Psalm 51:9-10 " Hide THY face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a right spirit within me. "
Daily cleansing from sin is necessary if we are to "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4) once we have obtained new life through faith in JESUS CHRIST. While it is true that once we are saved we are positionally sanctified in CHRIST and completely accepted in the sight of GOD, we need to be progressively sanctified because we often find ourselves wandering from HIM and becoming entangled with the affairs of our old life. It becomes necessary to confess the known sins in our life in order to experience proper fellowship with HIM (1st.John 1:9). David certainly found it essential to ask GOD to cleanse and sanctify his heart after he had committed adultery and murder: "Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a right spirit within me" (v.10; 2nd.Samuel 11-12).
We can experience the new life that is ours through the LORD JESUS CHRIST in all its fullness if we remember to renew our inward man day by day (2nd.Corinthians 4:16) and strive to "walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Even though we are saved and are "new [creatures]" (2nd.Corinthians 5:17), we still possess the GOD-given responsibility to regularly "put off" the flesh - the old nature - and to "put on" the character of CHRIST (Colossians 3:5-14). An active walk with GOD and close, personal fellowship with HIM are necessary if we are to "be renewed in the spirit of [our] mind" (Ephesians 4:22-24). The world, the flesh, and the devil seek to draw us away from the LORD and back to our old ways; when we fall, the resulting wayward walk is a dreary one indeed. But if we, like David, seek to draw near to GOD and ask HIM for cleansing and renewal when we sin, then we will experience the new life of peace and joy that GOD desires for each of HIS OWN. MDC
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, Feature: A Daily Bible Study Guide
Used with permission. www.feasite.org
