Wash Me Part 2

Introduction

Last week we learned that our need is twofold: we need reconciliation and transformation, or justification and sanctification.

We dealt primarily with the need of Justification: Justification is an act of God whereby He declares unjust sinners to be just after He has imputed to them the righteousness of Christ.

This morning we will deal primarily with the need of sanctification Sanctification: is the ongoing supernatural work of God to rescue Justified sinners from the disease of sin and to conform them to the image of His Son.

In order to experience Justification and Sanctification we need repentance. Repentance: is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.

We must make a careful distinction between two kinds of repentance.

Attrition: A false or spurious kind of repentance. It involves remorse caused by a fear of punishment or a loss of blessing.

ex. every parent has witnessed attrition in a child when they were caught doing something they were not suppose to do. “I’m sorry don’t spank me” That cry mixed with crocodile tears is usually not a sign of genuine remorse for wrongdoing.

2. Contrition: On the other hand is true and godly repentance. It is genuine. It includes a deep remorse for offending God. The contrite person openly and fully confesses his sin with no attempt to excuse or justify it. This acknowledgment of sin is mixed with a willingness to make restitution whenever possible and resolve to turn away from sin.

This is the spirit of repentance that David exhibits for us in this chapter.

The Need For the Power of The Spirit (vv.10-13)

Simply asking for pardon is not enough. We must also also have the power by which not to commit the same sin again.

v. 10 The Hebrew verb used for create(bara) is exclusively employed in the OT with God as the subject. This word is strictly used for the creative power of God.

David is asking for God to create something in him to exist where there was nothing before.

God promises to give us a new heart that will enable us to return to Him and walk in obedience.

Jer. 24:7 “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.”

God gives us the ability to obey and follow Him properly.

b. Ezek. 11:19-20 “19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, 20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”

v. 11 What does David mean when he prays that God would not take His Spirit from? Is David teaching it is possible to lose your salvation?

Beside from the saving activity of the HS in the OT, beside the indwelling ministry by which believers are sanctified and enabled to live holy lives, the HS was poured out on select individuals to empower and enable them to perform certain tasks.

Craftsmen who worked on the tabernacle (Exod. 31:1-6)

Military commanders (such as Joshua Num. 27:18)

Judges ( appointed and empowered to rule over Israel)

Kings (Saul and David)

The Holy Spirit was operative in the OT, but a new phase of the Spirit’s ministry began with the death and resurrection of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost.

The moment you believe the Holy Spirit indwells you Gal 3:1-2 “1 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Paul’s answer to this rhetorical question is obvious. We received the Spirit not by keeping the law, but through saving faith granted to us after hearing the gospel.

Paul makes a similar point in 1 Cor. 12:13 “ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

b. All Christians are immersed by Christ with the Holy Spirit. Paul’s point here is to emphasize the unity of all believers. All believers are Spirit-baptized.

One of the HS functions in our lives is to cultivate Christian Character, to transform us more and more into the likeness to Christ.

Sanctification is the work of God

All our efforts toward holiness are useless apart from (1) the work of Christ on the cross (Heb 10:10 “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” ) (2) The work of the Spirit of God in us. Paul highlights the Spirit’s role with the repeated phrase “by the Spirit” in Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Gal 5:18 “ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”

Gal. 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”

What does it mean to live or be led by the Spirit? submit to the Spirit’s control, letting the Word control you. Pursuing pure lives, confessing sin, dying to self, depending on His power in all things, letting the Word of God dominate your thoughts and actions.

2. Sanctification involves our cooperation

It’s not let go and let God. Take note of the imperatives in Gal 5. “Walk by the Spirit”, “Live by the Spirit”, “keep in step with the Spirit”.

Sanctification involves our cooperation with God. Christ has delivered us from sin’s power, tyranny, and reign, but the responsibility for resisting sin is yours.

Sanctification is God’s from beginning to end because God is the one who initiates it, who carries it through by the work of his Holy Spirit, and who will bring it to completion on the last day. That’s what Paul tells us in Philippians: that God who began that good work in us will bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. It’s not optional as to whether or not we will finish the work. God will finish the work.

Now having said that, Paul goes on to tell the Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, “for it is God who is at work in you.” So because God is working in us, that’s what motivates us, that’s what encourages us, that’s what strengthens us by his Holy Spirit to engage in the battle.

How does The Spirit Empower for growth in godliness?

The Bible is not a cheap infomercial telling us to change and then assuring our little fickle hearts, “You can do it!”

he Bible expects that because God dwells in us by the Spirit, we can, by that same Spirit, begin to share in the qualities that are characteristic of God himself.

By exposing our sin and leading us to repentance.

The Spirit illumine God’s word, teaching us what is true and revealing it as precious.

The Spirit throws a spotlight on Christ so we can see His glory and beauty and be changed into the image of Christ. 2Cor. 3:18 “ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

V. 12 There is a direct link between the experience of forgiveness and the fullness of joy. But there is also a link between joy and obedience.

Joy and obedience are not mutually exclusive.

John 15:10-11 “10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

Jesus is saying that His obedience to the Father was the basis or foundation of His joy, so also believers who are obedient to His commandants will experience the same joy.

The benefits of obedience far outweigh the cost of walking in disobedience. When you walk in obedience, joy will fill your life.

The Results of Pardon and Power - Praise (vv. 13-17)

Having experienced pardon and power, David now moves to the result of those things and that is praise. He expresses his praise to God by doing these three imperatives: teach, sing, praise