Happiness unmitigated by guilt. Joy fueled by acceptance and security. These are true heart cries of all people. We latch on to whatever seems to provide even a whiff of these evasive treasures. At the end of the day, happiness is fleeting, guilt re-emerges, acceptance is out of reach, and security is not realized.
Consider the words of the psalmist: “I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds” (Psalm 28:6-7).
He writes as if he experienced these things. He washes, proclaims, and tells. The overflow of God’s covenant mercy spilled out in the assembly. It was the heart cry of the covenant people as they gathered together to exult in the goodness of God’s love. This exultation was sourced in a heart that believed and experienced the truth of the Word of God.
When I read this psalm I identify and smile.
I can identify with the longing and even the experience. As new covenant believers, we do not have a temple to attend or an altar to walk around. But we do have a Savior who entered into the heavenly temple. He is a priest who both offered and was the sacrifice! He procured our security, acceptance, and joy. Jesus is our better priest, with a better sacrifice, in a better temple.
Because of your union with Christ, believer, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3). Because of the doing and dying of Christ, you have guilt removed, adoption secured, wrath satisfied, and hope fixed. It is like being dumped over the head with an inexhaustible bucket of spiritual Gatorade. The celebration never ends, because the blessings never end.
Therefore, because of Christ, we wash our hands in innocence around the altar of God, as they are dipped and cleansed in the laver of Christ’s merit. We are proclaiming, we are preaching the wondrous deeds of God for us in Christ!
Oh, what a gospel! What a heart-stirring, joy evoking, mind-boggling truth this gospel is! Because of Christ, we are blessed to know and experience forgiveness, joy, acceptance, and security.
Throughout eternity we will never grow tired of this gospel celebration. And, if we are able, we will look back at our time on earth and be ashamed by how lightly we regarded its worth. Let’s make up for lost time!
