3. The Spirit-Awakened Conscience Psalm 32:3-4

 Text:  “And you hath He quickened (made Spiritually alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins…Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

                                                                                                          Ephesians 2:1;5-6.

Good morning, Spirit-awakened Christian!  When God the Spirit moved upon the waters at the Creation of this world, chaos had to give way, and order was Created.  Similarly, when God the Spirit, in His Sovereign grace to sinners, moved upon your dead spirit and mine - we were convinced of our sinfulness; Christ’s full righteousness; and the judgement of God that shall surely come.  We had to be awakened from our Eternally fatal and sinful sleep, through the Gospel, granted faith to believe; and drawn by God’s cords of love to be among His redeemed church.  What truly amazing grace!

Thanks be to God, our sins, all our sins, are now covered by the Blood of Christ Jesus!

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (entire lifestyle) received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”         (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Verse 3.  “My bones waxed old.  What a killing thing is sin!  It is a pestilent disease!  A fire in the bones!  While we smother our sin it rages within, and like a gathering wound swells horribly and torments terribly.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 157)

Even as genuine, Spiritually regenerate (born again) Christians, we sin daily.  However, genuine, Spiritually regenerate Christians cannot bear having sinned for too long; we soon cry out to the Lord God for His forgiveness, and are progressively sanctified in order that we might have close fellowship with Him and with His people, the church.

The pig (unsaved souls) wallows in the mud with impunity, thick-skinned against the notion of the dirt and grime it accrues. 

The sheep (God’s saved followers) also wanders into the mud, but being God’s chosen sheep - indwelt by God the Holy Spirit - cannot endure being dirty and so cries out to God for fresh and constant cleansing.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins (cry out to the Lord in repentance), He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (1 John 1:8-9)

Spiritual conviction of personal sins only takes place within a Spirit-quickened soul!  The carnal man receiveth not the things of the Spirit…nor can know them.

Verse 3.  “…Through my roaring all the day long.  None know the pangs of conviction but those who have endured them.  The rack, the wheel, the flaming faggot are ease compared with the Tophet which a guilty conscience kindles within the breast: better suffer all the diseases which flesh is heir to, than lie under the crushing sense of the wrath of Almighty God.  The Spanish Inquisition with all its tortures was nothing to the inquest which conscience holds within the heart.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 157)

Dictionary Definition: Tophet - (noun) an ancient place of human sacrifice near Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom or part of it, later a place of refuse disposal; hence Hell. (Hebrew: topheth)

“But the wicked are like that troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”  (Isaiah 57:20-21)

Verse 4.  “For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me.  God’s finger can crush us - what must His hand be, and that pressing heavily and continuously!  Under terrors of conscience, men have little rest by night, for the grim thoughts of the day dog them to their chambers and haunt their dreams, or else they lie awake in a cold sweat of dread.  God’s hand is very helpful when it uplifts, but it is awful when it presses down: better a world on the shoulder, like Atlas, than God’s hand on the heart, like David.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 157)

Tell me, dear Christian friend, have YOU suffered such deep conviction of personal sin, and the constant dread of knowing you have sinned against the Holy Lord Jesus Who has saved your never-dying soul?  I am ashamed to say, I have, and have been so utterly relieved when the Lord God heard my cry of repentance from committed sin, and, by His grace alone, forgave me, sanctified me afresh; filled me afresh with His Holy Spirit - and restored me to full and close fellowship with Himself.  Hallelujah! 

Natural born sinners will always sin - but God has made a way of restoration for us, ’His people’.  Keep short accounts of sin before the Throne of God’s grace.

Verse 4.  “…the drought of summer.  During the twelve years from 1846 to 1859 only two slight showers fell in Jerusalem between the months of May and October.  One fell in July, 1858, another in June, 1859.  (Dr Whitty’s ‘Water Supply of Jerusalem’, quoted in Kitto’s Cyclopedia, John Kitto 1804-1854)

Let us strive to keep our sanctified walk with the Living Lord God clean from sin.  Let us realise afresh that, while sinlessness is unachievable, to sin less we must try to do

Thought:  “If God striketh those so sore whom He favoureth, how sharply and sore will He strike them whom He favoureth not.”  (Gregory 324-389)  Repent!