What does a murderer and an adulterer have in common ? Both have heart problems. Through reading God's word we see that the issues and concerns of this life are often rooted in the heart. In the book of Matthew 15:19 Jesus sates, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." In the bible the heart is mentioned more than 45 times along with several warnings to "guard your heart' above all else.
The human heart can be very deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and no one can ever truly know it's vastness except God. In the old testament King David asks God to create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10). This same sentiment is echoed by Moses in Exodus 32:30-34 when he says, "Forgive us our sins, O Lord, even sins of rebellion against you".
At one point both David and Moses had sordid and gritty backgrounds. However one would go on to lead a nation from out of slavery while the other would establish a monarchy that helped birth the bloodline of the Messiah. Two lives that could have been defined by defeat were ultimately defined by triumph because of their willingness to ask for forgiveness along with a clean heart.
Now let me clarify and say that this act of faith and trust in Jesus is not always easy however it is worth it. By doing this you may not win many battles but you will most surely win the war. Simply put, modern life is war. Like David and Moses, we sometimes allow sin to enter into our lives when matters of the heart and the stress of this world becomes too great. At it's root sin is a heart problem relating to past hurts from people we know, painful events or unjust situations.