Pastor Welton Watson, Central Baptist Church
is the repentant prayer of King David after his grievous sin of adultery with Bathsheba and then the conspired murder of her husband to cover up that sin and her pregnancy. One sin always leads to another, and the believer can have no peace and joy with unrepentant sin in his life. While under deep conviction of his sin against God, he cries out in verse 12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”
Sin won’t nullify your salvation, but it will take away your joy and make you feel unclean.
In continuing this study on “Restoring the Joy,” I want to cover the next requirement. I examined the first part of verse 7 last week speaking of “Purging,” and the first week on “Examining the Inward Man.” Today’s topic is “Washing.” The second part of verse 7 says “wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”
There is a song that we sing that says, “Are you washed in the blood?” It tells us that only the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can make us whiter than snow. If there is sin in your life that has caused you to lose your joy, John tells us in I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This cleansing speaks of a washing.
Is it time to do some reasoning and reckoning with God? He says in Isaiah 1:18, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
I’m reminded of the gospel hymn that goes like this, “There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.” The blood will cleanse you from sin, and obedience to the word will keep you clean. Even if you are saved, disobedience to the word of God will take away your joy and your desire for fellowship with God’s people and Church.
If you’ll notice, the verse says “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.” We see that salvation is of the Lord, and if you have it, you got it from him and him alone. You cannot lose your salvation, but you can certainly lose your joy because of sin and the choices you make.
Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”