Psalm 51:13

Psalm 51, we're going to read verses 10 through

13. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew

a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me

away from your presence, and do not take your

Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of

your salvation, and sustain me with a willing

spirit. I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will be converted to you. As we come

to Psalm 51 once again, our emphasis today will

be in verse 13, which reads, Then I will teach

transgressors your ways, and sinners will be

converted to you. There's three simple things

we have to examine and spend time considering

this morning. The endeavor spoken of first. The

endeavor's success, as it's described, secondly.

And the endeavor's conditional nature, third.

We'll follow this. with a few applications for

our lives. Beginning with the first, the endeavor

spoken of. David says in verse 13, I will teach

transgressors your ways. David is determined

that he is going to teach transgressors the ways

of God. David is determined that he is going

to undertake, that he is going to carry out this

task, that he's going to clearly communicate

and instruct sinners in the ways of God. He's

going to teach them about God's dealings with

man, how God deals with men. He's going to teach

transgressors and sinners about God's grace.

About God's mercy. David is determined. He has

resolved that he is going to undertake this service,

this ministry. He's going to witness and testify

and proclaim about the work of God and the work

of God in his life. We read in Psalm 71. Of David's

determination. To do the same thing. We read

in verses 15 through 18. My mouth shall tell

of your righteousness. And your salvation all

day long. For I do not know the sum of them.

I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord

God. I will make mention of your righteousness.

Yours alone. O God, you have taught me from my

youth and I still declare your wondrous deeds.

And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not

forsake me until I declare your strength to this

generation, your power to all who are to come.

David is determined that from forth or coming

forth from his lips will be the praises and the

works and the deeds of God. And so he here resolves

to do that. He's determined to do it. Who is

it that David's going to teach the ways of God?

Who is he going to clearly communicate and clearly

instruct in how God deals with men? Transgressors

and sinners. It's not the assembly of the righteous

that David is going to minister to. It's not

the assembly of the saints and God's godly ones,

his holy ones, that David is going to proclaim

the good news to. In this text, it's transgressors,

it's sinners, it's those who need to be converted,

it's those who don't know God. It's wicked men

that David is going to proclaim these grand realities

and the works and deeds of God to. He's not talking

about backslidden and sinful people who have

fallen into lack of repentance that are in the

assembly of God's people. He's talking about

haters of God. He's talking about fools and mockers.

He's talking about people who don't know the

ways of God. That is who David has determined.

He's resolved that he is going. to teach the

ways of God to those in need around him of knowing

the ways of God. David is determined that he

will be useful for God's purposes and God's plans

in this world by teaching transgressors and sinners

the ways of God. There's a few interesting, with

regards to verse 13 in particular and the flow

and the context of Psalm 51. Notice that this

is the first time that David has mentioned anybody

other than himself and God. Now he's talking

about transgressors and sinners. This is the

first time. That David has actually mentioned

doing anything at all. He's determined to speak

these things, to teach these things, to proclaim

these things. This is the first time David said,

I'm going to do this. And this is the first time

David's eyes have turned from God in his repentance

to other men, to people around him in need. Now

that's important for us to understand in the

context of this psalm. Because this is following.

This is following David's repentance. We'll see

a little bit later that this work, this endeavor

that David is determined to undertake is conditional

on his being restored with God. This flows from...

repentance, as a result of repentance, this is

not part of his repentance, brothers and sisters.

This good deed, this work, this service, this

ministry that he's about to undertake, this is

not part of his repentance. This is a result.

This is something that true repentance leads

to. That's important. Because it shows us that

true repentance, genuine repentance, is always

between a person and God. It doesn't involve

other people. You don't repent for someone else.

You don't forsake sin on somebody else's behalf.

When you repent of sin, when you go to God in

prayer, it's you and God, nobody else. And out

of that will come the desire to be used, the

desire to look and see the need of others. Out

of that will result and come works which are

pleasing to God. Out of that will result ministry.

In service. Witnessing. Testifying of God's grace.

Speaking the word of God. Influencing and impacting

and affecting others around you for the sake

of the gospel. This is not part of your repentance.

This flows from your repentance. We don't do

things for other people as the Roman Catholic

Church teaches in penance. We deal with God in

our sin and repentance. And as a result of true

and genuine repentance, we will then go and serve

our fellow man. So we see this endeavor. that

David is speaking of, that he's determined to

undertake and carry out in his life. But we also

see the endeavor of success as he has described

it in this text. The second part of verse 13

says, and sinners will be converted to you. Consider

that statement for a moment. And sinners will

be converted to you. David's speaking with...

Surprisingly, he's speaking with confidence and

certainty regarding the effectiveness of his

ministry to transgressors and sinners. He's not

talking in wishful thinking. This is not hopeful.

This is certain. Confidence that his ministry,

he will be useful to God. He is certain and he

is confident that God will use his proclamation.

That sinners will in fact be converted to God.

This is ultimately what we all hope for, isn't

it? Don't we all long not just to be useful for

the Lord and to do good deeds and works and to

be instruments and to be used by God in mighty

ways? Don't we all long to be used by Him, but

not just to be used, but to be used in an effective

manner that He would accomplish His purposes

and His plans in us and through us? We don't

want to just be used to speak the word of God.

We want to see the word of God effectively work

through us in the lives of our children and the

lives of our loved ones. We want to see the word

of God effectively change people. We don't want

to just see the ministry carried out and conducted.

We want it to be effective and powerful to accomplish

that which it's intended for. Isn't that what

you long for in your life? If you're a believer

in Jesus Christ, don't you long to be used unto

the glory of God in the life of your children,

in the life of your wife, in the life of your

husband, in the life of those around you? Don't

you want God to bless your service? Don't you

want God to speak through you in His words? Don't

you want God to use you as a vessel and an instrument

for his kingdom and for his purposes? We all,

as believers in Jesus Christ, long for that.

But how do we have a confidence that he's going

to do that? How do we have the hope, not just

the hope, but how do we have the certainty and

the confidence that God will, in fact, work effectively

through us. That he will use us in the life of

our loved ones. That he will use us through our

preaching, through our evangelism, through our

teaching, through our instruction, through our

correction. How do we have this certainty that

David was in possession of? Because he certainly

has it. Sinners will be converted to you. This

leads us to the third thing. The endeavor's conditional

nature. This helps us answer that question of

how can we be certain, how can we have confidence

that God will use us? We see the word then. At

the very beginning of verse 13, notice that it

is italicized. This means the translators have

supplied it because the verbal form of the Hebrew

verb cannot accurately and fully be expressed

in English one for one. So they provide the word

then. It carries this idea that once this occurs,

after this takes place, then, I will do this.

So this helps us understand when David will undertake

this endeavor to teach transgressors and sinners

the ways of God. When he will find and be met

with success in his ministry and his service.

So when is it? It's once. He has been restored

by God. David cannot undertake this endeavor

in his current state and his current condition.

He cannot teach transgressors and sinners the

ways of God with his conscience bearing down

on him and guilt and shame. He cannot communicate

and proclaim and announce the gracious and merciful

ways of God when corruption is active in his

heart. It's not until it follows genuine repentance

and God answers his prayer for restoration that

then David can be useful to God. It's not until

God has made purity and created purity in his

heart. It's not until God has restored a steadfast

spirit in his heart. Until David has experienced

steadfastness in his life. It's not until God

has restored the joy of his salvation to David's

soul. It's not until God is upheld. David's spirit

with a willing and steadfast spirit. It's not

until the spirit of God begins to intimately

work and exert his gracious influence in David's

heart, in David's soul, in David's life again,

that then David will be able to be useful and

he will find success in this endeavor. It's then

and only then. That David can be used of God.

It's not until God has restored David in sweet,

unbroken, good fellowship with him. It's not

until he's been cleansed and purified of his

sin that David will undertake this endeavor.

David knows. certain realities. He understands

certain things. He understands that his usefulness

is dependent on genuine repentance. He understands

that successful usefulness and effective ministry

is dependent on genuine and sincere repentance

of sin. David, that those who lack or those whose

hearts are weighed down by sin and corruption

will not undertake such an endeavor. Think about

that. David is consciously aware of the fact

that those who have corruption and pollution

actively present within their heart, those people

will not endeavor to be used by God. Whether

you know Christ or not, you won't do it. There's

several reasons for this. There's several reasons

that the heart where corruption and pollution

are present, will not undertake to be used by

God. To take part, to participate in the things

of God. When corruption is sensed, when it's

present, when it's predominant in a heart, the

flesh will not willingly. Take part in that which

the heart is at enmity with. Meaning when you're

in sin, you don't want to talk about Christ.

When you're in sin, you don't want to worship.

When you have not repented of sin and corruption

is running wild in your heart. When your affections

are entangled by pollution because of sin in

your life. You will not desire to talk to your

children about the gospel. You will not long

to speak with your wife about the truths of scripture.

Because you're being held back, you're being

restrained by the corruption within you. The

flesh and the conscience will not eagerly or

willingly submit itself to such utter hypocrisy.

Brothers and sisters, do you know that when we

remain in sin and corruption has a grip on our

hearts, what it steals from those around us?

Do you know what it takes away from your children?

Do you know what it takes away from your co -workers?

Your usefulness. It takes away your willingness

to be used of God. When there's corruption and

pollution present, the flesh and the conscience,

they just say, we'll abstain. We'll withhold

this time. We won't take part. We aren't going

to go against it, but we're not going to actively

take part in that which is good, that which is

righteous, and that which is holy. Because there's

corruption, there's sin, there's pollution that

remains. It's because you haven't repented of

sin and God hasn't cleansed you of that corruption

in your heart. David understood this. David understood

that those who lack repentance lack usefulness.

God will not use, God will not bless those who

willingly cling to their sin. He will not work

in or through those Who willingly give themselves

to that which he is displeased with. Consider

David's year where he was in sin up to this point.

A whole year of his life. Where there was no

vital godliness or power within his soul. Consider

the... The usefulness that he lost for the entirety

of that year. The godly influence that he could

have exerted on those around him in that year.

If the Spirit of God had not been grieved in

his soul. If the Spirit of God had actively been

exerting and exercising his influence in and

through his life. No power. No vital godliness.

No divine activity present in the soul and the

mind. No gracious influence of the Spirit of

God. No enjoyment of God. Just dullness and coldness

and uselessness for the whole year, brothers

and sisters. Why? Because of sin. He gave it

up. When he willingly clung to and he chose his

sin, God didn't use him. He wouldn't use him.

Consider this. When you cling to sin and you

refuse repentance unto God, he's not going to

bless the work of your hands. He's not going

to work through you in the life of others because

the Spirit of God is going to withdraw. Your

words will fall flat. How much time have we lost

where we could have been making a significant

impact in the life of our children, in the life

of our loved ones, in the life of those around

us? Why? Because of sin. How much godly influence

have you given up? Because you won't give up

sin, brothers and sisters. It should cause us

to think and consider. If we continually lay

our head in Delilah's lap, don't be surprised

when your hair Is cut off. Don't be surprised.

When you have no usefulness. When you have no

power. In your witness. In your testimony. In

your communication. Of the things of God. In

your discussions with your children. And your

wife. We lose usefulness. when we choose to remain

in sin. David knew this. He knew that those whose

hearts were weighed down by sin and corruption

would never undertake such an endeavor. And he

knew that those who lack repentance lack usefulness.

But he also knew that there's a relationship

between the condition of your heart And your

usefulness in this life. He understood this.

That's why he knows this is conditional. David

understands that his heart is not right with

God. He knows that the condition of his heart

is in no place to be useful to God Almighty.

He knows this, brothers and sisters. He knows

that he is not in right fellowship with God.

He knows that the Spirit of God is not actively

exerting his influence. He knows that he has

no joy. He knows that he's not steadfast. And

he knows that he's not willing. And he knows

that if he's to be useful in this life, if he's

to carry out and undertake this endeavor of teaching

transgressors the ways of God, then he must have

his heart right. He knows that if he wants to

lead others to know Christ, then he himself must

know Christ himself. He knows that if he wants

to teach others what it means to be godly and

holy and to know God, then he has to be godly

and holy and know God himself. How do we... Think

we're going to teach our sons and our daughters

and our wives and those around us who Christ

is if we don't know Christ ourselves. We want

our children to study the Word of God. We want

our wives and our daughters to study the Word

of God. But we don't study the Word of God. How

can we teach others to be that which we are not?

How can we encourage others unto holiness and

godliness if we ourselves are not giving ourselves

to holiness and godliness in our lives? There

is a relationship between our hearts and our

usefulness in this life. This is not a secret

formula to being useful. That's not what this

is. But it's to know God himself. It's to have

experiential religion in our hearts where our

affections, our desires, and our longings and

our thoughts are entangled by Christ. Where they're

caught up in heaven. That's what this is about.

It's not a secret path to usefulness. Brothers

and sisters, your heart has to be right with

God if you're ever to be useful to God in this

world. How is your heart? What's the condition

of your soul? What are you doing to care for

your soul? What are you doing to look over your

soul? What are you doing to examine your heart?

Do you think about your heart? Do you think about

your soul? the condition of it. There is a deep

connection between God using who God uses as

instruments and vessels to accomplish His purposes

and His plans and the condition of the hearts

of those individuals that God uses. David understood

this very clearly. He knew that he couldn't undertake

this task, and he knew that he would find no

success whatsoever in teaching transgressors

or sinners the ways of God if he himself was

not right with God. Let me offer you three things

for application. Firstly, don't seek to be restored

through your endeavors. The temptation that I

think we've all given into and all considered

at times is this. I've sinned. I'm going to do

more for Christ. I've broken the moral law of

God. I've committed immorality. Therefore, I'm

going to work harder than the next person. I'm

going to serve better. I'm going to be more faithful.

But brothers and sisters, listen. David's endeavor

is not his repentance. There is no substitute

in the Christian life. for repentance in your

life. Our ministry, our service, our good deeds,

our work is meant to result and flow from our

repentance. We can't work our way back into good

fellowship with God, just like people can't work

their way to the righteousness of Christ. We

must trust in Christ and repent of our sins,

then labor unto his glory. There's no substitute

for repentance in the Christian life. Secondly,

we must pursue holiness above usefulness. In

some ways, usefulness is kind of... A glorified

state. Because in some ways, people still get

recognized when they're useful. Oh, you teach

transgressors God's ways. You teach sinners about

God. There's some sort of recognition involved

in it. Everybody wants to be used of God. Everybody

wants to be used for his glory. They want to

do the mighty things. They want to do the big

things. They want to serve. They want to minister.

They want to witness. They want to testify concerning

his grace. Brothers and sisters, do you want

to pursue holiness in your life? Do you want

godliness in your soul? Because if you don't

want holiness, if you don't want godliness and

the diligent, ongoing pursuit of it, then you

don't truly want usefulness in your life. What

comes before? And what's underneath the ministry

and the service? What comes before and what's

underneath teaching transgressors their ways

as David has committed himself to? The work of

God in his soul. The experience of the grace

and mercy and the work of the divine spirit working

in his sanctification. A heart that's right with

God. Remember, a restoration. must precede his

usefulness in this life. It's no coincidence

that those the Lord has used throughout history

to do the mightiest things for the glory of his

name and the majesty of Christ are also those

who diligently gave themselves to the pursuit

of holiness. and godliness in their life. It

was a battle. It was difficult. It was a struggle.

And it remained and it continued. But those men

of old and men throughout history and men of

our day, they persevered in godliness and holiness

in their lives. And it's no coincidence that

they are the ones that God used to work through.

in this world. Brothers and sisters, if you want

to influence your children and be used in their

lives, if you want to be used in the life of

your wife and your husband and those around you,

what ought you to focus on? What ought to be

your aim in life? Usefulness? Or godliness? What

is great gain? Personality? Charm? Talent? Giftedness?

What is great gain? Persuasiveness? Readiness?

No. Godliness is great gain. If we truly want

to be useful in the life of those around us,

then we must diligently give ourselves to the

pursuit of holiness over and above usefulness

in our lives, day in, day out. Every day. We

must commit ourselves to it. But if we will do

this, we can have a confidence that God will

use us. Even If the effects aren't rolling in

as we so desire. Even if sinners and transgressors

are not being converted. If we are pursuing holiness

and faithfulness according to the word of God,

you can be confident that you are in the will

of God. There's a lot of questions about what

should I be doing? How should I be used? What's

the best way to make me useful? What should I

be doing in order to be useful? You know, I'm

a school bus driver or whatnot. Can I really

be useful to God? The emphasis of the Bible is

not so much on what you do. But the emphasis

of the Bible is on who you are in the Lord. The

emphasis of the Word of God is how you live,

who you are in Christ, the holiness and godliness

of your life, not what you're doing. And if you

will pursue those things, you can have a confidence

that no matter the circumstances, no matter the

effects, that you are in the will of a sovereign

and a good and a holy God, because it is his

will that you be holy and godly in this life.

Lastly, for application, I want to encourage

all the people of God. Care for your own soul

before you care for the souls of others. This

is a vital necessity. If you want your ministry

service, witness and testimony to be useful.

We might say, listen, I don't have time. To give

myself to knowing God. I don't have time to study

the word of God and to spend time in prayer.

I can't afford it. I can't do that. I've got

other more important things to do. There's more

significant things which I have to take part

in at this time. The reality is you can't afford

not. To take care of your own soul. The souls

of your children depend on it. Your usefulness

in this life depends on you caring and you nurturing

your soul before God. Do you want your words

to be meaningful and impactful and life changing

because of the words of life? Then care for your

own soul before you care for others. Then it

will be full of vital godliness and holiness

and grace at work through the Spirit of God.

So that when you interact with those around you,

it will be meaningful and impactful. The Spirit

of God will use it for the purposes of God in

this life. So we've seen that... The endeavor

which David undertook was to teach transgressors

the ways of God. The endeavor's success, that

sinners would be converted to God, and we see

that this endeavor was conditional upon David's

genuine repentance and God's restoration of him.