Turning Point of Hope

Repentance & Ps. 51, pt.5
About 1/2 way through his prayer, David seems to hit a turning point where it's apparently becoming more real, more believable, that he may indeed find the forgiveness for which he's been pleading and the joy he once knew in "You only." There seems to be a renewed hopefulness emerging in verses 10-13. It's a hope we can know, too.

Again and again David's prayer is fulfilled in the New Testament experience. David cried out for a clean heart. Sin has dirtied us. We do not deserve to be in God's presence, yet that is the very place in which we are invited to dwell. We are cleansed by the blood of the Sacrifice Lamb, sprinkled clean and invited into the Holy of Holies. He cried out, "take not Your Holy Spirit from me." For the follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit has been given as an earnest of our inheritance. (An earnest is something given to confirm a promise. If the promise is not kept, the earnest is forfeited. For example, when you buy a house, you put up "earnest money" as a promise that you really do intend to buy this house, not just get them to hold it while you look for something else. If you do not follow through, you forfeit your earnest.) God gave the Holy Spirit. He (the Spirit) cannot be forfeited. He is God's promise of full payment to come - of being in His presence in this lifetime as our earthly heritage, and of our eternal home in heaven, forever before the throne of God.

David longed for the joy of salvation and a "willing spirit." The cleansing of repentance brings joy in the Lord. It opens us to the sustenance of a willing spirit. His Spirit is given to both will and work for His good pleasure. He has made us new creations, no longer slaves to sin. Although housed in the flesh, our spirit, the new man within us, is inherently good, desiring to love and honor God. It is willing, though the flesh is weak, to walk in a manner worthy of Him, to please Him in every respect, to bear fruit in every good work, and to increase in the knowledge of Him. It is willing to trust Him and to receive from Him whatever He brings, to the point of giving thanks for all things. It is willing to do what He says, constrained by the love of Christ.

Oh, the joy of His cleansing blood. The joy of cleansing is the motivation to share the good news. It is powerful enough to bring positive results to the sharing - "sinners will be converted to You." The world needs this joy.

Feel free to leave comments or questions. If you want references for some of the statements above, let me know. I'd be glad to post them.