“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:2,7
In Charles Wesley’s great hymn, “Soldiers Of Christ Arise,” he writes: “Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul, Take every virtue, every grace and fortify the whole.” What does what Wesley declare have in common with David’s prayer concerning sin? Both are dealing with a complete preparation, and dealing with the issue. For David, he leaves no stone unturned, no place in his heart where the grace of God must go if he is to be clean, washed completely from his sin. He deals not only completely with the guilt of it, but its essence and effect. Just as John the Apostle wrote that in confessing our sin, “…God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” so David is seeking God to deal thoroughly with his sin, washing him completely from it, blotting it out entirely, purging him absolutely from it. He joins Wesley in being of like mind, in leaving NO unguarded place. Why is this matter of completely dealing with sin, and being wholehearted in appropriating Christ for every need, so very important? Both are the expressions of the heart that is wholehearted in dealing with God, and God dealing in response to them. David speaks indirectly of this matter by writing, “Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” then declared, “….a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.” (Ps. 51:17) In this present world, and in the atmosphere of unbelief in which the Christian lives, the believer must never think that God deals with sin lightly. The fact that He forgives and cleanses the sinner from sin is the result of Him giving His Son to take that sin upon Himself, and suffer the judgment of God upon it. It is thus essential that we grasp that, as in the case of appropriation of Christ, and His resources for every need, so the precious blood of Christ must be appropriated for thorough cleansing. There is another reason why dealing thoroughly with sin is so very important. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. This means that he uses every means, even every sin of the sinner against him, to accuse him before God. As in the case of Joshua the high priest, standing before God, clothed with filthy garments, and Satan standing at his right hand, to accuse and resist him, so it is true today, that if a believer does not trust God to deal thoroughly with his sin, Satan will accuse, condemn, and neutralize him. God is no respecter of persons, so He must deal with sin entirely if we are to have confidence before Him. Will He? The Christ of the cross declares that He is waiting to be gracious to every person who is willing to repent, confess, and believe God’s faithfulness in cleansing.
The question then arises, “If one is so prone to sin every day, how can one live victoriously over sin, being cleansed and kept clean?” First of all, we need to heed the Lord’s words, “…sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt. 6:34) The Christian soldier must grasp that God, Christ, is the Master of the day, one day at a time. And, as one walks with Christ, living by the power of the Spirit, he walks in the light. What is this light? It is both the truth found in Christ, but also, the objective word of God. The soldier is not to be occupied with his sin, but with his Captain, who will keep his feet from slipping, ever leading, protecting, and providing for him, one day, even one moment at a time. And secondly, God is the God of all grace, ever waitng to be gracious to restore, revive, and renew. The Christian is called to have a new beginning with Christ every day, overcoming through Christ alone, standing complete and victorious.
Dear Father, Strengthen our hearts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.