Repentance
The most powerful example of repentance in the Bible is found in Psalm 51. David has been caught in his adultery, murder and lying. Nathan has confronted him. Rather than get mad, David gets humble and low before the God against whom he knows he has sinned. Then David lays out a blueprint for the proper response to sin in our lives.
In first acknowledging his sinful condition (being conceived in iniquity), David entreats the Lord's mercy and wise council over against his impurity.
Following confession, he implores the Lord:
Psalm 51:7–12 (ESV) 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
I love David's desires here. He doesn't ask God to restor his kingdom or to save his face before the crowds. He doesn't ask for his fame to stick around through his restoration. David seeks the Lord to do inward house cleaning and empowering. He wants God to wash him. He wants his heart clean. He wants the Holy Spirit to stay. And most important, He wants a willing spirit. A spirit that wills to do what is good.
In our struggle with sin, we often forget the Spirit of God is available and ready to struggle with us toward victorious living. Victorious living is living without the desire any longer to commit the suicide of the soul that IS sin.
Philippians 2:13 (ESV) says "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
God is working not only on what we should do, He's working on the WILL to do what we should do. David prays for this in his repentance because he knows he doesn't have it in him.
Paul said, in Romans 7:18 (ESV) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Psalm 51:13 (ESV) Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
It is not that he needs perfection to teach others. It is that he needs his heart changed from the inside out.
That's where Christian witness begins, when the heart has been turned by God almighty to what is truly His good. Where sin is tasteless and senseless to us in all respects and our only desire is for God's purpose to prevail.
That's repentance.
That's Christian living.
In first acknowledging his sinful condition (being conceived in iniquity), David entreats the Lord's mercy and wise council over against his impurity.
Following confession, he implores the Lord:
Psalm 51:7–12 (ESV) 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
I love David's desires here. He doesn't ask God to restor his kingdom or to save his face before the crowds. He doesn't ask for his fame to stick around through his restoration. David seeks the Lord to do inward house cleaning and empowering. He wants God to wash him. He wants his heart clean. He wants the Holy Spirit to stay. And most important, He wants a willing spirit. A spirit that wills to do what is good.
In our struggle with sin, we often forget the Spirit of God is available and ready to struggle with us toward victorious living. Victorious living is living without the desire any longer to commit the suicide of the soul that IS sin.
Philippians 2:13 (ESV) says "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
God is working not only on what we should do, He's working on the WILL to do what we should do. David prays for this in his repentance because he knows he doesn't have it in him.
Paul said, in Romans 7:18 (ESV) For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
We do not possess the ability to please God. We just don't. True repentance begins with acknowledging how hopeless we are in our struggle with sin apart from the power of God and His work within us. That is why salvation is a daily thanksgiving to God for what He has done in our lives and not what we can avoid or discontinue in our own strength. The only way we get free from any sin is through Him.
Perhaps that is why only when God grants him the will to carry out the right activity he then says:
Psalm 51:13 (ESV) Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
It is not that he needs perfection to teach others. It is that he needs his heart changed from the inside out.
That's where Christian witness begins, when the heart has been turned by God almighty to what is truly His good. Where sin is tasteless and senseless to us in all respects and our only desire is for God's purpose to prevail.
That's repentance.
That's Christian living.
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