King David, a significant king in the nation of Israel, had a terrible moral failure. He spied on a naked woman while she was bathing and lusted after her in his heart, eventually committing adultery with her. This led to a series of sins, including the murder of the woman's husband.
David broke God’s Law, as listed in the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1–17), and so have we. Maybe we haven’t broken them in the same ways David did, but God’s Law requires absolute perfection. As Jesus taught the Law in Matthew chapter 5, He concluded with this statement: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
We’ve all disobeyed God; there are no perfect people. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, and the wages or payment we must receive for our disobedience is death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
So, we have failed at being perfect. Every human being has, which is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to this earth. Jesus received the wages for our sins, which was death when He went to the cross. We will talk more about this, but for now, let’s finish looking at the story of David.
After David sinned in adultery and murder, his heart remained hardened (see Hebrews 3:13) for nine months until God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him. It was only then that David's heart broke, and he became sorrowful for his sins. He cried out to God for forgiveness and prayed the following words:
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Psalms 51:7
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Psalms 51:10–12
David understood that his sin of disobeying God had defiled him and made him impure, and he prayed for cleansing. He wanted to be washed and made whiter than snow. He prayed for God to change his heart and his spirit.
Do you see how everything we do comes from our hearts?
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23
Do you see how everything we do comes from our hearts? “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23).
Friend, if you and I are ever to be free, God must change our hearts and change our nature. Otherwise, we can do programs, make decisions to stop doing this or that, try as hard as we want, and still not find lasting freedom. Do you see this?
I remember when I first learned this truth, I started crying out to God as David did. I prayed, “Oh God, change me! Change my heart; give me a new heart; give me a new spirit; make me new.” He answered that prayer.
Question 3. Here is a place for you to write out a prayer to God, asking Him to change your heart, give you new desires, etc.
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