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The House Cleansed, February 17
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10
.
“Create in me a clean heart.” This is beginning right, at the very foundation
of Christian character; for out of the heart are the issues of life. If all, ministers
and people, would see to it that their hearts are right with God, we should
see much larger results from the labor put forth. The more important and
responsible your work, the greater the necessity that you have clean hearts.
The needed grace is provided, and the power of the Holy Spirit will work
with every effort you make in this direction.
If every child of God would seek Him earnestly and perseveringly, there
would be a greater growth in grace. Dissensions would cease; believers would
be of one heart and one mind; and purity and love would prevail in the church.
By beholding we become changed. The more you contemplate the character
of Christ, the more you will become conformed to His image. Come to Jesus
just as you are, and He will receive you, and put a new song in your mouth,
even praise to God.
“Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from
me” (
Psalm 51:11
). Repentance as well as forgiveness is the gift of God
through Christ. It is through the influence of the Holy Spirit that we are
convinced of sin, and feel our need of pardon. None but the contrite are
forgiven; but it is the grace of the Lord that makes the heart penitent. He is
acquainted with all our weaknesses and infirmities, and He will help us. He
will hear the prayer of faith; but the sincerity of prayer can be proved only
by our efforts to bring ourselves into harmony with the great moral standard
which will test every man’s character.
We need to open our hearts to the influence of the Spirit, and to experience
its transforming power. The reason that you do not receive more of the
saving help of God is because the channel of communication between Heaven
and your own souls is clogged by worldliness, love of display, and desire
for supremacy. While some are conforming more and more to the world’s
customs and maxims, we should be molding our lives after the divine model.
And our covenant-keeping God will restore unto us the joys of His salvation,
and uphold us by His free Spirit.—
The Review and Herald, June 24, 1884
.
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