Why would God forgive an adulterer and a murderer? Simply put, he knew he sinned against God, he repented, confessed and begged for forgiveness. We ALL are SINNERS! The Good News is that God forgives a repentant heart! See how praying this psalm can help you get right with God. Let’s dig in…
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
and they will return to you.
14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,
that my mouth may praise you.16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
Psalm 51 NLT
You do not want a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
18 Look with favor on Zion and help her;
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—
with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
What’s Going On
Pastor Sandy Adams helps with some insight…
About a year had past since David strolled out on the balcony and saw a naked woman bathing in the moonlight. The random sighting aroused desire. Lust and curiosity morphed into adultery and murder.
David defiled the woman then murdered her husband. He tried his best to cover his tracks. David thought it was all over, but what you sweep under the rug has a tendency of not wanting to stay there.
Every person has two choices when they sin. You can either confess or conceal. Confess and God will forgive, but conceal and God will reveal. David failed to confess his sin and the king caused a royal mess.
That’s why God sent the Prophet Nathan to pay David a visit.
Sandy Adams
No sin is harmless! All sin breaks God’s heart!
Pastor Sandy brings up an interesting statistic about Catholics and confession…
In 2005, 42% of practicing Roman Catholics said they never visit the confessional. Only 2% said they go regularly to confession. I would applaud this trend if it meant Roman Catholics were learning to bypass the priest and go directly to God.
But I’m afraid there’s another cause that also affects Protestants — the notion of sin and importance of confession are waning in popularity. People today want to rationalize their mistakes rather than admit their sin.
Sandy Adams
Paul wrote…
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 3:23 NLT
The folks at Spoken Gospel tie in the Good News very nicely…
Like David, we’ve all wanted what isn’t ours and conspired to obtain what we think we deserve. Like David, we’ve scandalized the Creator of the universe. Like David, we are sinners down to the core, and we need to be made into new creations, but are unable to do so. But, we don’t need to fear that kind of honesty about ourselves. The good news is that what is lacking in us, God provides in Jesus. We need mercy, a pure heart, and a clean conscience. So, in mercy, Jesus goes to a cross.
Jesus becomes our sin, but in his death, blots out our sins out of God’s record (2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 27:46). In Jesus’ death we’re given a pure heart. But in Jesus’ resurrection we’re given a new life where we were once rotten to the core (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)! And Jesus is the sacrifice that pleased God and made it possible for sinners like us to approach God with nothing but a broken heart (Hebrews 10:10).
Jesus gives us everything David prays God would give him. Jesus cleans our conscience and accepts us completely. Jesus blots out our crimes against God. Jesus’ mercy un-sins our rotten core. Jesus’ sacrifice cleans our conscience.
So like David, cry out to God for mercy. Honestly bring your sins and treason to the highest court of heaven and know that because of Jesus you are forgiven.
Spoken Gospel
How to Pray Psalm 51
Ultimately, this Sunday Psalms series is all about how to pray the psalms back to God. Asking God to forgive you isn’t easy. Needless to say, that’s why God gave us these psalms! Just like David poured out his heart to God, you can do the same.
Likewise, read it back to Him wholeheartedly — like you mean it! Dig deep and answer these questions…
- Do you realize that you sinned?
- Are you sorry you sinned?
- Do you promise never to sin again?
- Do you want God to wash you clean of your sin and guilt?
- Have you come to the realizations that you were born a sinner just like the rest of us?
- Do you sincerely want God to create a clean heart in you?
- Are you truly repentant and do you want God to forgive you?
Then, what are you waiting for?
