“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12

By nature after the fall, all of our hearts are full of “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19). Instead of loving the LORD and desiring to do His holy will, our thoughts, as a result of our fallen and sinful nature, are “only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).

As Christians, who trust in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for salvation, the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and gives us love for God and holy thoughts and desires. As the Bible says, we are “washed … sanctified … and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Our “body is the temple of the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 6 19).

Yet in this world, we are still sinners. Like David, we need to acknowledge our sins, turn to the LORD for His grace and forgiveness, and pray that God would create “a clean heart” and “renew a right spirit” within us.

When we consider how we continue to come short and fail to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Word, we deserve to be cast away from the presence of the LORD and have His Holy Spirit taken from us. How we grieve God’s Spirit when we go our own way and sin rather than give heed to the admonition and warning of God’s Word (cf. Eph. 4:30)! With David, we all have reason to pray, “Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.”

When we turn aside from following the Holy Spirit – when we turn into sin and evil – the joy which comes from being an heir of salvation and walking with the Lord is overshadowed by guilt and despair. We feel God’s wrath upon us. We know that we have failed again and are deserving of His everlasting punishment (cf. Ps. 32:3-4; 51:3-5).

But, like David, we look to the LORD God for mercy, acknowledging our sins and failures to the LORD and turning to Him for pardon and forgiveness for the sake of the Son, Jesus Christ, and His innocent sufferings and death in our stead.

We pray with David in Psalm 51:1-9: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.”

And, we also pray with David: “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.”

Only God’s Spirit can restore in us that joy of knowing that in Jesus we have forgiveness for all our sins and eternal salvation! Only the Holy Spirit can uphold us and keep us in the true and saving faith!

Let us then pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness … So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” Genesis 1:26, 27

The LORD God created the first man and woman in His own image and after His likeness. Since God is a spirit, the image and likeness spoken of here refer not to a visible likeness, but to a spiritual likeness. We learn of this image of God in the New Testament.

Colossians 3:10 says of the new man or new nature in Christians, that it “is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.” Ephesians 4:24 says of this same new nature that it “after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Thus, we see that the image of God is having a knowledge of God and His perfect will and also being truly righteous and holy. Adam and Eve were created with perfect knowledge of God and His will and, in the beginning, had only holy and pure thoughts, desires, words and deeds.

Of course, the fall recorded in Genesis 3 changed all that. Man’s knowledge and understanding of God and His perfect will became darkened so that he came up with his own ideas and beliefs about God and even worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:18ff.). Instead of being holy and righteous and wholly devoted to the service of the Almighty, man became turned in upon himself and lived in disobedience and rebellion against God’s holy commandments. Thus, the image of God was lost!

In believers, those who acknowledge their utter sinfulness and trust in the shed blood of Christ Jesus for their salvation, the image of God is being restored. They have a new nature which is being “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created” them, a nature that “after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” They, “with open face beholding as in a glass [mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

But believers in Jesus will not achieve sinless perfection here in this world. They will not perfectly reflect the glory of the Lord. The Bible plainly tells us that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8); and we are encouraged to confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).

However, when the Last Day shall come, all who have trusted in Christ Jesus will be raised up with perfect knowledge of God and in perfect righteousness and holiness. The Scriptures tell us: “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15); “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2); and “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

And so, dear friend, you and I were created in God’s image, created to know God and His perfect will and created to serve God in accord with His will and design. Adam’s sin took from all of us the image of God. Instead of reflecting the holiness and righteousness of God our Maker, we have each gone our own way, seeking to gratify our own fallen and sinful nature and to glorify ourselves.

In Christ Jesus, God’s own dear Son made man, God provided a sacrifice for our sins and offers to us pardon and forgiveness. God the Holy Spirit, working through the good news of forgiveness in Christ, regenerates us, bringing us to faith in Christ and working in our lives to restore the image and glory of God which we had lost. And, when Christ returns and the dead are raised up, then all who have placed their hope in Him will reflect His image and serve Him in everlasting righteousness and holiness!

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that my life does not perfectly reflect Your holiness or Your glory. Wash away my sins in Your shed blood and create in me a new heart and nature which loves You, seeks Your will and lives for Your glory. Amen.

[Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

Practicing and applying the Scriptural principles of church fellowship is not an easy thing, especially when they call for a break in fellowship between close friends or members of the same family. While we are to be loving and patient with others and seek to explain to them the truth taught in the Holy Scriptures, God’s Word also calls upon us to sever fellowship when the Word of Truth is rejected.

This is commanded for two basic reasons: 1) To point out to the erring the seriousness of departing from the doctrine revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures; 2) To prevent the spread of error that the true visible church may be preserved in this world and souls not be misled into sin, error and unbelief.

And, when Christians fail to do as God has commanded, they: 1) Give the impression that it is OK and not necessary to hold to all that God has revealed in His Word; 2) Cause the visible church to fall into error and cause souls to be misled into sin, error and unbelief.

A summary of the Biblical teaching regarding the practice of church fellowship

Since Jesus commanded us to disciple the nations by going, baptizing in the name of the Triune God and teaching them to observe all that Jesus taught and commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), and since Jesus warns against false prophets who come to us in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15-23), we, as Christians, are to discriminate between churches and teachers which are faithful to Christ and that which is taught in His Word (orthodox churches and teachers) and those which are not faithful to Christ and His Word (false and heterodox churches and teachers) and to practice church fellowship (joining together in those things which one would do with fellow believers, such as worship, prayer, reception of the Lord’s Supper, evangelism, mission work, etc.) only with those who are faithful to Christ and His holy Word.

Jesus said: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). For this reason, the early church “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

That we not be led astray from the truth, the apostle Paul warned: “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:3-5).

Thus, we see that we are commanded to continue in Jesus’ word and doctrine – the teaching of Holy Scripture – and to avoid and withdraw from those who teach otherwise and do not consent to the words of our Lord Jesus and the teaching of the Word of God.

So serious is the threat of false doctrine and the deception of the devil, God’s Word warns us:

• “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1);

• “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11);

• “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18);

• “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18);

• “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 9-11); and,

• “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us … And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed” (2 Thessalonians 3:6,14).

Christians, like the believers at Berea (Acts 17:11), are to compare what is being taught to them with the clear teaching of the Word of God and reject those churches and teachers who remain unfaithful to the Word. And they must reject and condemn as sin the unionistic practices of our day in which church fellowship is practiced and church union is sought without regard for full adherence to the Scriptural Doctrine.

A church’s faithfulness to Christ and His Word is to be judged not only by its acceptance of and subscription to an orthodox creed or confession but by what is actually taught in its pulpits and writings and by what is practiced in its services and ministry.

As the apostle Paul warned, errors in both doctrine and practice will continue to trouble churches in this world (Acts 20:28-32; 1 Corinthians 11:19). But those churches which are faithful to Christ and His Word will, through Scriptural admonition and discipline, continue to combat and remove such error from among themselves and be faithful to Christ (Matthew 18:15-18; 2 Timothy 3:13-17; 4:1-5; Titus 3:10-11).

Christians remember that every lie and false teaching is of the devil, the father of lies (John 8:44), and the devil’s intent is to mislead God’s elect and weaken or destroy their faith in Christ Jesus. Therefore, Christians cannot and do not view doctrinal errors and teaching which is not in full agreement with the Bible as a trivial thing that can be ignored or overlooked. They use God’s Word to expose it, reprove it and remove it.

And, if a church or teacher rejects the sound teaching of God’s Word on a matter, Christians are commanded to reject and avoid the church or teacher until there are repentance and a return to the truth. Not to do so could even give the devil the opportunity he seeks to lead people away from faith in Christ and destroy their souls.
This is a most serious matter and yet many laugh and scoff and say that it’s only a little thing, a minor point. But, how many of you would drink water from a well which was poisoned even if the amount was small? What might not immediately kill you could do damage over time. So also with false doctrine; it is never harmless and, over time, it will weaken or destroy faith.

“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9).

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish … this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:22-27).

While we recognize the message of Scripture to husbands and wives, we sometimes fail to read on far enough — to verse 32 — to see the mystery and see the significance of these verses for us in our relationship to Jesus Christ. We see that wives are commanded to submit to their husbands and that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, but do we see what these words teach is also in regard to our relationship with Christ Jesus?

The Church, which is made up of all true believers in Christ, is to submit to Christ in all things. This is, of course, what Jesus commanded in the Great Commission. His apostles were to disciple the nations by going out, baptizing in the name of the Triune God and by teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded (cf. Matt. 28:18-20).

Christ is the Savior and Head of the Church, and we, as believers, are His body and submit to His headship by listening to and obeying all that He teaches in His Word.

And why do we do so? It is because He loves us, His Church, and gave Himself for us when He died on the cross for the sins of the world. And He did this in order that He might set us apart as His own and cleanse us from our sins in Holy Baptism and present us to Himself “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

In other words, Jesus Christ so loved the world that He suffered and died and made atonement for the sins of all. And He did this that, through the preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of Holy Baptism, He might bring us and all the elect to repent of our sinful ways, trust in Him and be baptized and so have our sins washed away in His blood. And He did this that the Holy Spirit who brought us to faith might keep us trusting in Christ unto the end and that we might be presented to Him holy and blameless on the Last Day and dwell with Him forever in heaven!

And because Christ loves us and is working for our eternal salvation, we trust that what He teaches and commands in His Word is true and right and for our good. Thus, as the bride of Christ, we submit to His Word in all things.

Jesus said, “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God” (John 8:47). In fact, it is a mark of believers to hear and believe God’s Word, and it is a mark of unbelievers to reject and argue against the clear Word of God.

When we speak of the true (or faithful) visible church in this world, we speak of the church that preaches and teaches the Gospel in its truth and purity and administers the Sacraments in accord with Christ’s institution. Any ongoing compromise of the Word of God, any ongoing unfaithfulness to what He teaches and commands, makes a church unfaithful and untrue to Christ, our Head.

And, it often happens that people turn away and are unwilling to submit to Christ and His Word. Instead of listening to Christ, the Savior and Head, they follow their own thoughts and opinions. Jesus encountered it in His ministry when many of His own disciples were troubled over a part of His teaching and turned back: “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more” (John 6:66).

“Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (John 6:67-69).

Do you see the mystery?

“Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word; curb those who fain by craft or sword, would wrest the kingdom from Thy Son and set at naught all He hath done.” — Martin Luther, 1542

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.