Reliant on Grace

Psalm 51:10-11

We continue on learning about David’s confession. We saw in our last article how David requested a personal cleansing from God and we will continue on with that idea in these two verses. David continues to give us a great example of genuine repentance and how unworthy we are of His grace.

In verse ten David writes, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David recognizes again that he is unable to cleanse himself. He is completely reliant on the grace of God to cleanse and restore him. He recognizes that his heart is wicked, something very few of us are willing to admit, including believers.

The world tells us to “follow our hearts” but the Bible says our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). We are a sinful people, even after we get saved. David was a godly man who sinned severely. David showed immense displays of faith and grace and yet committed some of the most egregious sins imaginable. We would be fools to think we are not capable of the same wickedness.

The reason we are capable of this wickedness is because of our sinful flesh. When we get saved we are purchased by and cleansed by His blood. We are declared righteous, become saints, and are guaranteed an eternity with Him. However, while we are still here on the earth we have a sin nature we have to battle. We do not instantly become perfect. We have to die daily to our sin (1 Corinthians 15:31) meaning we have to keep a short account, confessing and repenting regularly. We have to rely on God to create in us a clean heart.

David didn’t have to ask God to create in him a clean heart because of the severity of his sin, he had to ask because he sinned period. In other words, we need to ask God to create clean hearts in us too when we sin. There are not levels of confession based on the significance of our sin. All of our sins are wickedness before God which need to be repented.

Focusing in on the second part of this verse, “steadfast” is defined as “firm and unwavering.” He prays that he will be unwavering in his faith, obedient to God and opposed to the flesh. Again, this is something we need to rely on God for. We need Him to cleanse us and give us strength to remain obedient. We are fully and completely reliant on Him.

In verse eleven, David writes, “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” David recognizes that God would be fully justified in turning from him. God did not owe him anything. God did not need him for anything. We are no different. God does not need us, and He certainly does not owe us anything. Therefore, every time God forgives us of our sin He is being gracious. Every. Single. Time.

I believe many of us lose our awe of God’s grace the longer we are Christians, and I include myself in that group. We treat His grace as an expectation and therefore do not see it as grace any longer. We need to remember His grace is a gift, not just when we got saved, but every day. The fact I can still breathe is thanks to the grace of God. The fact I have not been struck down yet for all of the sins I have committed is thanks to the grace of God. His grace is unmerited, undeserved, and unbelievable!

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