“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart,” Psalm 40:8. Can you say this of yourself, dear reader? When no one’s looking? When you’re not in church, when your Christian friend(s) isn’t/aren’t around, when you’re sitting on your toilet and no one else (hopefully) is there, can you say this of your heart at times with delight?
My heart has been changed, Ezekiel 36:26. There’s no doubt that I’m nowhere near who I used to be. There’s a new “I” in me. I actually love righteousness inwardly, Romans 7:22. Obedience to God is truly my joy in this world. What a privilege! Because God has made me aware of my sin this can be true. A.W. Pink spoke of salvation in this way:
The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Saviour from Hell, rather than a Saviour from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness. The very first thing said of Him in the N.T. is, "thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people (not "from the wrath to come", but) from their sins"(Matt. 1:21). Christ is a Saviour for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Studies on Saving Faith.
I have realized that I am a sinner. I am so sorry to God for my sin. I have also found within my heart an irrepressible desire to now walk worthy of my election. I sincerely delight to do God’s will even when no one else is around. One preacher said it well when he wrote, “Christ not only changes what you do, He changes what you want to do.” If you do not have sound theology and under it find a consistently genuine heartfelt desire to please God that’s been changing you ever since you were first made aware of yourself then may I invite you to repent? Ask God for the wisdom to move beyond understandings of grace (as needed as that is) to an understanding of Him. What a privilege to be adopted by God! Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:5.
What a joy to truly delight in the truly delightful One! David knew it. Psalm 16:11 reads, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” I’ve never yet seen God once. What a joy to know that my joy is nothing yet!
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