Restoring Purity to My Defiled Heart

“Psalms that Make Me Psing” Series

A Message by Jim Hammond from Psalm 51

Need For Purity

In early Summer 2003, a teenage boy was picking fruit in Manila, Philippines, when he lost his footing, fell into an aqueduct below, and drowned. Tragically, his body became lodged in a major water supply pipe, contaminating city water.

The Manila Water Company tried unsuccessfully to dislodge the body and pumped massive amounts of chlorine into the water supply in an effort to make the water usable.

Meanwhile the company assured the city that the water supply was safe. Dr. Concepcion Quizon, chief executive assistant to the Health Secretary, acknowledged the need to work quickly: "We will have to fish out the body first. The public will not feel good or right using the water."

Citation: Mary Lasse, Aurora, Illinois "Body in Pipe an Unsavory Addition to Water," (5-20-03) Oddly Enough-Reuters"

The world of pop psychology may tell us that guilt is nothing but a neurosis that we should learn how to dismiss.
Although there is such a thing called false guilt, there is also such a thing as real guilt, it may be a real way that God is trying to tell us we need help.
True feelings of guilt is a valuable asset for living, it helps us clean up our lives.
It is not enough to throw some chlorine into the water supply to make life taste better. It would taste much better if we removed the decaying dead body of sin in our lives. Don’t just dismiss guilt feelings until you know whether they are true or not. Then, deal with the source, not the feelings.

Focus: Psalm 51 models for us what to do when we have defiled ourselves with sin.

Today we are going to identify the body (the dead carcass of sin --By listening to the story as it is told in 2 Samuel 11-12) then we are going to learn how to remove the dead CARCASS of sin that blocks the life giving flow of the Spirit by learning from David’s confession in Psalm 51.

READ 1 Samuel 11-12 (Listening assignments):

If David was where he was supposed to be, he would not have sinned. Where was he supposed to be?
Compare Bathsheba’s husband’s strength of Character to David’s character.
How long did David hide his sin?
What did it take for David to Repent?

I. How to Restore Purity to My Defiled Heart

READ Psalm 51

A. I Must Have Enough Faith to Lay Claim to God’s Grace (vs. 1-3)

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion

Mercy and Grace are always the basis for forgiveness. Forgiveness is never deserved.

David’s love for God failed, but he looked to God’s unfailing love.

· PREREQUISITE: We Must Ask: Please Wash Me

2Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

B. I Must Honestly Confront My Sin and Confess It (vs. 4-9)

4Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
5Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Why does he say “Against you, you only, have I sinned” when he sinned against Bathsheba, and had Uriah killed?

WHATEVER THE RATIONALIZATION BEFORE, NOW HE admits that his sin was against God. When Nathan confronted him, he confronts his offense against God, calling his offensive action “despising the word of the Lord”.2 Samuel 12:9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah and stolen his wife.

Do any of you despise God’s Word? We would not admit to that, but when we willfully sin, that is what we are doing, willfully despising God’s word and will. It’s our will against his.

David acknowledged that God’s judgment was right.

so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

What was GOD’S judgment? (4 THINGS)
1. 2 Samuel 12:10, the sword will never depart from your house
2. 2 Samuel 12:11-12 OPEN Betrayal from his own household, OPEN SHAME
3. 2 Samuel 12:13-14 you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt,
4. the son born to you will die."

Forgiveness Does Not Erase Natural Consequences

C. I Must Acknowledge that I cannot be Self-Restored (vs. 10-12)

1. I need God’s Creative and Renewing work in my heart (v. 10)

10Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

It is the God who created our universe that is able to create in us a pure heart. We cannot do it ourselves.

2. I need God’s Presence (vs. 11-12)

11Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

· God’s Presence Restores Joy

· God’s Presence Restores Willingness

· God’s Presence Restores Sustaining Energy

Do you struggle from insufficient joy? Or do you lack motivation when it comes to things that please God? Or do you lack the energy required? Check your connection. Something that is blocking or has blocked the connection has not been adequately dealt with and you need God’s renewing presence.

3. Forgiveness cannot be earned or purchased (vs. 16-17)

16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

David had been bringing the offerings, and sacrifices FOR 9 MONTHS, But he knew that these were not acceptable. Why?
To be contrite means to have a broken heart over your own sin, to grieve over sin. This is an appropriate attitude toward sin.

David did not grieve over his sin until he was confronted with God’s view of his sin.

4. I Can’t Be Fixed Till I Am Broken

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

What will it take for you to REPENT? (It took exposure and confrontation to break David.)

Will you Humble yourself Before you are Humiliated?

II. Ministry Naturally Flows Out of Restored Purity (vs. 13-15)

13Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
14Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

Confession and forgiveness are prerequisites to ministry

People get it wrong, sometimes they try to serve off their guilt, kind of like paying off their debt. No, guilt must be washed clean first, then you can serve, and will want to serve.