Such Is My Consciousness Of Sin

Yesterday when I signed off I got a little ahead of myself. We will talk about the joy of my salvation on Monday. This morning I need to deal with having God creating a clean heart within me. For without a clean heart rejoicing in my salvation is impossible. Oh the Christian can act as though he or she is experiencing the joy of salvation, but that is all it is…acting.

David knew that his sin had not only defiled his heart but also had weakened his walk with the Lord and broken his fellowship with God.

    “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 51:10-11)

I’m going to make a statement which I feel very confident is accurate. I would suggest that over 90% of Christians never come to this level of repentance when seeking restoration with Jesus. I can tell you until recently I rarely approached the Throne of Grace asking Jesus to CREATE a clean heart in me; I just want the 409 wipe down version. Just spray a little of that holy cleanser on me Lord and I’ll be as good as new.

I rarely approached my King with the realization that my spirit needed renewing. David’s sin so grieved him that he feared God would cast him away and take the Holy Spirit from him. David didn’t approach heaven with the smug attitude of, “Yes Lord my salvation is assured and I never have to worry about being thrown away by You. Jesus promised me the Holy Spirit and Jesus never breaks His promises.”

Shame on me! I approach God sin-stained almost demanding forgiveness as though I’m entitled instead of with a broken and contrite spirit. Dear Christian if at reading this you discover yourself with a sense of entitlement before the Throne of Grace, then throw yourself at the foot of the cross to be reminded why you’re even allowed into the Holy of Holies! Dare not enter again without a broken and contrite heart.

I think we at times run into trouble by unconsciously thinking we’ve figured Jesus out. We take our theology, no matter how messed up, and apply it to our Lord without regard for His aletheia truth. My Jesus is like this…well that’s good that you have your own Jesus. You should, but only the Jesus of the Bible not the Jesus of your mind and/or emotions. The great Daniel Webster said this about Christ:

    “If I might comprehend Jesus Christ, I could not believe on Him. He would be no greater than myself. Such is my consciousness of sin and inability that I must have a superhuman Saviour.”

What happens to me when I become keenly aware of my sin? I realize I need a clean heart, which is something new. It must be created not from what is, but anew from Jesus. Jesus said:

    “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)

You know why I cannot see God with a defiled heart? Simply because I do not look for him. It is hard to see in the dark, don’t you know?

    “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7)

And when I am walking in darkness I surely am not sharing the gospel. There too is a good reason for that, at which we will look on Monday.

I pray you have a blessed weekend and please remember to go to church on Sunday.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2010 David Jeffers

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