Psalm 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Then and only then can I teach. When is that? Consider that there are twelve verses prior to this one pleading with God to change us before we can effectively act. The issue here is about effectiveness not desire.

When I was first baptized I tried to witness to my brother. His response was less than gracious. He mocked me and did many things to prove that I was no better than he was. It was true. Being a babe in Christ does not give us the ability or the history to reflect change.

We can get very excited about our initial conversion and rightly so. That doesn’t mean we have the means to understand or teach the finer points of salvation. It takes time. Verse ten asks for God to create in us a clean heart. That takes time as Jeremiah warns us that the heart is deceitful and who can know it. Asking for change is only the beginning of change. It takes time for change to go into effect.

My brother could rightly call me a hypocrite when I was first baptized. Change had not been completed and my witness was weak. Discouragement set in because I didn’t have the maturity to understand the difference between imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness.

Imputed is declared, it is God view of His new creature. The world does not see as God sees. Those around me still see that sinner I was in that day.

Imparted is the outward expression of our change over time. All the promises of God are true but they do not all show up at the same time. Some of our salvation is instant, some of it is new every day and some of it awaits us.

Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a right and proper time for everything. Be patient.