February 3

Read: Psalms 51:5-10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (Psalms 51:10).

I Was Born In Sin

The Scriptures clearly teach that there is in the nature of fallen man a universal tendency to evil. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great.., and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Because carnality is the common lot of all men, I know that I too was born with this evil in my soul.

Since my sins have been forgiven, have I asked God to give me a clean heart? Can I testify now that, by faith, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth.., from all sin” (I John 1:7)? If not, carnality is still present. I am not guilty by reason of my evil nature, because I was born with it. But I am responsible for remaining carnal when I am aware of this sinful nature and know that God has made provision to cleanse it.

As David reflected upon his outbroken sin, his mind turned to this inner spirit of evil which lay behind the act. In his hour of moral introspection he cried out, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The Psalmist was not trying to shrug off responsibility for his own sin by passing the blame to his parents. His mood was one of utter sincerity and confession. He saw clearly his whole sin problem. He knew that he could not save himself from the penalty of the sins he had committed nor could he be certain that he would not commit those sins again.

David recognized what we too must acknowledge. From the beginning of his life he had had an unclean heart and a wrong spirit. He needed that heart cleansed and that spirit made right.