Don’t Bypass This

PSALMS 51: Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. PSALMS 32:3

PSALMS 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

1. THERE IS A NEED IN EVERYONE’S LIFE FOR CLEANSING

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God New birth Cancelling of a debt Breaking off of a heavy chain Creation of a clean heart

Psalms 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Psalms 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. ISAIAH 64:6

Purge me! Purify me! Wash me!

Ezekiel 36:25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Acts 22:16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’ I John 1:7 But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

II. THE CLEANSING NEEDS TO BEGIN IN THE HEART

That never works long-term DON’T BYPASS THE HEART BY JUST CONCENTRATING ON BEHAVIOR

Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, “I don’t want you to sit back all proud just because you have never murdered anyone. I want to know what’s in your heart. I don’t want you to think you are somebody special just because you have never committed adultery. Let’s take a look at what’s in your heart.”

So David says, even if I never commit murder or adultery again in my entire life, there is still something here that’s a problem. So God, I want you to cleanse my heart. I want you to cleanse the things I think about, my priorities, my desire to serve you - all of it.

22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. EPHESIANS 4:22-24

“be renewed in the spirit of your mind” NCV - “But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person.

III. GOD CREATES THE CLEAN HEART

David goes back to the language of creation itself. Same Hebrew word here as in Genesis. A word used only of God.

Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”? PROVERBS 20:9

IV. WE MUST HAVE AN ATTITUDE THAT ALLOWS GOD TO CHANGE OUR HEART

NOTICE HOW DAVID PREPARED HIMSELF:

1. THERE WAS CONTRITION Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. “Contrite” - have a genuine & deep sorrow for our rebellion and a determined desire to do differently.

2. THERE WAS CONFESSION Psalms 51:3-4a 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight Genuine confession demands that we take sin as seriously as God takes it!

Solomon said, Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. GOOD NEWS!

The Good News is Your Price Has Been Paid