Introduction
Reinforcing the Necessary Pre-suppositions:
- The Bible is what it claims to be (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is God’s Word. It is true. It contains everything that can be known about God and is sufficient to bring us to Him.
- There is a difference in the lives of those who know Christ – are saved/born again – and those who are not – lost/dead in their sin (Ephesians 2:1-10, 4:20-24).
- God has authority over His creation. What He intended to be right is right, and what He calls sin is sin (Isaiah 5:20). He is the supreme authority of such (John 1:1-5).
- Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8), “not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:9).
- If one is in Christ, His surpassing worthiness changes one’s life to the point that the things of this world pale in comparison to knowing Him (Philippians 3:7-11) and God’s Spirit produces change – or fruit (Galatians 5:16-26) – that is evident in real life.
Repentance is, per Wayne Grudem, “a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ”.[1]
Breakdown of Psalm 51:
Repentance Means Seeking God’s Grace and Mercy (vv. 1-2)
- God’s forgiveness is fueled by His “steadfast love” and “abundant mercy” (v. 1).
- God’s forgiveness cleanses us from our sin and covers it by the blood of Christ (vv. 1b-2).
Repentance Requires Us to Own Up to Our Sin (vv. 3-6)
- If we are in Christ and are filled with His Spirit, we know what we have done and are convicted of its wrongness (v. 3).
- If we are in Christ, we understand that He is holy and worthy and that sin is against and opposed to Him – and that His righteous judgment is fair/final and His grace is good (v. 4).
- If we are in Christ, we recognize that sin is part of our nature and causes consistent struggles (v. 5).
- If we are in Christ, we are loved by God despite our failings and can trust that God delights in hearts changed by Him through salvation (v. 6).
Repentance Desires Restoration and Renewal (vv. 7-12)
- Sin damages and dirties, requiring us to need purging, cleansing, and restoration (v. 7).
- The process of repentance can be painful, but even the scars produce worship in the end (v. 8).
- Repentance is a beautiful picture of a restored relationship with God – from death to life, lost to saved, being distant from the Father to drawn into His embrace (vv. 9-10).
- Repentance means turning from sin and seeking God even if the consequences of sin never allow things to return to what they once were (v. 11).
- By God’s grace and mercy, joy returns and, by the power of His Spirit, He upholds us and carries us through (v. 12).
Repentance Produces Worship and Worshipful Service (vv. 13-17)
- Sin stops service to God. Repentance begins the restart. (v. 13)
- Worship is the only fitting response to being delivered from sin and is a result of repentance, which is worship (vv. 14-15).
- Repentance is not religion. It is a response to God’s Spirit who gives us “a broken and contrite heart” refining our lives to be holy and acceptable to Him. (vv. 16-17).
Repentance Strengthens the Body of Christ (vv. 18-19)
- Individual repentance produces lives that impact the part of the world where God has us, meaning the Spirit of God is active in those who follow Christ and produces fruit in the real world (vv. 18-19).
Application – Bear Fruit in Keeping with Repentance
- How does your life fit with a lifestyle of repentance?
- Is your repentance bearing fruit?
- Where is your hope?
[1] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 713.
Just Keith Harris 