to your loving kindness, according to the greatness 00:01:45.140 --> 00:01:49.540 of your compassion. Blot out my transgressions. 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:52.819 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse 00:01:52.819 --> 00:01:57.340 me from my sin. Previously, David has been asking 00:01:57.340 --> 00:02:00.400 for the forgiveness of sins, for the pardon of 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:04.939 sins. Here we find that he's asking for a work 00:02:04.939 --> 00:02:10.840 in his very heart. That something would be changed 00:02:10.840 --> 00:02:14.840 inside of him. It's a distinct work, a different 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:21.020 work. There's two things that we need to examine 00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:26.180 today in this message. The distinctiveness of 00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:30.680 the work that he seeks out and the description 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:35.699 of the work that he is seeking out. Following 00:02:35.699 --> 00:02:41.039 these two, We'll have a time of applications 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:45.639 for our own life, beginning with the distinctiveness 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:51.740 of the work that he seeks out. How is this work 00:02:51.740 --> 00:02:55.759 that David is crying out for distinct from the 00:02:55.759 --> 00:02:58.580 work which he has sought before, the forgiveness 00:02:58.580 --> 00:03:03.520 of sins? How is it different? How is it unique 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:07.530 from that which he has asked for? Previously, 00:03:07.629 --> 00:03:12.009 what makes this different from him crying out 00:03:12.009 --> 00:03:14.889 and pleading, hide your face from my sins and 00:03:14.889 --> 00:03:20.250 blot out my iniquities in verse 9? It's distinct 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:25.590 from the forgiveness of sins and pardon. Forgiveness 00:03:25.590 --> 00:03:30.310 of sins and pardon that is freely given by God 00:03:30.310 --> 00:03:37.599 in Christ Jesus is, it has to do with, a person's 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:43.360 status or position, their legal standing or position 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:50.000 before God. It doesn't necessarily affect the 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.919 inner man of the person. Specifically, if we 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:57.680 think about justification by faith alone and 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:01.379 the imputed righteousness of Christ. Justification 00:04:01.379 --> 00:04:06.120 is a single momentary act in declaration by God. 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:11.759 It does not affect the sinner in his heart. It's 00:04:11.759 --> 00:04:14.780 an act, it's an objective work by God that he 00:04:14.780 --> 00:04:19.920 completes that is done by God himself. That has 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:23.279 to do with the forgiveness of sins. That has 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:29.720 to do with pardon. God has provided pardon. For 00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:34.500 sinners. God has provided the forgiveness of 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:40.060 sins. He does blot out iniquities. He does blot 00:04:40.060 --> 00:04:45.740 out sins. He does cover the sins of sinners. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:49.800 But he also makes more provision than that for 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.379 the sinner in their life. You see the work that 00:04:53.379 --> 00:04:57.240 David is crying out for. Is distinct in that 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:02.610 it is not. A completed work. It's not an objective 00:05:02.610 --> 00:05:05.930 work. He's crying out for a work that has to 00:05:05.930 --> 00:05:08.709 do with his own heart and his own experience. 00:05:08.850 --> 00:05:13.990 He says, create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew 00:05:13.990 --> 00:05:17.970 a steadfast spirit within me. It has to do with 00:05:17.970 --> 00:05:20.870 his inner man. It has to do with himself. It 00:05:20.870 --> 00:05:26.750 has to do with his experience in life. It has 00:05:26.750 --> 00:05:35.680 to do. With his sin in his heart. You see, God 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:40.740 has provided forgiveness of sins and pardon for 00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:46.660 sins. But he's also provided purification and 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:52.160 cleansing for the pollution of sin within his 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:58.060 people. That affects their hearts. Brothers and 00:05:58.060 --> 00:06:01.480 sisters. Friends, we need pardon from sins, but 00:06:01.480 --> 00:06:06.480 we need more than just the pardon of sins. We 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.100 need purification in our hearts, in this life, 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:17.959 from our sins. We need not just justification, 00:06:18.180 --> 00:06:24.519 we need sanctification in our lives. That's what 00:06:24.519 --> 00:06:27.199 David is crying out for in this text. That's 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:29.620 what he's seeking. That's what he's praying for. 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:35.439 He's praying for sanctification. Sanctification 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:40.699 is a provision that God has made for his people 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:45.480 that actually deals with their moral problem, 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:50.879 their moral issue. Every single person in this 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:58.529 room. has a moral and ethical issue. Everybody 00:06:58.529 --> 00:07:03.209 in here has a moral problem in your life that 00:07:03.209 --> 00:07:13.329 you cannot fix. It's sin in your heart. It's 00:07:13.329 --> 00:07:19.329 iniquity that comes forth from your nature as 00:07:19.329 --> 00:07:24.170 a sinner. The pardon of sins, the pardon that 00:07:24.170 --> 00:07:27.050 God gives in Christ on the cross, it forgives 00:07:27.050 --> 00:07:29.790 you of those sins. And he appeals Christ's righteousness 00:07:29.790 --> 00:07:32.629 to sinners who trust in Christ, who repent of 00:07:32.629 --> 00:07:36.110 their sins. But brothers and sisters, the gospel 00:07:36.110 --> 00:07:40.629 also is this, that God has made provision in 00:07:40.629 --> 00:07:43.829 the gospel, in the work of Christ, to actually 00:07:43.829 --> 00:07:49.870 purify you of your sins in your heart. In your 00:07:49.870 --> 00:07:55.589 life, he has provided a solution to fix and to 00:07:55.589 --> 00:07:58.430 right the wrong of the corruption that's in you. 00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:04.689 Your moral problem. Some of you don't think you 00:08:04.689 --> 00:08:09.089 have a moral problem. Some of you here today 00:08:09.089 --> 00:08:13.790 are looking at me, I'm fine. I have no moral 00:08:13.790 --> 00:08:18.149 issue. I'm a good person. Brothers and sisters, 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:22.160 If you have thought one wicked, iniquitous thought, 00:08:22.420 --> 00:08:26.480 if you are here today and you have had an angry 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:29.899 thought, if you have thought one lustful thing, 00:08:30.100 --> 00:08:33.759 if you have done one rebellious thing against 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:36.679 God's will and God's law, then you have a moral 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:40.960 problem. If you are born of woman, you have a 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:49.450 moral problem. Every single one of us. And God 00:08:49.450 --> 00:08:54.149 has made provision in the gospel of Jesus Christ 00:08:54.149 --> 00:08:57.470 to forgive you of your sins, to pardon you of 00:08:57.470 --> 00:09:02.269 your sins, and to sanctify you in your heart 00:09:02.269 --> 00:09:05.889 and in your life, to purify you and cleanse you 00:09:05.889 --> 00:09:13.809 from your sins. This is why we read in the book 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:18.350 of Titus. Of the Lord Jesus. It says looking 00:09:18.350 --> 00:09:20.909 for the blessed hope. And the appearing of the 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:23.250 glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. 00:09:24.110 --> 00:09:27.870 Who gave himself for us to redeem us. From every 00:09:27.870 --> 00:09:32.450 lawless deed. Christ sacrificed himself. He gave 00:09:32.450 --> 00:09:36.029 himself. That we might be forgiven. That we might 00:09:36.029 --> 00:09:40.269 receive pardon. That our sins might be blotted 00:09:40.269 --> 00:09:46.580 out. But. He also says. who gave himself for 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:50.700 us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to 00:09:50.700 --> 00:09:55.679 purify for himself a people for his own possession, 00:09:55.840 --> 00:10:01.919 zealous for good deeds. We have purification 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:08.600 and we have the forgiveness of sins. We read 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:13.879 in the book of Ephesians in verse 25, husbands. 00:10:14.860 --> 00:10:18.779 Love your wives, just as Christ also loved her, 00:10:18.919 --> 00:10:21.820 loved the church, just as Christ also loved the 00:10:21.820 --> 00:10:27.120 church, and gave himself up for her. We have 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:32.740 the forgiveness of sins. Sacrifice. But why did 00:10:32.740 --> 00:10:36.799 Christ sacrifice himself? Why did Christ give 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:41.740 himself on the cross? What was the purpose of 00:10:41.740 --> 00:10:49.720 it? Well, we read, So that he might sanctify 00:10:49.720 --> 00:10:54.460 her, having cleansed her by the washing of water 00:10:54.460 --> 00:10:57.940 with the word, that he might present to himself 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:01.480 the church in all her glory, having no spot or 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:03.960 wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:09.600 be holy and blameless. What was the purpose of 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:13.320 Christ's death on the cross? What was the purpose 00:11:13.320 --> 00:11:16.320 of Christ dying and giving himself on the cross? 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:21.919 It was so that he might sanctify his bride and 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:27.639 make her beautiful and present her to God. That 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:32.019 he might purify her of her pollution in her. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:37.940 That he might make her have a clean heart, a 00:11:37.940 --> 00:11:43.860 pure heart, and a steadfast... Spirit. Brothers 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:49.580 and sisters, God has made provision for the forgiveness 00:11:49.580 --> 00:11:54.220 of sins, and he has made provision for the sanctification 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:59.179 of sinners as well. We must remember this. This 00:11:59.179 --> 00:12:02.059 is very important with regards to how we live, 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:08.159 with regards to how we see life. There's many 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:16.500 dangers. involved in not seeing these two parts 00:12:16.500 --> 00:12:20.840 of salvation. If we only see the forgiveness 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.179 of sins and free pardon, but we don't recognize 00:12:24.179 --> 00:12:27.240 that Christ forgives sins, that he might purify 00:12:27.240 --> 00:12:32.860 the sinner, we fall into all kinds of dangerous 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:39.399 and erroneous lives. Christ doesn't care how 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:44.860 you live. He saved you. Your sins are forgiven. 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:48.200 You're good. You don't need to worry about sin 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:50.820 in your life. You don't need to worry about how 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:55.000 you act and how you behave. You accepted Jesus 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:00.080 into your heart. You're forgiven. You're pardoned 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.740 of your sins. Your sins have no more effect on 00:13:02.740 --> 00:13:05.309 your life. Don't think about them. Don't worry 00:13:05.309 --> 00:13:08.429 about them. You fall into messy grace Christianity, 00:13:08.570 --> 00:13:14.929 don't you, friends? Then it does not matter how 00:13:14.929 --> 00:13:17.649 we live. And Christ certainly doesn't matter 00:13:17.649 --> 00:13:20.549 how you live. He doesn't care if you sin. He's 00:13:20.549 --> 00:13:25.169 forgiven you. He accepts you just as you are. 00:13:27.009 --> 00:13:32.429 But is that true? What's the other half of the 00:13:32.429 --> 00:13:37.559 equation? Doesn't Christ care a great deal about 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:40.500 the life of his people? What was the purpose 00:13:40.500 --> 00:13:44.159 of his death on the cross? What was the purpose 00:13:44.159 --> 00:13:47.379 of his sacrifice? What is the purpose of free 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:52.279 pardon? That he might purify for himself a people, 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.080 that he might sanctify his bride, that he might 00:13:55.080 --> 00:13:58.519 give her a clean heart and renew a steadfast 00:13:58.519 --> 00:14:03.240 spirit within her. You see, we need to understand 00:14:04.139 --> 00:14:07.100 The forgiveness of sins. The imputed righteousness 00:14:07.100 --> 00:14:11.620 of Christ. Justification. But we also have to 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:18.519 understand that God intends to sanctify his people. 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:27.720 So we learn a great deal about this reality as 00:14:27.720 --> 00:14:31.059 David introduces us to this work of salvation 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:34.929 and its distinctiveness. From that which he's 00:14:34.929 --> 00:14:37.909 cried out for previously. Now there is something 00:14:37.909 --> 00:14:41.809 we have to recognize. These two things are distinct. 00:14:42.490 --> 00:14:47.210 But they're not separate. So when we talk about 00:14:47.210 --> 00:14:50.149 the forgiveness of sins. And we talk about sanctification. 00:14:51.269 --> 00:14:54.009 They are distinct from one another. But they 00:14:54.009 --> 00:14:57.169 are not separate or disconnected from one another. 00:14:57.389 --> 00:15:02.830 They are very intimately connected. In so much. 00:15:03.950 --> 00:15:06.990 And they're so related, and they're so connected, 00:15:07.149 --> 00:15:14.990 that all who are justified will be sanctified. 00:15:16.549 --> 00:15:19.149 David is a justified man. Doesn't he cry out 00:15:19.149 --> 00:15:24.690 in Psalm 32, how blessed is the man whose sins 00:15:24.690 --> 00:15:27.110 are not, whose iniquities are not reckoned to 00:15:27.110 --> 00:15:30.809 him, are not imputed to him? He's a justified 00:15:30.809 --> 00:15:38.230 man by faith. That means that he will also be 00:15:38.230 --> 00:15:44.450 a sanctified man. That God, through Christ, will 00:15:44.450 --> 00:15:50.850 work in his heart, will work in his life to gradually 00:15:50.850 --> 00:15:54.230 strengthen him and mature him and to grow him 00:15:54.230 --> 00:15:56.190 in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus 00:15:56.190 --> 00:16:03.350 Christ. To purify him. To make in him and to 00:16:03.350 --> 00:16:08.820 renew in him. a steadfast spirit. David was justified, 00:16:08.980 --> 00:16:12.460 but David is also crying out for sanctification. 00:16:12.740 --> 00:16:16.820 Create in me a clean heart, O God, as a cry for 00:16:16.820 --> 00:16:21.779 Christ to sanctify him. For the Lord Jesus Christ 00:16:21.779 --> 00:16:25.340 to extend his power and his divine agency to 00:16:25.340 --> 00:16:29.779 work in his very heart, to create purity in his 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:32.720 heart, and to create a steadfastness within him. 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:36.179 He's crying out for sanctification. He's not 00:16:36.179 --> 00:16:38.500 crying out to be saved, brothers and sisters. 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:42.480 He's crying out for God to continue to save him 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:46.460 and to continue to work in him. It's a cry for 00:16:46.460 --> 00:16:51.779 sanctification. And why is he sanctified? Because 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:58.539 he is justified. So all who are justified will 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:04.119 be sanctified. But also we must recognize that 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:09.220 all who are being sanctified have been justified. 00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:15.359 You say, well, why is that important? Because 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:21.579 sanctification has ebbs and flows, ups and downs. 00:17:22.059 --> 00:17:26.859 It had hills and trails. It's bumpy at times. 00:17:29.710 --> 00:17:34.869 But all the while, justification, your status 00:17:34.869 --> 00:17:39.029 before God as being right with him, the imputed 00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:41.809 righteousness of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, 00:17:41.910 --> 00:17:48.769 remains unchanged. Meaning, your justification 00:17:48.769 --> 00:17:52.690 goes up and it goes down. Overall, it will progressively 00:17:52.690 --> 00:17:57.670 go upward. But your justification before God... 00:17:57.880 --> 00:18:01.940 always remains the same. Your sanctification 00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:07.220 does not affect your justification. That's good 00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:09.940 news, brothers and sisters. That's good news 00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:13.240 for you, and that's good news for me. But this 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:22.160 also means that if you are not being sanctified, 00:18:24.779 --> 00:18:27.940 That if Christ is not at work in your heart, 00:18:28.140 --> 00:18:32.779 if you are not progressively becoming more and 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:36.039 more like the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:39.819 entirety of your life, even into old age, if 00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:42.940 you are not growing in your likeness to the Lord 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:45.420 Jesus, if you are not growing in the grace and 00:18:45.420 --> 00:18:49.220 the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, then 00:18:49.220 --> 00:18:57.410 you do not have justification. If you are not 00:18:57.410 --> 00:19:01.250 being sanctified, you have not been justified. 00:19:02.849 --> 00:19:07.250 Only those who are justified will certainly be 00:19:07.250 --> 00:19:13.849 sanctified. There's a warning and there's a great 00:19:13.849 --> 00:19:17.930 encouragement in this reality we find with David. 00:19:19.029 --> 00:19:23.730 So this work is distinct from that which David 00:19:23.730 --> 00:19:27.509 cried out for before. He's crying out for an 00:19:27.509 --> 00:19:32.430 ongoing, a subjective work in his heart, in his 00:19:32.430 --> 00:19:36.250 life. Whereas previously he cried out for the 00:19:36.250 --> 00:19:41.150 forgiveness of sins, for free pardon. This leads 00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:42.890 us to the second thing we have to examine this 00:19:42.890 --> 00:19:46.509 morning, the description of the work he is seeking 00:19:46.509 --> 00:19:53.769 out. In verse 10 he says, create in me a clean 00:19:53.769 --> 00:20:00.420 heart. So this work is described as a work of 00:20:00.420 --> 00:20:05.839 creation. This work of sanctification is being 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:10.660 likened to the work that God accomplished when 00:20:10.660 --> 00:20:15.940 he spoke the world into existence. Now that's 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:19.180 a mighty and a powerful thing. Think about the 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:25.990 sovereign power. That was exercised when creation 00:20:25.990 --> 00:20:33.650 was brought into being from nothing. Sanctification 00:20:33.650 --> 00:20:40.529 is a work like that. Sanctification is a work 00:20:40.529 --> 00:20:46.890 that requires a work like that. It carries a 00:20:46.890 --> 00:20:52.210 word. The word carries the meaning. of something 00:20:52.210 --> 00:20:55.569 coming into being that wasn't there. And it's 00:20:55.569 --> 00:21:01.150 only God who is ever the subject of this work. 00:21:01.390 --> 00:21:05.150 He's the only one who ever does it. And so David's 00:21:05.150 --> 00:21:08.549 crying out for the extension, the divine agency 00:21:08.549 --> 00:21:13.150 and sovereign power to be extended and be worked 00:21:13.150 --> 00:21:16.230 in his life to bring about what? Not the world, 00:21:16.369 --> 00:21:19.390 not the earth, not the universe, not creation, 00:21:19.450 --> 00:21:26.809 but what? A clean heart. David's crying out. 00:21:26.849 --> 00:21:29.630 He's seeking a work that God would sovereignly 00:21:29.630 --> 00:21:32.849 give him. A clean heart. An upright heart. A 00:21:32.849 --> 00:21:40.109 pure heart. A heart that is innocent with regards 00:21:40.109 --> 00:21:51.289 to God's law. Blameless before God. He's crying 00:21:51.289 --> 00:21:57.849 out for God's sovereign help to create in him 00:21:57.849 --> 00:22:03.990 something that he knows is not there. Purity 00:22:03.990 --> 00:22:10.710 in his heart. But it's also described as a work 00:22:10.710 --> 00:22:18.289 of renewal. He says, renew a steadfast spirit 00:22:18.289 --> 00:22:21.700 within me. Now this word is a bit different from 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:25.240 the word when he says create. This word has to 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:28.740 do with going back to the foundations, remaking 00:22:28.740 --> 00:22:32.420 something, restoring something, remaking something 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:37.819 new again, restoring the influence or that which 00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:41.799 was present. In this part, he's paralleling the 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.960 first part of verse 10. So most likely, he's 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:49.170 referring to the same sovereign act. but in a 00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:53.869 different way. He's saying, God, by your sovereign 00:22:53.869 --> 00:22:57.269 power and through your divine spirit of holiness, 00:22:57.650 --> 00:23:02.450 create in me, through that power and through 00:23:02.450 --> 00:23:05.490 that sanctifying act, a heart that's pure and 00:23:05.490 --> 00:23:08.789 a heart that's steadfast. Now what does it mean 00:23:08.789 --> 00:23:11.569 that he's crying out for a steadfast spirit? 00:23:11.750 --> 00:23:16.410 And why would he want a steadfast spirit? Steadfastness 00:23:16.410 --> 00:23:20.259 has to do... with being fixed and established. 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:26.200 You're not blown back and forth. You're not fickle. 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:29.440 You're not wobbly. You're stable. You're firm. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:36.180 You're settled. What was David's problem? How 00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:42.980 did David fall into sin with Bathsheba? He was 00:23:42.980 --> 00:23:46.960 double -minded in his heart. Here's over here 00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:51.299 one moment, and over here the next. He gave way 00:23:51.299 --> 00:23:57.180 easily to temptation and to sin, to wickedness, 00:23:57.259 --> 00:24:01.960 and it led him down the road of losing his kingdom. 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:06.240 This same word is used in Psalm 78 of Israel. 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:10.220 They did not have a steadfast spirit, a right 00:24:10.220 --> 00:24:12.839 spirit within them, and that was a source of 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:16.339 all their problems. Do you remember Israel? You 00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:17.960 remember the nation of Israel in the Old Covenant? 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:22.380 One moment they were faithful. The next moment, 00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:26.779 they were rebellious. One moment they were crying 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:29.299 out for God's mercy and God's help. The next 00:24:29.299 --> 00:24:34.180 moment they were chasing after idols. They were 00:24:34.180 --> 00:24:36.700 not steadfast. They were not steady. They were 00:24:36.700 --> 00:24:39.019 double -minded and they were fickle in their 00:24:39.019 --> 00:24:41.339 spirit. And that was David's problem. So he's 00:24:41.339 --> 00:24:45.349 crying out, God. Extend your sovereign power 00:24:45.349 --> 00:24:50.329 within me and give me a spirit, a heart that's 00:24:50.329 --> 00:24:56.150 steady. That's settled in holiness and godliness. 00:24:56.190 --> 00:25:00.190 One that stands when the gales of sin and temptation 00:25:00.190 --> 00:25:05.990 come crashing against my life. Give me a spirit 00:25:05.990 --> 00:25:10.490 that's strong. Give me a spirit that doesn't 00:25:10.490 --> 00:25:13.910 give way at every passing and fleeting thought 00:25:13.910 --> 00:25:16.710 and every passing and fleeting lust and every 00:25:16.710 --> 00:25:19.569 passing and fleeting issue in life. Give me a 00:25:19.569 --> 00:25:24.150 spirit like that, Father. That's what he's crying 00:25:24.150 --> 00:25:30.910 out for. And he knows why he needs it. Now, this 00:25:30.910 --> 00:25:34.369 work of creation and this work of renewal, as 00:25:34.369 --> 00:25:40.049 they're described, Are described as a deep internal 00:25:40.049 --> 00:25:46.869 work. Within David. This is not outward and external 00:25:46.869 --> 00:25:52.450 religious behavior. This is a work of the heart. 00:25:52.630 --> 00:25:56.930 That he's crying out for. Look in verse 10. Create 00:25:56.930 --> 00:26:04.329 in me. A clean heart. Already we see that it's 00:26:04.329 --> 00:26:07.839 internal. But he doesn't stop there. and renew 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:17.579 a steadfast spirit within me. David knows that 00:26:17.579 --> 00:26:22.039 his spirit will never be changed. He knows that 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:24.940 purity will never have dominion in his heart 00:26:24.940 --> 00:26:29.859 unless it's at the very core of his being. He 00:26:29.859 --> 00:26:34.019 knows that he can't reach it. He knows that the 00:26:34.019 --> 00:26:37.880 world can't reach it. He knows that nobody can 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:41.779 reach that far into the heart of a man except 00:26:41.779 --> 00:26:47.839 for his creator. Except for the God who made 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:57.339 him. It's a heart issue. Why did David sin grievously 00:26:57.339 --> 00:27:01.599 with Bathsheba? Why did he have her husband killed? 00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:04.539 Why did he cover it up? Why was he unrepentant 00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:12.789 for a year? Because his heart was rotten. Because 00:27:12.789 --> 00:27:16.849 his heart was bad. Because of that moral issue. 00:27:17.990 --> 00:27:22.849 His sin, his corruption, and his own life. It 00:27:22.849 --> 00:27:24.609 wasn't the fact that he was acting the wrong 00:27:24.609 --> 00:27:26.950 ways and doing the wrong things. Brothers and 00:27:26.950 --> 00:27:28.849 sisters, what drives our actions and what drives 00:27:28.849 --> 00:27:33.069 our behaviors? What is the epicenter of the person? 00:27:34.329 --> 00:27:38.500 Our heart. Where do we make every judgment and 00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:41.480 every discernment and every moral decision in 00:27:41.480 --> 00:27:49.000 our very lives? Our spirit. Our heart. Deep down 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:59.880 within us. Purity and steadfastness must begin 00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:05.440 in our hearts. Otherwise, they will just fall 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:10.559 away like everything else. Christian change, 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:16.359 true change, always begins in the inner man, 00:28:16.660 --> 00:28:23.119 not in the outward behavior. The Pharisees thought 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:30.059 that they were very pure, very clean. The Pharisees 00:28:30.059 --> 00:28:32.769 thought that they were steadfast. And by all 00:28:32.769 --> 00:28:37.809 appearances, they were very holy. They were very 00:28:37.809 --> 00:28:41.210 clean. They were very pure. And their speech, 00:28:41.250 --> 00:28:44.809 and their language, and their conduct, and their 00:28:44.809 --> 00:28:47.369 appearance, and their actions, and everything 00:28:47.369 --> 00:28:50.670 external and outward, they were clean and they 00:28:50.670 --> 00:28:58.269 were steadfast. But were they pure in their hearts? 00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:08.579 Were they steadfast in their spirits? No. They 00:29:08.579 --> 00:29:12.740 were impure in their hearts. And they were unstable 00:29:12.740 --> 00:29:18.500 in their spirit. These things must become realities 00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:25.900 in here before they become realities in our actions. 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:29.799 Brothers and sisters, David is not crying out. 00:29:30.869 --> 00:29:35.549 God, change what I'm doing. Change what I do 00:29:35.549 --> 00:29:37.769 tomorrow. Change my behavior. Change my actions. 00:29:37.930 --> 00:29:45.150 He's saying this, change who I am. Do you know 00:29:45.150 --> 00:29:52.589 that there's something wrong with you? Do you 00:29:52.589 --> 00:29:57.619 know that you need changed? Because until you're 00:29:57.619 --> 00:30:00.619 able to cry out this prayer with David, create 00:30:00.619 --> 00:30:03.660 in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:06.160 within me, because you know you have a dirty 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:08.940 heart and you know that you're unstable, you're 00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:11.700 never going to experience the purity and the 00:30:11.700 --> 00:30:17.019 steadfastness. Do you know that you are not okay 00:30:17.019 --> 00:30:23.250 in your heart? Are you just okay? Coasting through 00:30:23.250 --> 00:30:26.029 life as a moral person that's separate and distinct 00:30:26.029 --> 00:30:36.630 from Christ. Behavior can be deceiving, brothers 00:30:36.630 --> 00:30:41.710 and sisters. Coming to this church building does 00:30:41.710 --> 00:30:47.289 not make you a Christian. Being involved regularly 00:30:47.289 --> 00:30:52.140 does not make you a Christian. Talking about 00:30:52.140 --> 00:30:55.460 spiritual things and giving advice does not make 00:30:55.460 --> 00:31:00.240 you a Christian. You know what makes you a Christian? 00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:07.160 That you have been given a pure heart and a steadfast 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:11.019 spirit. That God has given you a new heart that's 00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:13.279 responsive to the gospel, that has faith and 00:31:13.279 --> 00:31:17.059 repentance. And that the old stony heart has 00:31:17.059 --> 00:31:21.630 been taken away. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:31:21.849 --> 00:31:23.829 his life and his death and his resurrection. 00:31:24.509 --> 00:31:26.769 That's what makes you a Christian. And if you 00:31:26.769 --> 00:31:30.329 are justified by faith from that new heart, you 00:31:30.329 --> 00:31:37.990 will be sanctified. And you will know that your 00:31:37.990 --> 00:31:43.309 heart is wrong. That you have a moral problem, 00:31:43.509 --> 00:31:49.250 a moral issue. And you will cry out. You will 00:31:49.250 --> 00:31:53.230 repent of your sin. And the Lord Jesus Christ 00:31:53.230 --> 00:31:56.529 will sanctify your heart. He will grow you. He 00:31:56.529 --> 00:31:59.890 will extend his sovereign creative power in your 00:31:59.890 --> 00:32:03.809 heart. And he will grow you in the grace and 00:32:03.809 --> 00:32:07.990 the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's 00:32:07.990 --> 00:32:13.150 a deep internal work. And it's described as a 00:32:13.150 --> 00:32:17.890 sovereign work of God. David is conscious of 00:32:17.890 --> 00:32:22.769 the reality. He's conscious of the reality. That's 00:32:22.769 --> 00:32:28.630 why he asked for this. That he has lost these 00:32:28.630 --> 00:32:31.730 virtues and these graces that are bestowed and 00:32:31.730 --> 00:32:36.109 given by the Spirit of God. He recognizes that 00:32:36.109 --> 00:32:39.970 they are greatly decreased in his life and that 00:32:39.970 --> 00:32:43.089 their influence cannot be found within his soul. 00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:46.980 He's conscious of this. He's conscious of the 00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:52.180 reality that he cannot change his own heart. 00:32:53.359 --> 00:33:00.799 So what does he do? He goes to God. He cries 00:33:00.799 --> 00:33:04.400 to the Lord that he would create in him and that 00:33:04.400 --> 00:33:11.759 he would renew him. It's a work of God. And he's 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:15.180 conscious of it. Brothers and sisters, I want 00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:21.500 you to consider this. Who can change your heart? 00:33:23.940 --> 00:33:29.380 Can the world? Can the world fix your moral issue, 00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:35.000 your sin, your corruption? It will certainly 00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:39.640 seek to teach you morality, but it cannot give 00:33:39.640 --> 00:33:43.890 you purity within your heart. It cannot give 00:33:43.890 --> 00:33:46.470 you steadfastness within your spirit. Can the 00:33:46.470 --> 00:33:54.829 culture? Can our government provide a program 00:33:54.829 --> 00:34:01.069 that gives out purity and steadfastness? No. 00:34:03.349 --> 00:34:12.539 Can you create purity within your heart? Can 00:34:12.539 --> 00:34:17.719 you renew steadfastness within your heart? No. 00:34:18.619 --> 00:34:26.760 But our sovereign creator, redeemer, Jesus Christ 00:34:26.760 --> 00:34:37.340 can. He can change your very fabric. He can change 00:34:37.340 --> 00:34:42.760 who you are. He can work so deeply in your soul 00:34:42.760 --> 00:34:46.139 that you will never be the same, even as a Christian. 00:34:47.880 --> 00:34:51.679 He can pour out his power and his spirit in his 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:57.000 heart and transform you. He can change any sinner 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:03.940 just as he brought creation into being from nothing. 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:12.150 Brothers and sisters, this is why This idea of 00:35:12.150 --> 00:35:18.989 cold, dead, lifeless orthodoxy is false. Because 00:35:18.989 --> 00:35:24.869 if a justified person is justified, then what's 00:35:24.869 --> 00:35:28.190 going to take place? They'll be sanctified. And 00:35:28.190 --> 00:35:32.429 Christ will exert his sovereign, creative, sanctifying 00:35:32.429 --> 00:35:37.239 power within them. Do you understand the power 00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:40.619 that's at work in the life of the church of Jesus 00:35:40.619 --> 00:35:44.679 Christ? Think about it for a moment. Do you understand 00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:48.139 the divine agency that is at work in the soul 00:35:48.139 --> 00:35:51.119 of the Christian throughout the entirety of their 00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:54.039 lives? The same power that spoke the world into 00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:58.679 being. The same power that rose Jesus Christ 00:35:58.679 --> 00:36:02.039 from the dead. The same power that brought Jericho 00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:07.599 to the ground. That power is at work in the very 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:10.940 heart and mind and life of all those who are 00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:13.579 in union with Jesus Christ by faith and repentance. 00:36:13.880 --> 00:36:19.460 Now that person is going to have life and vitality 00:36:19.460 --> 00:36:23.739 and spiritual passion and zealousness for Christ 00:36:23.739 --> 00:36:31.260 because his power is at work in them. So true 00:36:31.260 --> 00:36:38.079 Christianity. cannot be cold, dead, lifeless 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:44.559 religion. It cannot be mere outward actions. 00:36:45.559 --> 00:36:50.159 It has to be a religion of the heart where the 00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:53.619 power of God is experienced in the soul of man. 00:36:54.780 --> 00:36:57.460 That's what Christianity is, brothers and sisters. 00:36:57.539 --> 00:37:07.940 True Christianity. Only true Christianity can 00:37:07.940 --> 00:37:18.519 change a sinner. But we know where to go for 00:37:18.519 --> 00:37:23.519 true, lasting, eternal transformation, don't 00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:28.400 we? We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the 00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:32.710 one who changes hearts. And changes minds and 00:37:32.710 --> 00:37:40.230 lives. Christ changes sinners. He sanctifies 00:37:40.230 --> 00:37:45.130 them. And he is the one who can transform your 00:37:45.130 --> 00:37:49.829 very heart. He's the one who can bring you from 00:37:49.829 --> 00:37:55.489 one degree of glory to the next. We see this 00:37:55.489 --> 00:37:59.110 work described. It's a work of creation. It's 00:37:59.110 --> 00:38:03.039 a work of renewal. It's an internal work, and 00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:07.719 it's a sovereign work. Let me offer you two ways 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:12.300 that this is applied, the diverse ways this text 00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:20.900 helps us today. We learn, first, that our desires 00:38:20.900 --> 00:38:25.860 for holiness and godliness ought to be turned 00:38:25.860 --> 00:38:33.179 into prayers for holiness. and godliness. I came 00:38:33.179 --> 00:38:37.199 across this statement in a man I like to read 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:41.079 periodically, Brian McLaren. He has many sermons 00:38:41.079 --> 00:38:44.320 and commentaries on the internet. So this is 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:46.900 not original to me, the statement I just told 00:38:46.900 --> 00:38:53.139 you. But it's very appropriate. What does David 00:38:53.139 --> 00:38:58.820 do here? He desires and he longs for a new heart. 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:04.179 He desires with his very being to be changed, 00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:08.800 to experience purity and steadfastness. He longs 00:39:08.800 --> 00:39:13.440 for it. But what does this longing do? It breaks 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:18.559 forth in prayer to God. He doesn't just long 00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:21.420 for it. He doesn't just desire it. He prays for 00:39:21.420 --> 00:39:27.519 it. He asks for it. Brothers and sisters, how 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:31.980 many times have you thought? How you desire, 00:39:32.219 --> 00:39:35.639 how you long to be godly and holy and more sanctified 00:39:35.639 --> 00:39:37.280 and to experience the power of Christ in your 00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:41.599 life more. Turn the thought into a prayer and 00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:45.559 go to the throne of grace. Pray for it. Cry for 00:39:45.559 --> 00:39:50.380 it. Plead for it from your heart. Is this not 00:39:50.380 --> 00:40:00.230 a prayer that Christ would gladly answer? Won't 00:40:00.230 --> 00:40:03.710 our risen Lord answer prayers for purity of heart 00:40:03.710 --> 00:40:08.670 and for steadfastness of spirit? There's some 00:40:08.670 --> 00:40:11.329 things we don't know. I'll pray it. I'm not sure 00:40:11.329 --> 00:40:13.570 if it'd be according to your will, but we know 00:40:13.570 --> 00:40:17.929 it is Christ's will for his people to be pure 00:40:17.929 --> 00:40:21.570 of heart. We know it's Christ's will for his 00:40:21.570 --> 00:40:24.750 people to be sanctified. We know it's Christ's 00:40:24.750 --> 00:40:29.800 will for his people to be steadfast. So pray 00:40:29.800 --> 00:40:32.260 for it, brothers and sisters. He will answer 00:40:32.260 --> 00:40:36.900 the prayer. He will sanctify you. He will make 00:40:36.900 --> 00:40:40.139 you more pure in your heart. He will extend his 00:40:40.139 --> 00:40:42.760 divine and sovereign power to your very heart 00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:50.280 if you will cry out for it. Will you run to the 00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:53.199 throne and ask him for godliness in your life, 00:40:53.300 --> 00:40:57.210 for help in your relationships? To walk according 00:40:57.210 --> 00:41:00.050 to his law and according to his word. Run to 00:41:00.050 --> 00:41:07.070 him and ask him for it. Plead with him. He will 00:41:07.070 --> 00:41:11.070 be faithful and he will answer those prayers. 00:41:14.570 --> 00:41:19.730 So we must turn our desires for holiness into 00:41:19.730 --> 00:41:23.530 prayers for holiness. But we also learn, too, 00:41:24.840 --> 00:41:30.519 Essential qualities involved in sanctification, 00:41:30.840 --> 00:41:41.000 don't we? Purity and steadfastness. God loves 00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:49.659 purity. God blesses the pure of heart. They shall 00:41:49.659 --> 00:41:52.559 see God according to Matthew. They'll have fellowship 00:41:52.559 --> 00:41:58.079 with him. He commands his people throughout scripture 00:41:58.079 --> 00:42:05.099 to be pure and to purify themselves, to be steadfast 00:42:05.099 --> 00:42:09.139 and to pursue and seek out steadfastness in their 00:42:09.139 --> 00:42:14.719 life. So if we know that Christ loves his people 00:42:14.719 --> 00:42:18.360 to be pure of heart and to be steadfast in spirit, 00:42:18.559 --> 00:42:22.179 we ought to seek these things out in our lives. 00:42:23.820 --> 00:42:29.500 We have to pursue purity in our hearts, cleanness 00:42:29.500 --> 00:42:34.039 in our minds, cleanness in our thinking, cleanness 00:42:34.039 --> 00:42:39.460 in our eyes, cleanness in our lives, purity in 00:42:39.460 --> 00:42:44.260 our hearts, in our spirit, to our very being 00:42:44.260 --> 00:42:49.099 and our very core. If we pursue that, then it 00:42:49.099 --> 00:42:53.420 will affect our whole life. All our behavior, 00:42:53.599 --> 00:42:57.000 all our actions, if we deal with who we are, 00:42:57.239 --> 00:43:04.760 then what we do will follow. These things will 00:43:04.760 --> 00:43:08.059 become more and more prominent in the life of 00:43:08.059 --> 00:43:15.739 the believer. Two marks that will grow in prominence 00:43:15.739 --> 00:43:18.300 and prevalence in the life of the sanctified 00:43:18.300 --> 00:43:22.289 Christian. Purity. or innocence with regards 00:43:22.289 --> 00:43:27.010 to the law of God, and steadfastness in their 00:43:27.010 --> 00:43:30.769 walk with regards to the precepts and the statutes 00:43:30.769 --> 00:43:38.070 of God. But as we grow and mature, as we grow 00:43:38.070 --> 00:43:40.369 in the grace and knowledge of Christ, as we grow 00:43:40.369 --> 00:43:44.630 in the purity of our heart, in the steadfastness 00:43:44.630 --> 00:43:48.869 of our life, it will also continually make us 00:43:48.869 --> 00:43:54.630 distinct. and different from everything around 00:43:54.630 --> 00:44:02.489 us. So as a person is sanctified, as a person 00:44:02.489 --> 00:44:05.449 grows in the grace and the knowledge of Christ, 00:44:05.750 --> 00:44:10.190 as Christ continually exerts his sovereign power 00:44:10.190 --> 00:44:13.610 to give them a clean heart and a steadfast spirit, 00:44:13.690 --> 00:44:15.989 that person will continually and progressively 00:44:15.989 --> 00:44:20.780 become different. And more and more different 00:44:20.780 --> 00:44:28.460 than the impure, unclean, unstable world around 00:44:28.460 --> 00:44:37.300 us. The result of sanctification in many cases, 00:44:37.599 --> 00:44:42.760 and in all cases actually, is separation from 00:44:42.760 --> 00:44:49.210 this present evil age. Not... the physical world 00:44:49.210 --> 00:44:54.730 or the places, but the evil moral world around 00:44:54.730 --> 00:45:01.670 us. That which is against God. So God sanctifies 00:45:01.670 --> 00:45:06.329 us. He matures us and he grows us. The result 00:45:06.329 --> 00:45:12.329 is that we are progressively distinguished from 00:45:12.329 --> 00:45:18.880 the evil morality around us. We don't blend in. 00:45:19.480 --> 00:45:24.960 Why? Because Christ has exerted his sovereign 00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:31.280 power to create in you a pure heart. He sanctified 00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:35.800 you. Christ has exerted his sovereign power to 00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:41.300 renew in you what? A steadfast spirit. He sanctified 00:45:41.300 --> 00:45:45.519 you. So the more and more and more that he sanctifies 00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:49.429 us throughout our life, the more and the more 00:45:49.429 --> 00:45:55.369 and the more we grow distinguished from the evil 00:45:55.369 --> 00:46:00.409 morality of the world around us. So we learn 00:46:00.409 --> 00:46:04.489 these two essential qualities, and we learn that 00:46:04.489 --> 00:46:07.949 we ought to take our desires for holiness and 00:46:07.949 --> 00:46:14.150 make them prayers for holiness. Finally, I just 00:46:14.150 --> 00:46:17.690 want to encourage everybody. From this text. 00:46:18.750 --> 00:46:22.070 You can look at all kinds of things for change. 00:46:23.469 --> 00:46:27.389 All kinds of things for change. You can read 00:46:27.389 --> 00:46:31.030 all kinds of books for change. If you're here 00:46:31.030 --> 00:46:34.150 and you don't know Christ. You will never find 00:46:34.150 --> 00:46:37.090 any true or lasting change. Apart from Christ. 00:46:38.010 --> 00:46:44.150 But if a person knows Jesus Christ. That person 00:46:44.150 --> 00:46:48.949 will truly. and genuinely and continue to be 00:46:48.949 --> 00:46:54.869 changed until the day they go to be with the 00:46:54.869 --> 00:47:03.170 Lord. True change is found in Jesus Christ and 00:47:03.170 --> 00:47:05.349 in him alone.