David was one man who had a heart for God. He loved God, and overall, he wanted to please God in all he did, though he did have some sins.

In the above verses, David asks God to do three things: 1. “judge me”; 2. “examine me”; and 3. “prove me.” With these three words, he invites God to do a thorough examination of his heart and life.

Multiple times in the Psalms, David asks God to “judge” him and let him know if there be sin anywhere in his life. Once revealed, he was willing to confess it and get right again with God.

Believers should go to God every now and then and do the same. Only God can see us for what we really are and know what sins may still be lurking in our hearts. We often have blind spots to our sins, or we may be harboring a sin we do not want to let go.

Christians (and lost people) sometimes stay away from church or from the Lord’s Table because they do not want to give up some sin that God might expose. By not yielding that sin, that believer keeps themselves from being able to enjoy God’s best for them.

Confessing our sin to God and seeking His mercy enables believers to be free in heart and know that God will hear their prayers. David says that because God will “judge” him and because he is willing to deal with those things that God reveals, he can say that he is sure that “I shall not [back] slide” – go further away from God.

The truth is that if we are not willing to go into God’s presence and let Him point out sin that we may deal with it – that person is backslid already. Romans 14:22 says: “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.”

God always sees our hearts, and He is still looking for those believers who will walk close to Him – in the light.

Starting with salvation, our loving God has given to His children many things that are free. Of course, they are the best things you can have – and they are things that the world cannot possess. They include love, peace, joy, power, victory, guidance, a great future, and more.

As the above verse indicates, they all come to us through the Holy Spirit. But what many believers do not understand is that the Holy Spirit reveals them to us as we read the Word of God and listen to His Word preached and taught in church.

The many promises of God – more than 7,000 of them, are recorded in the Bible for us. Those who avoid reading and studying the Word of God miss out on God’s greatest blessings – which are free to those who faithfully serve Him.

II Peter 1:4 reveals what the many promises of God are for: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” They are given so that we may have victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

The victory that the promises of God wants us to have is not negative only – things that you do not do, but they are also positive – enabling us to do the things that God wants us to do. As we read and study the Word of God, the Spirit of God opens our minds to understand how we can apply and enjoy the blessings of the promises of God.

The power of God to enable us to please Him is much greater than most Christians realize. It is not a weak power, but He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20). It is power beyond our capability to understand, with the result that if we “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

Christian, are you enjoying the many free things that God wants to give you? If not, why not surrender afresh and confess sin right now so that you can?

Although most people look at Memorial Day as another holiday, the day does have a dark side to it that everyone in America needs to remember. It is a day when we ought to take a few minutes to remember and realize that the freedom we enjoy today is neither cheap nor without a heavy toll. It cost many lives – and some of them may be your relatives and children. May it never be forgotten that the freedoms we enjoy today can still be lost.

Tens of thousands of our men and women have given their lives to fight against the enemies of freedom. Most likely they did not know that it would cost them so much when they joined the military, but nevertheless, they gave all when duty demanded it.

Thanks to them and their sacrifice Americans are still free. Many are still giving their lives every week because they joined the most powerful military in the world and duty has placed them in harm’s way. In our world of tyrants and evil men who aspire to enslave others to their ideologies or whims of conquering the world, such sacrifice will continue to be needed.

The same is also true in the Christian realm. Although we do not take up arms, yet there is a long list of those who have suffered much loss for the cause of Christ and the Gospel. Hebrews 11 contains a long list of names of believers who were faithful in living for God. They have showed us how to live and keep on going for Christ. May we remember daily in prayer those who are suffering now for the Name of Christ.

The believer’s salvation and freedom, of course, was purchased by Jesus Christ Who died for us. Though innocent, He took our place and died as a criminal – even though He was the sinless Son of God. He never complained of the price – even though He knew what it would cost the whole time He was on earth. Since then, He has been exalted to the right hand of the Father.

May we, as His followers, walk as He walked and live as He lived so that others may also learn of and come to enjoy the same freedom we enjoy. Others will walk in our steps one day, and may the next generation keep the faith even as they were shown how by our lives.

The saints mentioned in Hebrews 11 “all died in faith.” It is a glorious epitaph of their faithfulness. One day, our loved ones will have a memorial of us as we pass on to glory – but will we be remembered in a Christ-honoring way or as one that went AWOL from the calling of God?

The greatest freedom is spiritual.

America will soon be celebrating July 4th – the day that this country remembers the special freedom we now enjoy. Celebrations with fireworks will be occurring across the nation. It must also be remembered that the freedom we now enjoy was not free. Freedom from tyranny is something that many people around the world have never known.

Although this freedom is precious and certainly something we want to continue to enjoy, it is not the greatest one that you could possess.

The greatest liberty is one that can be enjoyed by anyone in any situation – even if they are sitting in a jail cell. In spite of it being available to everyone, most people have never known this kind of freedom. It is spiritual freedom – the kind that sets you free from the penalty of your sin.

The first condition to obtaining this freedom is to realize that all of us are under the curse of sin. The Bible reveals that “the wages of sin is death” in Hell (To. 6:23). Because all of us have broken God’s commandments,  God’s righteous judgment demands a payment that no one in their rignt mind would ever want to pay – or could ever pay!

The second condition of obtaining this freedom is to admit that you have sinned against God and deserve His wrath. Then, you must also realize that you can never pay the eternal debt you owe.

A third condition is that you need to understand that all of the debt you owe was paid for by Jesus Christ God’s Son. Because He was also God, He alone could pay this great and immeasurable price of all sin for all time. John the Baptist rightly said of Him: “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

The fourth thing you must know to enjoy freedom from the penalty of sin and assurance that you will go to Heaven when you die, is that you must receive salvation as a gift to you. You cannot earn it. John 3:16 says that God’s great salvation is free – like a gift: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus promised that understanding the Bible’s message of salvation – as given in the Bible – that you will have this freedom. His words are found in John 8:32: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The freedom that Jesus spoke of pertains to several things that includes:

1. Freedom from Hell

2. Freedom from the guilt of past sin

3. Freedom to know your future is sure – in Heaven!

4. Freedom from trying to keep the Law as a means of salvation.

Do you personally know this kind of freedom today? Isn’t it time to make your eternal destiny something you can look forward to – instead of doubting where you will go?

This kind of freedom is a gift that God has already purchased for you. In order to get this kind of freedom, in prayer, tell God that you are sorry for sinning against Him and that you want to live His way from now on. Ask him to forgive you because of Jesus’ payment for sin and ask Jesus to save you now.  He will!

“For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Ro. 10:13).

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, he shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36).