I. "BEHOLD, THOU DESIREST TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS"
A. The fifty-first Psalm unfolds:
1. The deep penance of David
2. He traces his backsliding to his outward rituals and a lack of inward sincerity
B. He realizes:
1. That God desires truth in the heart, and not just lip service - Is 29:13
2. This prayer reveals that David saw the terribleness of sin, as he had never before realized it - Ps 51:1-7
II. THE BIBLE MAKES IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR
A. That God insists on sincerity, not superficial truthfulness:
1. In the inward parts - 2 Kings 20:3; I Chr 29:17. Examples: Outward appearance and inward corruption was a mark of the spiritual leaders of the Jews in the days of the Son of man - Matt. 23:25-28; that is one of the great sins in the last days - 2 Tim 3:1-5
2. The effect of insincerity makes one's attitude in life hypocritical. Examples: Soul -I Sam 15:20-21; the Pharisees - Matt 6:5
3. The sad part of it all for God's people today is that there is so much that is superficial - Rev 3:14-17
B. Truth in the inward part is a must:
1. If human nature is to be changed, "Clean first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also" - Matt 23:26
2. "Within ye are full of hypocrisy" - Matt 23:28
3. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" - Ps 51:10
C. The human heart is totally deprived and corrupted -Jer 17:9; Matt 15:19:
1. That condition affects the whole being - Is 1:6; Ps 38:3
2. Paul made this discovery in his own life that sin in the inward parts made his whole life wretched and unreliable - Rom 7:14-24
III. ESSENTIALS FOR INWARD TRUTHFULNESS
A. The total removal of sin out of our hearts:
1. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh" - Ez 36:26
2. "Ye must be born again" - John 3:7
3. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven" - I Cor 15:50
B. The Holy Spirit must have the control of our thoughts, words, and actions:
1. So long as Satan controls our lives we are the bond servants of sin - Rom 6:16
2. But when the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart by faith a transformation takes place
3. He will make the word of God the transforming power in our soul - "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" - John 8:32
4. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord" - Zech 4:6
C. The change within our life is the work of a lifetime:
1. Says Paul, "I die daily" - I Cor 15:31
2. Writes God's messenger, "The work of sanctification is the work of a lifetime"
3. Admonishes Paul, "Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" – 2 Cor 7:1
4. Paul freely acknowledges that he had not obtained a state of perfection, but that he forgot the past and continued to strive to obtain the mark set for him - Phil 3:13-15
D. Truly, David sought a change of heart in his deep sorrow over his sins:
1. Can we be less concerned about our inward life?
2. Is it possible that we are deceived having a form of godliness, yet knowing that within us there is a void of truthfulness
3. We shall do well to pray as David did, "Create in me a clean heart and give me a right spirit"
