Created in Me a Clean Heart
Author: Cynthia Greene
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. – Psalm 51:10-12
In Psalm 51:10 (quoted above), it says, “Create in me a clean heat, O God..” Specifically it is saying that God creates a new heart in us, it is not us that does the work.
In the New Testament, Paul elaborates on us becoming something new when he says:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
However, before God can create a new heart in us, we first have to go to him in repentance and ask forgiveness for our sins. Sin separates us from God and our sin required the sacrifice of Jesus Chris. David understood this when he said:
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou might be justified when thou speaks, and be clear when thou judges. – Psalm 51:1-4
In the New Testament we see this principle in the book of James:
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. – James 4:8
Having a clean heart is essential to having a relationship with God. A clean and pure heart is a requirement for those that will see God face-to-face.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. – Psalm 24:3-4
In one of the nine “beatitudes” in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. – Matthew 5:8
Our heart is where our thoughts and emotions flow from it. Who we really are and what we really think originates in our hearts.
“…for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7
Now you might expect for me to list some steps you can take to purify your heart. However, that would completely go against the opening paragraph where we made it clear that it is GOD that creates a clean and pure heart in us, not us.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:7-9
