A Cry For Change - Part II
November 2023 |
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
—Psalm 51:10-12
REVIEW
In Part One, we spoke of David’s cry for change as recorded in the text above. David seems to understand that repentance is not the same as deliverance. After being assured his sins are forgiven, he then cries out to God to transform his inner man. David understands that if his heart is not changed, the same sins were likely to be repeated in a new setting.
David’s cry focuses upon five key words: create, renew, rely, restore, and uphold. Create indicates David’s understanding and dependence upon the creative power of God to change the interior of his heart. Renew deals with the never-ending process of renovation. This involves the spiritual renewal of the believer’s inner man, his heart, his thoughts, his will, etc. There are old things removed and new things installed. This is a work that only God can do. The last three key words are rely, restore, and uphold. Let’s take a closer look at what each thought implies.
RELY
In the new covenant believer, it is the person of the Holy Spirit who accomplishes the transformation in the inner man. The Holy Spirit is given to every born-again believer at the time of conversion. The work of changing an individual into the image of Christ begins immediately. It is the Holy Spirit alone who can accomplish the task. He is God. And He is able to accomplish what no amount of religious activity could ever hope to accomplish. There must be a reliance upon the Holy Spirit to perform the surgery upon the heart that results in Christ likeness. David cries out and requests that the Holy Spirit not be taken from him. It is uncertain if David truly understood what would be available in the new covenant regarding the transforming power and presence of the Holy Spirit. But in any case, he reveals his reliance upon the Holy Spirit to change him. He is not depending upon his own disciplines, education, talents and abilities, or position in the kingdom to bring about the needed changes. Today we too must lay aside all hope of the flesh. Flesh cannot fix flesh. Only the Holy Spirit can accomplish within us what is needed. He works exclusively within the framework of the finished work of Christ. As the believer continually trusts in Christ, who He is and what He’s done, the Holy Spirit continues the task until the sculpting of the inner man is accomplished. When He is done, the very life of Christ is displayed through the person of the one who has been changed. We must rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit.
RESTORE
David seeks for a restoration of joy. The statement that he makes is important to look at carefully. He does not say, restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Instead, he asks the Lord to restore the joy of “thy” salvation. The immediate joy of salvation experienced has been testified to by multiple millions down through the years who have accepted Christ. The instantaneous peace and joy that fills the heart cannot be compared to any other emotion or experience. This is not a redemption that we have accomplished in and of ourselves. The joy of God’s salvation is only realized when the believing sinner comes to the end of himself and rests entirely upon the finished work of Christ. Then and only then can true joy be realized. Salvation is not earned, and it is not gained by religious works. It is freely given. Jesus encouraged the people of His day, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He went on to say, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). One can only experience the joy of the Lord when he or she is resting in what God has provided for us in Christ. It is this joy and confidence that David is looking for. When we fail God, chances are we have operated outside of God’s provision. We have tried to live the Christian experience in our own strength, counting on our own abilities. While these attributes can be good, they are unable to provide us with the victory that we need. It is only when we learn to rest in Christ and abide in Him by faith that the provision of God may be truly experienced. Here we will find peace, joy, and rest, as we find ourselves trusting and relying upon the finished work of Christ. This is where the joy of “His” salvation continually permeates our soul. David is asking that the “just saved” feeling be restored.
UPHOLD
Last of all, David asks that he be upheld by the Lord. The term uphold in the text literally means “to be sustained.” A believer in today’s world is constantly under attack. There are spiritual forces that rage constant war against us. Even the flesh can desire something in our lives that God doesn’t want us to have. The world consistently pulls at us to participate with it in rebellion against God. There is no quarter given. There is no let up. The continual barrage can wear down even the strongest among us. David asks for the strength of the Lord to take ahold of him, to support him, to grasp hold and not let go of him. David understands that in his own strength, he will not be able to travel through the daily attacks of the enemies that surround him. The Bible tells us, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). When we realize that the God who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us and that that same power is available to uphold us, we can walk forward in confidence. The battle may be hard, but the Holy Spirit within is greater than the enemy. As we trust in Christ, He will uphold us through it all.
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