A Clean Heart

Lesson Connection

I want to talk about temptation for a bit this morning.

There once was a youth minister in a local church who fell into sin. It began in a moment. Satan, knowing how to tempt the young minister, provided and opportunity for his eyes to wander. They young man took the bait, and his eyes lingered too long on someone who wasn’t his spouse. Before long, the long look turned to lust. The lust turned into fantasy in his mind. The young man eventually began to actively seek out this particular sin until it became a habit - a regular part of his existence.

Ultimately - months after the first moment of temptation - the sin had overtaken his life. His entire schedule revolved around it. Eventually his sin was discovered by his family and his pastor, and his world cam ecrashing down around him, proving the age-old principle of scripture: “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

Unfortunately, similar things have happened many times to different people in many different contexts. It has happened to new converts in Christ and to seasoned ministers. And in this tragic example, the story didn’t have to end the way it did for this young man. At any given moment, he could have confessed his sins and repented. He had a choice whether to continue in his sin. But he fooled himself into believing he could hide his sin. He was wrong. God refused to coexist alongside this young man’s hidden sin.

Another true story I have for you today shows a very different response to temptation and sin. There was a middle-aged minister who Jesus had delivered from a lifestyle of drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol. After a particularly stressful day at his secular job, he walked into a gas station restroom on his way home from work. Sitting on the sink was an open bottle of alcohol and a lit cigarette. As in the precious story, the man’s eyes lingered too long, and he surrendered to the temptation. He picked up the container and drank; then he picked up the cigarette and smoked.

But this man’s story has a different ending. On his way home, guilt overwhelmed him. That evening, he confessed to his wife and his pastor. He repented and allowed the accountability partners in his life to strengthen him and prevent such an event from every happening again. The man was restored and never went back to that lifestyle again.

This man’s story demonstrates another scriptural truth:

1 John 1:9 NKJV

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We Have A Sinful Nature

The Bible makes it clear that sin is pervasive in our world.

Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, every human has been born with a natural propensity to sin. This can be easily proven by asking parents which is harder: teaching kids to do bad or to do good. Most parents will testify that doing bad comes naturally to their children, but children must be taught to do good.

And just in case anyone would try to pretend that they are exempt from the natural inclination to sin, the writers of Scripture stomp out that notion. Paul famously wrote:

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Another New Testament writer rebuked those who claimed perfection, saying:

1 John 1:8 NKJV

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:10 NKJV

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

The truth can easily be seen by observing some of the “spiritual giants” in Scripture: Moses, Abraham, David, Paul, and Peter all had moments when they participated in horrendous sin, which even included adultery. But within the tragedy of their stories of sin also lies some hope for us. If those people could confess their sin, repent, and be restored… then so can we!

Temptation Will Come Our Way

Temptation is something that is a reality for everyone. A frustrating reality, but a reality nonetheless.

No one is exempt from temptation. Paul described the temptations we face as being common (1 Corinthians 10:13). Even Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The writer of Hebrews noted that Jesus “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

However, there is an important distinction to be made: being tempted is not a sin. But whenever we are tempted, we have to choose whether to give in to that temptation.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:13...

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Whenever we are tempted, we should immediately turn to God and look for a way of escape.

What steps can be taken to prevent ourselves from being in tempting situations? When you are tempted, how do you escape?

The Lord Gave Himself as a Sacrifice for Our Sins

So it’s important to understand about temptation that we all deal with it. It’s part of living in a sinful world. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

But even with all of that… it’s also important to understand that there is hope.

Some people use that scripture about everyone having sinned and falling short of the glory of God as a way to justify their sinful lifestyle…

But that’s why reading and understanding the Word is important. Right after reminding us that everyone has sinned, John said this:

1 John 2:1–2 NKJV

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

Now I know that this word propitiation can be somewhat baffling. Anybody ever read a word in the Bible and you’re like, “DUHHH!” But propitiation can also be translated as “atoning sacrifice” (NET, NIV).

By sacrificing Himself on the cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins. My sins, and your sins, are so great that we could never hope to make up for them. You’re never going to get “good enough” or do enough good deeds to atone for your own sins.

What’s great is… we don’t ever have to worry about that. Jesus’ death paid the price for every sin!

David’s Prayer Of Repentance

Psalm 51 provides a pretty good example for us to follow when we sin. David’s example should make us more willing to confess and repent of our own sin.

I think something important to note is that if even the great King David (celebrated throughout the Bible and still today) if he could make a mistake and sin, then who are we to pretend we do not??? And if he could repent and receive forgiveness for the severe sins he committed (adultery and murder), then who are we to think we can’t repent and receive forgiveness?

Video:

David’s Sin

While “all Israel” was out fighting the Ammonites, David remained behind in Jerusalem with his mind and hands idle.

Then one late afternoon, David was walking aimlessly on the roof of the king’s house. Looking down, he saw Bathsheba - a beautiful woman married to Uriah the soldier - bathing on a rooftop.

And in that moment, David had a chance to look away. He could have gone anywhere else in his house or looked any other direction from his rooftop. But instead, when temptation presented itself, David kept looking.

And therein lies the barb of temptation. When it goes beyond just being temptation… to us sinning. He kept looking.

The look turned into lust, and the lust turned into fantasy. David then did the unthinkable. He sent messengers to Bathsheba, forced her to come to him, and then forced Bathsheba into bed. And he grossly abused his power as king to take something he desired that was never his to take.

Shortly after, Bathsheba let David know that she was pregnant with his child. Even though David had already sinned, he had an opportunity to repent and ask for forgiveness. But sin, left unchecked, often grows upon itself.

Instead of coming clean, David tried to then cover up the sin by bringing Uriah home from the battlefield and having him spend a night at home. But Uriah was more righteous than David in this instance. He refused to relax while his fellow soldiers were at war, and he refused to go to his house and to his wife.

In a rage David sinned again. He ordered Uriah to the front lines of battle and secretly ordered his captain to withdraw, allowing Uriah to be killed.

Now, David was guilty of two unthinkable sins: adultery and murder.

David Sought the Lord for Forgiveness

Like all sins, this couldn’t be hidden forever. In this instance, God revealed David’s sin to Nathan the prophet. Nathan confronted David and caused him to realize the seriousness and gravity of his sin.

And this is why it’s necessary that there be a preacher who preaches that sin is bad, and hell is hot, God is mighty, and Heaven is beautiful! I’m thankful that there is a preacher who will preach to me!

Even then, David could have chosen to remain stubborn and refuse to admit wrongdoing. If he had done so, he likely would have gone down the path of Saul, his predecessor, and refused to humble himself before God. And he would have been rejected as king, like Saul.

But that’s not what happened.

David finally took that opportunity to repent and ask God for forgiveness. He confessed his sin to the man of God and publicly in the form of a psalm. And because he put his repentance in written form, we now have a pattern to follow when we sin, whether or not our sin is as notable as David’s.

Have Mercy Upon Me, O God

The first line of David’s prayer was humble and straightforward:

Psalm 51:1 NKJV

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

He confessed his need for God and His mercy.

In order to truly repent, we have to confess that we need God. And not only that, we have to admit that God is the only one who can cleanse us from our sin. David did that - and pretty plainly:

Psalm 51:2–3 NKJV

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.

David recognized that God was the only answer for his situation.

And he also gained a bigger perspective on the nature of his sin. He prayed:

Psalm 51:4 NKJV

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

He recognized his sin nature:

Psalm 51:5 NKJV

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

But even though he was born sinful, he knew there was an answer:

Psalm 51:7 NKJV

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Create in Me a Clean Heart

So he prayed for forgiveness and cleansing. But - it’s not enough to pray for forgiveness and cleansing alone. If a person’s heart is cleansed, but nothing good replaces it, then that person will likely fall into sin gain (Matthew 12:43-45).

David prayed:

Psalm 51:10 NKJV

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I OFTEN pray this verse. David knew only God could provide him with a clean heart and deal with his carnality that had led him to commit those horrible sins.

One of the most desperate and passionate parts of this entire prayer comes when David cries out:

Psalm 51:11 NKJV

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Earlier in his life, David had witnessed God’s Spirit being taken away from Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). David saw the terrible path Saul went down, and David didn’t want to go down the same path.

When we repent, we shouldn’t only ask for our sins to be forgiven and our hearts to be cleansed, but we must also ask for God’s Spirit to come and occupy the space in which sin used to be.

When God delivered you from sin and filled you with His Spirit, what were some positive things God put into your life in place of the sin?

When We Sin, We Must Seek the Lord for Forgiveness

Even though Jesus has already died for our sins, this doesn’t excuse us from having to ask Him for forgiveness. God is gentle and respectful of our wishes. He will allow us to remain in our sin, if we so desire.

And also, we shouldn’t just repent and ask for forgiveness once; we should learn to live a lifestyle of repentance, asking for forgiveness often. In order to stay pure, the best thing to do is repent regularly and ask for forgiveness of any and all sins in our lives, both what we are aware of and what we are not.

The Power of Repentance

When people repent and receive forgiveness, they often use powerful language to describe what happened: freeing, liberating, a fresh start. These words sound like someone being released from prison, and repentance is truly a similar experience.

Repentance is a necessary and important first step on our journey to God.

God Will Forgive Us When We Repent

1 John 1:9 gives us this promise about repentanct:

1 John 1:9 NKJV

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we confess and repent, He will forgive. That is our confidence and our promise we have with Him.

We can’t expect to become perfect and stop sinning altogether; BUT, we can expect to sin less as God’s grace and mercy makes us more like Him. And every time we do sin, we have the promise of God’s forgiveness and mercy waiting for us once again.

God Is a God of Restoration

When we realize God loves us and He desires our repentance and restoration, we should no longer hesitate to come to Him for mercy and grace.

There are many people who don’t come to God for fear He will be harsh with them, but that is not the type of God we serve. He understands the size of our struggles, so He gave His own life so we would have an opportunity to escape those struggles.

Knowing this, we should be quick to follow the advice in Hebrews 4:16…

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

I Will Repent When I Sin

So the decision is in our hands.

We know we all are sinners. At times we will sin, both knowingly and unknowingly. And so we have to choose whether to repent and seek God.

Will we be like Saul and choose to stubbornly remain in our sin, or will we follow David’s example and seek forgiveness, no matter how small or large we perceive our sin to be?

Internalizing the Message

Because temptation and sin are common to all humanity, there are many examples of right and wrong ways to deal with sin. And because win is so widespread, there are many examples of the different types of sin we deal with.

But all sin has one thing in common: it can be covered by the blood of Jesus Christ. If someone repents and asks for forgiveness, no sin is so large that God is unable or unwilling to forgive.

“Only Jesus can take a soul black with sin, wash it red with blood, and it come out white as snow.”

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We also need to know that God doesn’t rank or qualify sin like we do sometimes. For us, there are certain offenses people can commit that seem much larger than others.

For example, the sin of premeditated murder seems much more appalling than someone lying to their manager to get out of work. But in the eyes of God, there are no “big sins” or “little sins.” Sin is sin, plain and simple. Anything that separates us from God is sin. And if allowed, any kind of sin can and will separate us from God and ultimately keep us out of paradise with Him.

To describe sin, some have used the metaphor of archers shooting arrows at a target. One might miss the bullseye by only a couple inches, and another might miss by several feet. But the result is the same: the target has been missed, and the archer has failed the assignment.

And any sin can cause us to miss the target and separate us from God.

And what really is the “good news” today, is that no matter our sin, we boldly can bring all sin to Jesus Christ, the one who paid the price for all of them.

The Old Covenant did make distinctions between sins, and the priests would offer different sacrifices for different sins. But when jesus died for our sins, He “offered one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews 10:12). The work was completed! Now we can come boldly before Him, repent, and receive forgiveness for our sins.