IronGuys Law Enforcement Ministries
"WORDS OF WISDOM"
By Police Chaplains
"Have We Truly Repented of Our Sin?"
By
Doni Daudel
Chaplain, Beaumont (CA) Police Department
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Psalm 51:1-4
This is such a beautiful prayer of repentance from David to God. We see a truly repentant heart by the way David owns his sins, failures and transgressions. David said: “Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight..” There’s no blame shifting or excuses for his sin. David understands, owns, repents and confesses his sin to God, and receives the forgiveness only God can give. This is true repentance.
I’ve read Psalm 51 many times and my heart is pricked each time I read it. When I read David’s words and how he acknowledges that it is “his sin, transgression and iniquity before God” he is confessing, I ask myself if I’ve been that honest before God? Have I “owned my sin, transgression and iniquity” and “truly repented before God,” or did I come up with some pathetic and@ lame reason or lie to try to justify or excuse my sin against others and ultimately God first? In Psalm 69:5, David said: “O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You..” Until we seriously look in the mirror and realize the person looking back at us is the one to blame for all of our sinful thoughts, choices and actions, true repentance will never take place.
Paul said: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s..1Cor 6:19-20.” Paul reminds us we we purchased by Christ through His death and resurrection. Our lives should be lived out in a way that is God honoring and pleasing to Him. Because we’re flawed people, we will fail. Yet in our failure we can be reconciled when we “own our sin,” repent, confess and receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. No excuses or blaming others. Today is a new day. Do you need to come to the Savior, Jesus Christ, in true repentance.