Bible Study: Create in me a clean heart

Hello there, 21st Century Believer. Yes, you wearing the “I Celebrate You” tee shirt and designer jeans!

Quick question. Have you ever pondered why God told Abraham he would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah but went right ahead and did just that? Or ever wondered why God really chose Jacob over Esau?

Let me ask you this. What was God’s rationale for taking David and Bathsheba’s first son? What was the purpose of centuries of goat, bull and lamb blood when God knew that sacrifices were useless against the sin nature?

What is the mystery of Nimrod and Babylon the great? What is the significance of the Nephilim and the giants of renown who walked the earth, half god, half man?

Do you know the reason why God put Abram in a deep sleep when he was cutting his covenant with him and walked through the burning torches alone? Or why Jesus when he comes riding on that white horse is covered in blood long before the battle even starts?

NO! You don’t read your bible that deeply. All you read are the “promises”. Everytime you quote scripture its a “confession” or a “declaration”. Everytime you open the bible you are looking for a “blessing” or something to “claim”. Your Bible is just a big fat book of “User Benefits” and “Employee Perks” and you read it daily only because you want to adhere to the “Terms and Conditions”, “Do this and you will get this”. You claim to be “word of faith” quite alright, but your faith is nothing like the faith of Abraham (the father of faith), the kind of faith that earned him the name friend of God.

You see, Abraham had faith for a relationship. His driving force was to be close to God, to know his ways, to touch his heart.

But your faith? You have faith for THINGS. The driving force of your fervent prayer and fasting and supplication is because you want a breakthrough, a miracle, some increase, some blessing. You sweet talk God with your worship songs and entice him closer with your dance of praise, hoping that once he comes on the scene you can grab what he has in his hands and run away shouting Hallelujah!

I have a message for you from the Lord!

²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Matthew 7:21-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord says, “I know your heart”.
Man may see the outward appearance of your dutiful piety and committed devotion, they may “know” you as a believer, your fervent prayer may be loud and thunderous, your neighbours may recognise your songs of praise rising into the night and your life may seem righteous to people on the outside BUT God is not pleased with you, for you are neither hot nor cold.

This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning^[a] of God’s new creation:
¹⁵ “I know ALL the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! ¹⁶ But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Revelation 3:14-16 New Living Translation (NLT)

He wants you to seek him for who he is, not what he can give. He desires a real relationship with you. He wants you to delve into the magnificent depths of his glory and see the wonders of his person revealed in the mysteries of the universe.

Does he want to save you from the fire? Yes! He does! But he wants to know that you will not reject him even if he never shows up. Does he want to save you from the lions den? Of course he does! But he wants to know that you will love him even until the lions take a bite from your thigh. Does he want to meet your needs? Yes he does! But he wants you to seek him even if your needs never get met.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit^[a] from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.

Psalm 51:10-12 New Living Translation (NLT)

So lets join David in praying this prayer, that we all, myself included, will know the restoration that only Jesus can give. That the desires of our heart will be turned to him and him alone. That we will truly come to seek his face and not his hands. That we will be satisfied with his presence without looking for his presents!

God bless you!