God requires a “Psalm 51 type repentance” and offers a “Psalm 51 type salvation”
A Psalm 51 type salvation
Salvation is when God, in His “steadfast love” and “abundant mercy” “blots out my transgressions” – where He washes “me thoroughly from my iniquity” and He cleanses “me from my sin”.
Psalm 51:1-4
Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
A Psalm 51 type honest repentance
Salvation requires sincerity and truth. According to Psalm 51: verses 6 and 17.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
“You delight in truth in the inward being.” In that place, in the innermost part of my being, my “secret heart” – is where He will “teach me wisdom”. He wants us to come to Him with “a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.
We are urged to approach Him just as we are, with all the sins that have stained our soul. But, we must not hold back. We must approach Him with “a broken spirit” — not a rebellious spirit, not a half-hearted surrender, but a 100% yielding.
Anything less – is contrivance, 1 fake repentance, a sham sham sham “acceptance”… an artificial, ineffectual faith. He does not want a religious thing. Fake faith might feel good, but God sees through any insincere religiosity.
God is asking us to repent truthfully – and will not accept any act of our own to earn His salvation. He does not want our sacrifices (v16) nor our “burnt offering”. The Psalm implies that He despises all but an honest repentance (v17).
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
The Psalmist owned-up to being sinful (v1-4). He confessed, I have “sinned and done what is evil in your sight.”
my my my
My transgressions.
My iniquity.
My sin.
No excuses. No pathetic whining of this and that which “made me do it”.
- “It’s not my fault.”
- “I’m disadvantaged.”
- “I just can’t help myself.”
- “I was born this way.”
“The only humans entering heaven’s gate will be those sinners who confessed their sinfulness – and yielded their will completely (100%) to Christ in that moment of salvation. In that moment of time they were made brand new. They were freed from condemnation! Only sinners arrive in heaven… the redeemed sinners. – Source: Is this you?
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[b] 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.
This is the full text, written after King David committed adultery, and then ordered the murder of Bathsheba’s husband:
Psalm 51 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK). Source: BibleGateway
Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
51 Have mercy on me,[a] O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 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 judgement.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
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[b] 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.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
FOR MORE:
NOTE: Only after Jesus rose from the dead and left earth – did the Holy Spirit come to earth to reside in the heart of every born again believer. In Old Testament times, prior to Jesus physical death on the cross for us, the Holy Spirit was given for special periods, and then would leave. Thus the request in the Psalm, “11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.” That cannot happen now. Jesus promised a new covenant where the Holy Spirit would empower us and actually be inside us – never to leave us, ever. See: About the Holy Spirit
8 Steps for Real Repentance from Psalm 51 – by Catherine Parks at thegospelcoalition.org:
“Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”
“repentance is a turning away from sin
and a turning toward God
—a process
that doesn’t merely alleviate guilt
but cultivates deep joy.”
This is natural for us so put it on
Acting with your heart, soul, strength and with your mind
Jesus can save your soul for all eternity
This is forgiveness
This is repentance
Footnotes
- a device, especially in literary or artistic composition, which gives a sense of artificiality. – Google
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