We’re beginning our annual missions conference today so I thought that it
would be good to put aside our series on Exodus and preach, instead, on the
proclamation of the Gospel something that lies near the heart of the mission
of the Church. I’m guessing that you don’t usually think of Psalm 51 as
dealing with the proclamation of the Gospel to the lost, but while that isn’
t its main thought, David has something significant to say about the spread
of the Gospel here. So, consider that the Spirit has to say from this text.
Listen again to what David wrote in verse 13. ‘Then I will teach
transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You.’ There are
two things that I want you to notice. First, David exudes confidence here,
doesn’t he? ‘… sinners shall be converted to You.’ Not ‘could be’ or ‘will
be in a better situation where they can be converted’ or anything like that.
They ‘shall be converted’. Rather bold, no? Do you think that he is
overstepping his bounds here? After all, only God can convert sinners and
the Spirit works where and when He decides to. Who is David to say that the
Spirit will convert? Well, David is a mere mortal like the rest of us, but
he is quite confident and optimistic. You need to see why.
That leads to the second thing about this text that I want you to see. Verse
13 that I just re-read a moment ago is the ‘then’ part of an ‘if/then’ kind
of sentence. You’re familiar enough with this. Parents use it all the time
when they tell their children, ‘I know that this is difficult for you, but
if you are good, then I’ll get you a treat on the way home.’ We see this
structure in Scripture. ‘If you seek for wisdom like silver, then you will
know the fear of the LORD.’ And sometimes, the words ‘if’, ‘then’ are
assumed without being stated. ‘Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these
things will be added unto you.’ Now, verse 13 of our text is the ‘then’ part
of the passage. What’s the ‘if’ part? It’s the rest of this morning’s text.
It’s as if David were saying, ‘Lord, if You do these things then I will be
able to teach sinners with the result that they will be converted.’ Now, I
will grant you that this doesn’t sound very Calvinistic. But I don’t know
how else to read it. [Actually, it shows that most people don’t understand
what real Calvinism is.] This fits with something in Acts. Paul and Barnabas
are on their first missionary journey, preaching the Gospel. Listen to what
Luke wrote. ‘Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue
and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks
believed.’ [Acts 14:1] A great number of people were converted. Why? What
does Luke point to as the cause? The manner of the preaching by Paul and
Barnabas: ‘they spoke in such a way…’ This doesn’t wipe out the doctrine of
election [Luke believes in that also. See Acts 13.48.] or the necessity for
the sovereign work of the Spirit. But it isn’t either/or. Both teachings are
true and are to be applied wisely. The point that you need to take away with
you is simply this. People are converted because Christians live and speak
in such a way that unbelievers become convinced that the Gospel is true.
That’s what David is talking about.
At this point I want to focus on one element of the ‘if’ part of the
passage. Listen to the first line of verse 12. ‘Restore to me the joy of
Your salvation.’ David is saying to His God, ‘If you make it possible for me
to rejoice in Your salvation again, then I will be able to interact with
sinners in such a way that there will be conversions.’ Or more briefly, ‘Joy
yields converts.’ Let’s look at this a bit.
Let me remind you of the definition of joy. It isn’t the same as happiness.
Happiness is an elated feeling based on the circumstances of the moment.
That doesn’t make it evil or second rate. One of the glories of heaven is
that we’ll all be happy all the time, forever. But happiness isn’t the same
as joy. Happiness comes and goes (in this life anyway). Joy remains because
joy is an optimistic spirit because of what Jesus is doing. It doesn’t
fluctuate because it isn’t based on the circumstances of the moment. It’s
based on Jesus and what He is doing in your life. Unlike happiness, you can
rejoice even when the circumstances are evil. You might do it with tears but
you can still rejoice. Now, David is specific in his request. ‘Restore to me
the joy that comes as a fruit of salvation.’ Those who have been rescued by
Jesus have a kind of joy that is unique. David wants that joy restored. ‘If
you restore that joy, then sinners will be converted.’
We’re ready, now, for a question. What is this joy that David is talking
about? Let me mention three things, though there are more. First aspect.
This is the joy that comes from knowing that your sins are forgiven. This
will make no sense to anyone without a good conscience. A good conscience
understands sin. A good conscience reacts with a kind of horror when you
sin. And it should. It is saying, ‘Look at what I have done! Oh, how could I
have done such an evil thing? How foul! How wicked!’ That’s how a good
conscience reacts to sin. But, then, the Spirit of Jesus comes and responds
to this remorse. The Spirit applies the truth of the Gospel. ‘If we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.’ [1 John 1:9] At one moment, the soul feels the
evil of its sin and recoils, but the next it is told, ‘All is well. Your sin
has been dealt with. It is gone.’ It’s almost too good to be true. At times
I find that I need to shake myself when I still go on even though my sin has
been forgiven. I tell myself, ‘Stop beating yourself up. Your sin has been
dealt with. All is forgiven. God has forgotten about it. You need to also.’
Someone who goes through the experience of the lashing of the conscience
which leads to the assurance of complete forgiveness knows about the joy of
salvation. There is a sense of wonder and amazement.
A second aspect. Because of Jesus you have been adopted by the Father. You
are a child of God. And so, you can cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ Do you know
what that means? Your heavenly Father is near to you and He is ‘for you’ in
such a way that it is impossible to top. You have a Father who is always
near, always listening, always caring. So, when life gets hard – and it
does – you are never left alone to face it by yourself. Your Father is near.
This is a sweet truth of the Gospel that cannot help but produce a great
joy, an optimistic spirit because of Jesus.
Last aspect: hope. One of the more fundamental facts of our existence is
that we live in a fallen world that is filled with sin. And that sin
perverts everything. And it is impossible to avoid even as the redeemed.
There are times when the putrid taste of sin crowds out any of the faint
traces of beauty that remain. And life gets very dark. But we are not
overwhelmed. The darkness is great but not complete. Yes, this place is
fallen and I with it. But there is still the hope of the Gospel that shines
its light in the darkness. Yes, this place is fallen and I with it, but
Jesus is even now in the process of redeeming it all. And one day, this
place will be as pure as pure can be, and I will be also. And one day, we
will be in a place where there is no darkness. Death and sin and struggle
and sorrow will be swallowed up by Life. We are on our way and what Jesus is
doing with us right now in the darkness is part of the process that is
getting us there. The Gospel provides hope. And out of that hope comes joy.
David is saying is that this kind of joy, the joy that comes from Christ’s
salvation, lived out before the eyes of the lost will result in conversions.
And the reason is obvious. They will see the Gospel and its fruit, and they
will have nothing to match it in their own lives. You will live in such a
way that many will be converted. But note that David is asking that this joy
be restored. He lost it. He didn’t lose his salvation, but he did lose the
joy of that salvation. This joy is not automatic. Just because a person is a
Christian doesn’t mean that he will have this joy. It can be lost. David
lost it by his refusing to repent of his sin. But there are other ways by
which this joy can be lost. It is something that needs to be cultivated. The
foundation for this kind of joy requires things like a good conscience that
is sensitive to sin. It is based on a growing knowledge of Gospel truths
like the Fatherhood of God, a knowledge that goes beyond mere intellectual
awareness, a knowledge that touches the soul. This leads to a maturing faith
that is learning more and more how to believe the promises of God, like the
promises of complete forgiveness. Such joy needs to be cultivated. But how
can it be cultivated if there is not time given for the spiritual
disciplines like prayer, thoughtful reflection on the Word and the like? How
can it be cultivated if you are being pestered by a schedule that has you
running here and there until you are frazzled? If the joy of salvation is
not cultivated will there be conversions?
I’d like you to take home two thoughts from this sermon. The first is this.
The work of converting the lost is not a matter of sitting back and waiting
for the Spirit to do it all. You have a role to play. That role focuses on
the kind of lives you lead. And that leads to the second thought. How are
you doing at cultivating the joy of salvation?
