Psalm 51:11

Psalm 51, we're going to be reading verses 10

through 12. 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. As we continue through Psalm 51, I think

it's important to remind it why we sit under

the preaching of God's Word week in and week

out, over and over and over. God has given us

His church, and He has ordained that we meet

weekly. To worship him. So when we gather here

at this time, we gather to worship God. Everything

we do from the moment it opens to the moment

it closes is a very act of worship. Everything.

Our reception and hearing of the word of God.

is an act of worship. God has given His people

this time, and Christ is raised from the dead,

and He is being worshipped. Brothers and sisters,

don't waste the time God has given to you to

hear the preaching of the Word of God. Don't

listen vainly. Don't listen in a manner that's

half -hearted. God has appointed it that you

are here this day at this time to hear the word

of God, to sit under the preaching of the word

of God. Don't waste the opportunity. Listen to

what God has to say to his people and to all

those present from his word. Maybe you're here

today. You say, I'm not a Christian. I'm not

a believer. What do I do? Well, brothers and

sisters, Friends, if you're here today and you

don't know Christ, but you're under conviction,

you have sorrow for sin, you don't know what

to do or where to go, God has given you natural

faculties and natural abilities. Now, give yourself

through your own natural powers and put yourself

in the place where you know that God saves people.

That means use your mind. Use your body, use

your will to listen to the preaching of the word

of God. To hear what God's word says. Use your

natural ability to put yourself in a path where

you know God saves people, which is under the

preaching of God's word and in the midst of his

people. Don't waste. Don't be here in vain. You're

here for a purpose. You're here by the providential

hand of a sovereign and a good God. That's believer

and unbeliever. If you're sitting here, it's

not accidental. It's by the providence of God

that you are meant to hear the word of God. Don't

waste that time. As we look in Psalm 51, the

focus of our exposition is going to be in verse

11. Do not cast me away from your presence, and

do not take your Holy Spirit from me. David has

transitioned to this work which is subjective

in nature. He's transitioned from... the forgiveness

of sins and gracious pardon to this work of sanctification.

Now, we'll be looking at verses 10 through 12

as a whole in this exposition, but it's going

to be built around verse 11, which is David's

cry, his plea for the Spirit of God. There's

four things that have to occupy our hearts and

our minds. Today as we look at this text. Four

things. Which you need to set your minds upon.

Four things which you need to give yourselves.

To receiving from the word of God today. The

spirit grieved. By David. The spirit's importance

to David. The spirit's work. That David is seeking.

And the spirit's work. to be experienced by David.

Beginning with the first, the spirit grieved

by David. When we look at verse 11, when we hear

David say, do not cast me away from your presence

and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. There

is severity in that verse, isn't there? There

is suspense contained in that verse. You can

feel the fear in David that he may lose the influence

of God's Spirit. You can feel the sorrow in his

voice as he cries this because he's fearful and

he's dreading the reality that he may have lost

the influence of God's Spirit in his life. Why

is that? Because David has lost the gracious

influence of God's Spirit in his life to such

a degree that he can't find it within himself.

His heart is dull. His spirit is weak and fickle,

being blown around to the left and to the right.

There's impurity and there's corruption which

seems to have... and to be prevailing in his

heart and in his mind. He has no joy in his life

that he can tell, that he can find, that he can

sense. He's not even willing, according to verse

12, that he would persevere in this state. So

David has lost the gracious influence. It's diminished

to such a degree in his life That he thinks that

it may not be restored, that it may not be given

back to him. That he thinks that it will be taken

from him permanently and indefinitely in his

life. What a frightful thing. To be in union

with the living God, to be in union with Christ

by his spirit and to have the spirit of God residing

within us and not to have his gracious influence

at work in our life. What a fearful thing. That's

what David's afraid of. Now, what was the cause

of this? Why did this occur? Why did this come

about in the life of David? It was because of

his sin, wasn't it? The cause of the spirit being

grieved in David's life is the ongoing presence

of sin and the absence of repentance. Meaning

sin persevered. Sin continued. Sin remained,

but repentance was absent in his life. The Spirit

of God was grieved within him. He willingly and

continually went on in sin in spite of the truth.

He willingly pressed on and persevered in his

sin. in his life, knowing that it was sin. And

what was the result? The Spirit of God was grieved.

The Spirit withdrew his gracious influence within

his heart and within his mind and within his

soul. Yes, the Spirit of God remained with him,

but his influence was so diminished that it could

not be found. In David's life. There are several

verses. That address this issue of the spirit.

Being grieved in the life. Of a believer. We

read in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30. Do not

Ephesians 4:30

grieve. The Holy Spirit. Of God. By whom you

were sealed. For the day of redemption. Now consider

that verse. Brothers and sisters, a person is

sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy

Spirit of God, yet the spirit can be grieved.

The spirit can become indignant, sorrowful in

the life of the believer, even though that believer

is sealed permanently unto the day of redemption.

What does that do to the work of the Spirit within

that person? What are the implications of behavior

and actions and thoughts and words and deeds

that grieve and bring sorrow to God's Spirit

who has sealed a person? Particularly in Ephesians

4, this is in the context of the church. It carries

this idea that if you act in a way that is grieving

to your brothers and sisters in Christ whom Christ

died for, it is grieving to the Spirit of God

who dwells within you. We have to remember that

we are sealed and in union with Christ through

His Spirit. And that our actions are either pleasing

Or they are grieving to him. And his spirit is

with us at all times. We also read in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4. We read in verse 8. So he who rejects

this is not rejecting man. But the God who gives

his Holy Spirit to... Again, speaking of Christians,

believers, rejecting God's will of sanctification

and purity and holiness for their lives, specifically

in the context of sanctification and immorality.

This is a strong word. It almost carries the

idea of annulling or making void. the Spirit's

work in our life because of our rejection of

God's commands and God's law and God's word.

The person who rejects the will of God, which

is to be sanctified, is not rejecting any man

or manly wisdom. They're rejecting the God who

gives. his spirit, and his influence in their

very life. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse

1 Thessalonians 5:19

19, with maybe the most visual language of all

that helps us the most. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians

5, 19, do not quench the spirit. Do not extinguish

the Holy Spirit. Don't put out. It carries this

idea of a fire, of a flame, of a burning fire.

And there's various ways to put that fire out.

A person could throw water on it. A person could

shove dirt on it. A person could stomp on it.

Or a person could just leave it be and it would

go out on its own. But Paul says, do not extinguish

the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in

union with the people of God. But we must distinguish

between His union with those people and His gracious

influence in their life, at least in their conscious

life, and in great increase in their sanctification.

The Spirit of God will never leave a person.

He remains. He seals the Christian. But that

does not mean that we can't act and think and

act and think and talk in such a way and live

in such a way that we bring sorrow and we reject

and we quench or extinguish the work and influence

of the Spirit of God in us. our souls, which

brings increase in our sanctification, our growth

in the grace and the knowledge of Christ, our

maturity and our development in the Christian

life. It can greatly hinder our progress in sanctification.

It can greatly stumble the work of the Spirit

in our life. It's a frightening thing. To have

the Holy Spirit of God dwelling within us, but

to act and think and live and behave in such

a way as those who are indwelt with death spirit,

that it grieves and makes him sorrowful. It makes

him sad and upset with the person in whom he

dwells. This should affect how we live, shouldn't

it, brothers and sisters? Knowing that we are

in union with the Spirit of God and He dwells

within us, should that not affect how we talk?

Should that not affect how you think? You are

not alone. You are not by yourself. You are not

separate from Christ. His spirit dwells within

you. His spirit is present within you. Should

that not affect how we live and act and behave

and think and live in this life? It should affect

us a great deal. So David grieves the spirit.

But this also shows us why the spirit is so vitally

important to David. This is the second thing.

We must occupy our minds. The spirit's importance

to David. In verse 11 of Psalm 51, David uses

two negative statements to say something very

emphatically. He says, do not cast me away from

your presence, meaning don't throw me away from

you. But then he says, and do not take your Holy

Spirit from me. Says two negative and strong

and severe things. Why? To show how emphatically

significant and important the work of the Spirit

is in his life. He values, he longs for the work

of the Spirit in his life. He knows that without

the divine Spirit of God at work in his soul,

he has no hope for restoration. He has no hope

for renewal. He has no hope for a work of creation

in his heart. He has no hope of joy if he doesn't

have the divine spirit of God at work in his

life. David shows us this importance in two ways

in this psalm. Notice that David is crying out.

And David is demonstrating why it's important

in this text. He shows us that he desires for

fellowship with God through... The Spirit. Why

does he cry out for the Spirit? Because he wants

the Spirit in his life. Because he wants God's

presence that is conveyed and communicated to

his soul, to his heart, to his life, through

the indwelling presence of the Spirit and his

effectual work in his heart. David longs for

fellowship with God through the Spirit. He longs

for God himself in this cry, doesn't he? This

here gives us the supreme motive for dealing

with sin in our life. This text tells us the

supreme reason you ought to repent of sin in

your life and run to Christ. What is that supreme

motive? It is that you might have God himself

again. It's that he may be restored to you and

you may be restored to him. That he might be

with you and you might be with him. It's not

to get from God. It's to have God himself. If

you refuse to deal with sin in your life, you

are rejecting and denying God himself and his

presence in your life. Brothers and sisters,

don't just repent to get rid of a burden. Don't

just repent to ease your mind and your conscience.

Don't just deal with sin in your life to make

it better for you. Deal with sin in your life

that you might get back in God's presence and

you might enjoy him again. That he might be with

you through the Spirit's effectual work in your

heart and your soul. Do you want that? Do you

long to be in fellowship and communion with God?

Give up your sin. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Don't do it. with selfish motives to get, but

do it to be with God himself. That's the supreme

motive for repentance in our life, that we might

fellowship and commune with the living God himself.

David desires fellowship with God through the

Spirit, but David knows how essential the Spirit's

work is in his life. He knows that if he doesn't

have the Spirit of God working in his life, he

doesn't have any hope of true restoration with

that God. He knows that he has no power and no

ability of his own heart and his own flesh and

his own nature to restore himself with God. He

knows the importance of it. And he shows us the

importance of this in a couple ways. In verse

11, when he makes his plea for the Spirit of

God, notice that it is surrounded, it's walled

in by this subjective work. In verse 10, create

in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast

spirit within me. Verse 12, restore to me the

joy of your salvation and sustain me with a willing

spirit. This distinct work which we saw last

week. This work of sanctification and purification,

it's surrounding the plea for the work of the

Spirit and the presence of the Spirit in his

life. Why? Because the Spirit is central and

essential to the work of sanctification in David's

life and your life, brothers and sisters. He

does it also in showing us the reality. That

the Spirit of God is the one who performs the

work in verse 10 and in verse 12. How is it that

a clean heart is created in David? How is it

that a steadfast spirit is renewed in David?

How is it that David is restored to the joy of

the Lord's salvation? How is it that David's

spirit... is sustained in a willing state. It's

through the divine and effective work of God's

Spirit that dwells within us. So who is the effective

worker in sanctification? The Spirit of God.

And David knows this. He knows that if the Spirit

of God is not at work in him, He'll never experience

the purity and the steadfastness and the joy

and the willing spirit that he so desires and

he so longs for in his heart. He knows that he'll

never have true restoration, true fellowship,

and true communion with God unless the Spirit

of God is involved in it. Unless the Spirit of

God is working it. Unless the Spirit of God is

accomplishing it. The Spirit does not create

a clean heart in David. A clean heart will not

be created. If the Spirit does not renew a steadfast

spirit in him, brothers and sisters, he will

not have a steadfast spirit within him. If the

Spirit himself does not restore joy in his life,

he will not have joy in his life. If the Spirit

of God does not sustain his spirit in a willing

state, he will not be willing. He will not walk

in freedom from corruption and freedom from sin

and its bondage. The work of the divine spirit

of God is essential to our growth in sanctification.

He is the ground and the basis for all of it.

If he does not work, we do not experience growth.

We do not become sanctified. But praise God that

he is always working. Even when his effectual

and gracious influence is withdrawn, we must

remind ourselves that the Spirit of God is ultimately

even working as he's in union with God's people.

Those graces and that influence will never fully

be extinguished or taken away. Because ultimately,

the Spirit of God will be the one who preserves

and causes the people of God to persevere unto

the end. But we must also remember that we have

a role to play in sanctification as well. We

do something. We have to do something in this

work as a response and as a result of the Spirit's

work in our hearts, in our minds. We have to

make several conclusions about this. Last week

we spoke that Christ has made provision for the

forgiveness of sins, but he's also made provision

for the purification or sanctification from sins.

So who is the one? who applies the provision

of purification in the life of God's people,

the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit plays

a vital, significant, and important role in the

economy of redemption. The Holy Spirit, in accordance

with Christ and His will, is the one who actually

makes Christ's people holy and godly in this

life. He's the one who changes them from one

degree of glory into the next as a part of his

new covenant ministry where he works in our hearts

to show us the light and knowledge of the glory

of the face of Christ Jesus. So the Spirit of

God is essential in the provision that God has

made in redemption as a result of the work of

Jesus Christ on the cross. and bringing his people

through the work of sanctification. But it's

also important because it shows us that Christ

has not left us to ourselves. We are in union

with Christ through the Spirit of God. Historically,

this has been referred to as the mysterious union.

Meaning, We are in union with the risen Lord

Jesus Christ and all his work. And everything

he's accomplished with his person and his work.

And we're in union with him through the indwelling

presence of the Holy Spirit. Throughout scripture,

there are several statements and there are several

metaphors that are used to display this union

between Christ. and his people. In Ephesians,

it's referred to as a building and a cornerstone.

It's referred to as marriage. In 1 Corinthians,

it's referred to as a head and a body. And in

John chapter 15, it's referred to as a vine and

John 15 · chapter mention

branches. So it's representative and expressive

of the reality that Christ's people are in union

with Christ himself. But how is that union actualized

in real life, in this life, in history, in time

and in space, in your life and in my life? It's

by the indwelling presence and power of the Spirit

of God. Christ is in heaven. His Spirit is on

earth with His people, with the church, brothers

and sisters. He has not left us to ourselves.

to ourselves. He has given us His Spirit. This

work that the Spirit carries out in our lives

is no ordinary work, is it? When we think about

sanctification and the work the Spirit of God

accomplishes in the life of His people, we must

say it's a supernatural and divine work of God.

Did you know that's the work that's at work in

your heart and your life? That sovereign and

divine power are at work to change you, to transform

you, to sanctify you. Supernatural and divine

power are at work to change your heart and to

free you from corruption. And they cause you

to be more like the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

So we say, well, why don't we see that more?

If it's a divine and supernatural work where

the power of Christ has extended the soul of

man through the divine spirit, then why don't

we see this reality that it's supernatural and

it's a divine work of God? Why isn't there more

spiritual vitality? Why isn't there more spiritual

life? Why aren't people more consumed with their

soul? Why aren't people more consumed with Christ

and his kingdom? Why aren't more people faithful

and more committed to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Why aren't people talking about the glory of

God? Why aren't people consumed with eternal

things? Remember, the Spirit of God can be quenched.

The Spirit of God can be grieved. The Spirit

of God can be rejected and resisted. The Spirit

of God withdraws His influence. He pulls back

from those who live and walk and think and act

in such a way that grieves Him. His effective

power and gracious influence can be diminished

in the life of a person. You say, well, I don't

believe that lots of people have done that. I've

never done that in my life. Have you gone extended

periods of time where you've continued in sin

and you failed to repent? Have you gone a long,

long time persevering in sin in your life? And

you have not repented of that before God. Brothers

and sisters, I'm not going to say you did. But

you very well may have grieved the Spirit of

God. I don't know. This is my opinion. But I

don't think that we grieve the Spirit of God

for these massively immoral sins in our lives

today that much. In that we don't do those. Because

we live in Edwards County. We were raised in

church. We know what right and what wrong is.

We know we shouldn't do those things. We know

we shouldn't act those ways. I shouldn't commit

infidelity. I know that. I was raised. I was

taught that. I shouldn't have adultery like David

did. I know that. I was taught that since I was

a little boy, a little girl. That's wrong. I

shouldn't do that. We don't do those things,

do we? Then how in the world do we grieve the

Spirit of God in our lives if we don't commit

these big, grievous, outlandish, open sins that

are public like David? We're chasing around,

pouring gasoline on every other fire, but not

the one that matters the most. We're consumed

with everything but our souls, but eternity.

We're consumed with our lives. We're consumed

with our businesses. We're consumed with politics.

We're consumed with this world. We're consumed

with the culture. We're consumed with anything

and everything in our lives, but that which matters

most. We're consumed with this world, and we're

consumed with our jobs. We're consumed with ourselves,

but we're not consumed with the divine spirit

of God working in our souls, brothers and sisters.

That's why we grieve the spirit. Because we never

go back to nourish the fire. We're too busy scrolling.

We're too busy reading that which is insignificant

and that which doesn't matter to our souls and

our lives. Brothers and sisters, nourish the

fire that God has put within you. Care for the

spirit of God that's within you. Nourish sanctification

and holiness in your life. That's what matters.

Be consumed with your soul and eternity. Things

that are meaningful. Things that matter. Give

yourselves to Christ in this life because it's

the only life that you have. You only have so

much time. You only have so many days. It's about

Christ. It's not about you and your world. Live

for the Lord Jesus Christ and His goodness and

His glory. Consider your priorities. Consider

your life. Consider what's most important. Consider

your legacy. Consider what you want most out

of this life. Is it to expand the kingdom of

God and to bring glory to His name? Or is it

to make it through this life? We may not do these

big open... grandiose sins, but we certainly

neglect the Spirit of God and the sanctification

that the Spirit of God intends to work into our

lives. We know what is right and wrong, but do

we give our time to the Word of God as we ought

to? We may not have adultery, but Do you read

the Bible and pray about the Bible and pray about

your life? Is your heart right? So we see the

Spirit's importance to David. He's vitally important

to this work of sanctification. Without him,

we have no hope. We cannot be restored. We see

this work that David is seeking. Thirdly, this

work that David is seeking is a work in his inner

moral man. Remember last week we talked about

the heart and what that means? It's the inner

moral man. It's our moral ability, our moral

capacity. It's our moral epicenter. It's where

we make all the decisions. It's that place where

our will and our mind flow out of, operate. This

is the place that the Holy Spirit works. That's

why he says, create in me a clean heart. That's

why he says, renew a steadfast spirit within

me. The Spirit of God works internally and directly

in this text and in this case upon the faculties.

When I say faculties, I simply mean his mind

and his will and his nature. The Spirit of God

works directly on his heart, directly on his

spirit, without the use of means. And this is

important. This work of sanctification is a work

in which the Spirit of God works either directly

upon us or indirectly. Through other means. And

those means are the Word of God, through prayer,

the Lord's table, fellowship in the church, and

others. Here, the Spirit of God is working directly

upon David's faculties. He's doing a deep internal

work inside of David. So that David's whole outlook

and decision -making process is affected by the

work of the Spirit. But this is important. The

Spirit of God does not exercise and utilize those

faculties for David. And remember earlier when

I said that we have a role to play in this thing

called sanctification? The Spirit does what He

does, and we have to do what we have to do. The

Spirit works in us, exerting His power, His effective

influence in our mind, in our will, in our faculties,

creating, renewing, upholding, and restoring.

But the Spirit does not exercise our mind and

our will on our behalf. must do that. So the

Spirit works, the Spirit's work that David is

seeking, this work is a divine, supernatural,

direct, and effective work in his life. Now lastly,

we see, fourthly, the Spirit's work to be experienced

by David. How is it, not how is it, but I want

to reframe this question after I state it. David

is conscious of the reality that he has lost

a great deal of the Spirit's influence in his

life. Is he not? He is. He knows that it's gone.

He knows that it's not working in his life as

y 'all do. He knows the condition and the layout

and the geography of his own heart and his own

soul. He's conscious of that reality. So if David

is to experience this work from the Spirit of

God, and he is to be restored to fellowship and

communion with God, then how will he become conscious

that the Spirit is effectively influencing him

in his life? How will he know that the Spirit

is working in his life? Now there's two things

I need to add by way of nuance to this. We are

not talking about the indwelling presence of

the Spirit. We are talking about his gracious

influence as a result of that indwelling. But

we also have to distinguish between the conscious

and the unconscious life of a believer. David

is conscious that he has lost certain things

in his fellowship, in his communion, in his relation

to God, is he not? But that does not mean that

the Spirit of God is not still working subconsciously

in the life of David. He may not be aware of

it. And we must be confident and we must walk

in the reality that he is always at work subconsciously

in the life of God's people. For instance, an

example of this would be regeneration. Regeneration

can be applied to the Word of God by the Spirit

of God at any time he wishes. That sinner may

or may not be conscious in their mind, aware

and sensible of the reality that they have been

regenerated by the Spirit of God. However, it

will become conscious to that individual. How?

Through repentance. Repentance is always a conscious

act of the will. and the mind, deciding for Christ

and deciding against sin. The Spirit of God's

work, I think we'd be safe to say, nearly always

begins in the subconscious life of the believer.

But it always makes its way to the conscious

life of the believer. So to answer the question

of how will David go on to become conscious of

this, We must say that he will experience and

he will be conscious of it when he consciously

exercises his mind and his will in accordance

with the internal work of the divine spirit of

God. So when David chooses obedience, we know

he's acting in accordance with the spirit of

God. When David chooses... and holiness in his

life, we know he's acting in accordance with

the internal work of the Spirit of God in his

life. The Spirit influences and works and changes

and creates in the believer. But the believer

is still responsible for exercising their mind

and their will in this life. as a result and

as a response to the work of the Spirit within

them. So brothers and sisters, how do you know

if the Spirit of God is actively at work in you?

How do you have fellowship and communion with

God? When you actively and regularly, in a settled

manner, choose Christ over corruption. when you're

choosing holiness, when you actively repent of

sin. That means that the application for this

is simple. You and I have to use our will and

use our mind for what? To set them on things

of Christ. We have to use our will to obey Christ

and his commands, to walk in accordance with

his law. We have to use our mind to study and

read and meditate on the word of God. We have

to use our will to walk in obedience to the Lord

Jesus Christ. Because that way we'll be working

out that which he is working and willing in us.

We'll be working and willing. We'll be working

out our salvation that he's working in us through

his divine spirit. So use your mind, brothers

and sisters. Use your will. Choose to read the

word of God and renew your mind. Choose to repent

of sin. Use your mind and use your will to serve.

the people of God, to love your neighbor as yourself,

to love your children, to teach the word of God

to those around you, to call others to repentance

and faith. Use your mind and use your will to

seek God out through prayer. We respond to his

work by exercising the faculties which he influences.

inside of us through his divine spirit. So we've

seen the spirit grieved, the spirit's importance,

and the spirit's work in David. We've seen the

spirit's work to be experienced by David. May

God, through Christ, be gracious to us and help

us in sanctification.