Psalm 119:10
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!

As we examine this verse, let us remember that it is part of the psalmist's response to his question in verse 9: "How can a young man keep his way pure?" We are instructed to guard our lives according to His word, and now this idea is addressed even further.

Keeping our lives pure requires complete devotion. Nowhere in Scripture is purity said to be a gift that we ask for. Instead, it is something we must put into practice. This is why Paul encourages Timothy to "flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness" [2 Timothy 2:22], tells the Roman believers to "make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" [Romans 13:14], and exhorts us to "put to death therefore what is earthly in you" [Colossians 3:3].

Think about the words flee, make, and put: they indicate action. We must devote our lives to Christ. The early church leaders said "we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word" [Acts 6:4], and the New Testament says to "devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" [1 Timothy 4:13] and for God's people to "devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful" [Titus 3:14]. God himself tells us that it is "when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you" [Jeremiah 29:13-14].

Again, we must be clear. No human -- Christian or otherwise -- has enough willpower, strength, and wisdom in and of themselves to perfectly obey the law of God. We have not been saved by Christ only to once again fall under the weight of the law. We have been given the Holy Spirit, not only as a guarantee of our inheritance [Ephesians 1:13-14] but also to "teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" [John 14:26].  

Nowhere does the Bible teach that the Holy Spirit will make us holy regardless of our devotion or willingness. Take, for example, our command to be "forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" [Ephesians 4:32]. It's clear from this passage and others that God will not force us to forgive others. It also reminds us that apart from the forgiveness given to us by God, we would be unable to forgive others. So, we choose to forgive, not from our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The power is His, and even the ability to make the choice comes from our freedom in Christ, but we are still required to choose whether or not we will obey Him.