In continuing last week’s article, I will be considering, “How to restore the joy of salvation.”
The scripture today is found in Psalm 51:9-12 “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
To get back into sweet fellowship with the Lord requires several things, and I’ll cover only one today and continue for the next couple weeks with the others.
Requires an Examination of the Inward Man. - Psalm 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. I believe that we need to take off all the varnish and polish and make a real good honest inspection of ourselves.
Analyze - our motives. What are you doing and why? What is it that has gotten in your way of serving Jesus? Why aren't you happy in Church anymore? Why do you have to force yourself to go? Why don't you want to teach a class? Why don't you want to testify? Why don't you want to come early and pray for the services? What is it that's holding you back from selling out completely? James makes a profound statement in James 1:22-25 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23. For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deeds.
James says take a good long look at yourself in the mirror of your soul. A mirror shows every flaw in your features. You will see every hair out of place, every wrinkle, every scar, and every spot and blemish. Then James says, don't be like the man who sees all the problems but makes no effort to correct them. Many people come to Church and God lets them see who and what they are, but they will leave Church and forget what they saw and never make any changes. They will still be in the same condition they were, unhappy and with no joy in their life. Kneeling at the altar won't do you any good if you do not follow through with the promise you make to God. If the Lord shows you what’s hindering your joy, fix it!
The next requirement I will consider next week is “A Purging by the Lord”