Psalms 51:1-2 ESV
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!”
This is a psalm of David, a confession of his sin against the Lord when he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and he murdered her husband in order to cover up his sin. And then he married her. But this confession didn’t come about until Nathan, a prophet of God, confronted him in his sin and David then repented of the evil that he had done. And it could have taken him nine months or longer after he sinned before he repented of his sin.
And David was a man of God who worshipped the Lord. So, this is just one example showing us that it is possible for a born again Christian to fall back into sin, for a period of time, before he repents of his sin and is renewed back to a right relationship with the Lord. But we are not to take this as an encouragement that we can live in sin and still be considered children of God and followers of Christ. For if we live in sin, and if sin is what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God unless we truly turn and change.
Judged by God according to our works: [Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Psalms 51:3-6 ESV
“For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”
I don’t know about you, but I have always struggled with this idea that David’s sin was against God and God alone. I don’t believe we should adopt that as our doctrine, for I don’t believe it is biblical doctrine. But this was David’s expression regarding his sin to God and perhaps it was because he was acknowledging that his sin was against God’s commands. But he did also sin against Bathsheba and against her husband Uriah, and against his people, and against his soldiers who he used to put Uriah to death.
So, when we sin against other people, as well as sin against God, we should not only confess our sin to God, and repent of the sin by turning away from it, and not return to it, but I believe we should confess our wrong to those we wronged and ask for their forgiveness and then not continue to do that wrong against them. We should try to make things right between us and those we sinned against. But not everyone will forgive us, and not everyone will give us another chance to change.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16 ESV
Quote from godquestions.org: “The Bible gives examples of confession to other people. One is Joseph’s brothers asking for his forgiveness in Genesis 50:17-18. And person-to-person confession is implied in such passages as Luke 17:3-4; Ephesians 4:32; and Colossians 3:13.”
For we are all born into sin when we come into this world, but by faith in Jesus Christ we were delivered from our slavery to sin and we were reborn of the Spirit of God and we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Yet this is not saying we must now live in absolutely sinless perfection or we are out (1 John 2:1-2), but the Scriptures do teach that if we walk in sin, and if sin is what we practice, we don’t know God, we are not in fellowship with him, and we don’t have eternal life in him, either.
[1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Jn 1:6; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Psalms 51:7-13
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.”
David’s repentance was genuine, for he did not return to repeating the same offense over and over again. He not only desired to have a change of heart and mind, but he did have a change of heart and mind. He didn’t just speak empty words of confession and of a promise of change, but he changed. And I am certainly not saying that he never sinned again. But from what I understand of his life, he was considered a godly man who served God.
When we read his words here we see that this was not a glib confession of sin and then he went on with his life, business as usual. David meant business with God and it showed. He didn’t want to just move on with his life, he wanted to be changed in heart and mind. He wanted a change in behavior. He desired God’s correction and discipline, although painful, too, for he knew that he needed that to get him back on the right path.
For genuine repentance is not just saying you are sorry for what you did. Genuine repentance involves turning away from that sin and going in the opposite direction. It means to be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18). And it involves putting off the old and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:17-32).
Then, when our lives have truly been transformed by the Lord, and we have been renewed in our walks of faith and obedience, when it is obvious that a change of heart has genuinely occurred, then we can teach other transgressors the ways of the Lord so that sinners will turn or return to God. And we should not be doing this if we are still living in sin, for then we are being hypocritical, plus it might be an easy path back into sin, as well, like the blind trying to lead the blind only to fall into the pit together.
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
https://vimeo.com/379408296
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