WTM JOURNAL
by Yuri Solomon Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11) Yuri Solomon holds degrees from Gospel Ministry Outreach Theological Institute and the College of Biblical Studies. He is author of the book Biblical Masculinity. More info @ www.wordtalkonline.orgThe Pathology of Unrepentant Sin
9/08/2007 / Devotionals
What a request! Whatever the consequences don't take your Spirit. Such is to recognize the pathological danger of one's own sinful behavior. For the King idleness became lust, lust became adultery, adultery became lying, lying became murder, and murder became hypocrisy.
Sin is so dangerous that it can immobilize even a good man. He is left with no power. His efforts are misdirected. The heart becomes hard, recalcitrant, (he will not and cannot hear anyone,) and stiff-necked; he will not even turn to look and see if he is right or wrong. Instead of repenting, one sin simply gives birth to another sin. Instead of turning to God, he runs and hides from the voice of God. Blaming others for his rebellion and disobedience, attempts are made to cover his own nakedness with fig-leaf insufficiency, becoming bitter, hateful, stubborn, and pertinacious.
David had seen this happen before in his predecessor, old King Saul. Saul was caught up in his own pride. He had lost the power to do God's business and lead God's people. God took his Holy Spirit from Saul. David had seen the degradation, the depravity, and the demise of a man having lost the Spirit of God. He had seen him try to go on with business as usual bumbling and stumbling in darkness, making himself into a pitiful fool. He's lost it and everybody around him can see that he's lost it. A man in that condition is good for nothing, Jesus said, but to be thrown out and trample under the foot of men. After having preached to others, he is himself a cast away, disqualified for reward. A man in that condition can only commit suicide, and so Saul did.
David saw himself going down the same path. The sword he bore, with which he had defended the people of God, he had now turned on his people. Overcome by his own intemperance and lust, caught up in his own web of deceit, judged by his own murderous transgression; yet he was convicted through his own burning passion to avenge injustice, invoked by the words of the preacher. He fell down on his knees; he prostrated himself and cried out, "Cast me not away from thy presence." Whatever you do Lord "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." And that is the real deal: If there is going to be any true repentance, God must grant it, for Paul says to Timothy, "In meekness instruct those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;" It's not by will power, but by weeping and wailing unto repentance. Not by cover up, but by confession. Not by might, but by his mercy; Lord, don't take your Holy Spirit from me.
One can move without the Spirit, but it will be a bad move. One can fight without the Spirit, but you're fighting a losing battle. One can build without the Spirit, but it will be a vain labor. Their must be a turn around, a return to God, a pleading prayer: purge me wash me make me create in me renew me restore me uphold me... David pleaded, Give it to me again Lord: That Spirit, when I cared for my father's sheep more than myself. I wasn't a hireling and didn't run when the bear and the lion came, but with my bear hand I ripped them up like old dry rags. That Spirit, when I stood before the champion of the philistines with the weapon of my childhood and fell that giant like a lumberjack fells a mighty oak. Lord, don't take your Holy Spirit from me. The old hymnologist declares, "His love has no limit, His grace has no measure; His power has no boundary known unto men or out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!"