Is the Book of Psalms for Today?

In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call. Here is this week’s question:  Dear Dave and TA.  I’ve heard you say that parts of Psalm 51 are no longer applicable for Christians today.  You’ve mentioned that we should not sing: “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me,” as David did.  I’m confused.  Could you give me some examples of what might be applicable today?

Tom:

Dave, obviously we can’t go through what it would be Psalm 51, in this short time period, but there are some things, and I think in general, that we can address, certainly Psalm:51:11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
See All..., says, “Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.”  Well, that would be a contradiction of Ephesians, and those verses that talk about we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption.  We have Jesus saying He will never leave us nor forsake us.  So, how do we reconcile that?  

Dave:

Well, this was in the Old Testament, John 7:37, “On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come unto me, and drink, and out of his innermost belly will flow rivers of living water.”  And then we get the commentary, “This spake he of the Spirit which they that believed on him should receive:  for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.”  So, in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came to indwell, permanently indwell believers on the day of Pentecost.  In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon men and women of God, sometimes even came upon men who were not so godly, such as King Saul, but would come and go.  So, David is saying, “Lord, please don’t take your Holy Spirit from me, don’t withdraw your presence and your power from me,” and we wouldn’t say that today.  In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon them, and could depart; not anymore.  You mentioned we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise unto the day of redemption.  Jesus said I will never leave you nor forsake you; the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ.  So that would be an inappropriate Psalm to sing today:  “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.”

Tom:

But Dave, as I’m looking at Psalm 51, there are many things that minister to me, so it’s a matter of really, if I didn’t know the scriptures, if I didn’t know what the New Testament said, with regard to the verses you just quoted, I’d be confused here.  But it’s not that difficult, if you just read the Word of God, and then you are able to make distinctions as to how these things apply to your life.  You don’t need a teacher or an instructor, you have the Holy Spirit, but you have your reason, common sense, and you know, as we’ve said over and over here, the Word of God is its best own interpreter, scripture interprets scripture.

Dave:

Well, Verse 10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”  Well, that’s good.  I’ve been cleansed by the blood of Christ, but I need to—if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, and He is Holy and just to forgive us, if we confess our sins.  “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Now I know, Tom, there are some people out there in the evangelical world that say, You don’t need to confess your sins, you know, that’s all into the blood, now that’s neither here nor there, don’t confess your sin.  Well, it says, “If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  So, there is much in this Psalm—who has not failed the Lord, who has not sinned, who has not done something that they’re ashamed of?  Now we know that we are forgiven, but I don’t think that we are just automatically forgiven, not in our life.

Tom:

Well, it affects our relationship with Him if we sin.

Dave:

Absolutely.  So, I can learn a lot from this Psalm.

Tom:

But Dave, let me read this, and you respond to it.  This is starting with Psalm:51:15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
See All..., “O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.  For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it:  thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  Now, I could pray that every minute.

Dave:

Yeah, because, Tom, we have a hymn that goes:  “Not have I gotten but what I received, grace has bestowed it since I have believed.  Most thing excluded pride I abase, I’m only a sinner, saved by grace.” Then the chorus:  “Only a sinner saved by grace” and so forth.  Tom, I can tell you, I thank the Lord over and over and over.  I think Him for the help he has given me, for allowing me to live so long, for allowing me to be a part of The Berean Call, to be on the radio.  This is all the grace of God, and I need him, and I need his continual cleansing because Tom, I can get a thought that—oh, didn’t I do well!  No, I didn’t do well, if there’s anything of any value, of any good, it’s Christ in me, living his life through me.  But suddenly, we can almost begin to take credit ourselves and think well, what a good boy am I, and those thoughts can come, and instantly, you dismiss them, but still they can come back.  One of the things we need to remember is: it is not I, but Christ who lives in me, and the more that I can be nothing, and He can be everything in my life, and then we’re heading in the right direction.  Now, I think Psalm 51 will do that for you, it would help.