Penitent Prayer

 Psalm 51:7
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

The sin of David in our day would be considered scandalous. A man in a prominent position, a person that many hailed as a wonderful leader, succumbed to his selfish desires to take another man’s wife and commit adultery, and hired a “hitman” to have the wife’s husband killed. If such an act were done in today’s society, his popularity would have dipped to an all time low. Such a man is held to a higher standard and should be an example to those who look up to him. Yes, we all know that we are just humans that are not perfect, and make mistakes, but David not only messed up, but he willfully disobeyed the commandments of God and sinned against God. He tried to cover it up for a while, but God sent the Holy Spirit in the form of a prophet to uncover his sin. Such is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and guilt to our hearts when we fall short of the mark and are found wanting. David was found guilty and his sin was revealed to everyone who heard the prophet Nathan. David was a man after God’s own heart, and his guilt brought him to his knees. Unlike Saul, the former king,  he made no excuses for his actions and took full responsibility. Forgiveness comes from God and God alone. Man can forgive, but it does not bring complete healing of the heart. The penitent prayer of David and God’s forgiveness reminds us that God is merciful. He desires that we don’t continue in sin, but He is faithful and just to forgive us of our failures. He will wash us, and make us clean, whiter than snow. Restore us back to Him.

Repent and be Converted

Act. 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Repenting is to be sorrowful for wrong doing and to turn away from doing it again. Many people will often be sorry for their behavior, but find themselves repeating the offense. They have not truly repented, but seek only to be relieved from the guilt of doing wrong. The process of true repentance requires a conversion. All things passed away and all things become new. A born again experience in Christ. Being converted is more than just changing religions or a mind set, it is a change of heart. The heart is the centrality of man’s passions and desires. From the heart rise the issues of life. A true repentance, will convert the heart from doing what is wrong to doing what is right. This is the center of the teaching of Bible Holiness. The heart is made new through the blood of Christ that blots out our sins, and Holy Spirit indwelling the believer to live a life that is truly repented. 

You Must Be Born Again

John 3:6,7  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

A new chance at life. Born again is a new beginning with a new heart. The old heart was dead in trespasses and sin, it was sold under sin and a servant to the nature of sin. The old life has been put to rest with its deeds of unrighteousness. The old life was burden down with guilt and shame, but the Spirit of God through Christ has removed the load of sin and it has been cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness to be remember against us no longer. His blood now cleanses us from all sin and we have been born again through His grace and mercy. Born again and there has been a change in me, old things have past away, and all things have become new. We now see life through different lens, our world view and what is important in life is now set on things above and not on things of this world. Being born again is not turning over a new leaf, but having the experience of growing new from the branch, a new leaf in the vine of God’s love. Being born again is more than just believing that Jesus is God and came to the world to save sinners, it is allowing His Spirit to make us what we ought to be, a new creature in Christ Jesus. If eternal life is your desire, Jesus said, you must be born again!

The Greatest Blessing

Psalm 32:1 “ Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”- 

The greatest blessing and grace that a man can have is to know that their sins have been forgiven and they are covered by the blood of Jesus. The complete work of salvation was completed when Christ came to die on the cross to make the final provision for man’s forgiveness. Guilt is part of man’s nature that God’s uses it to alert man that they have done wrong. Not all guilt is from God, but action and behavior that is contrary to God’s law causes man to take notice of their sinful condition. The load of guilt can prick at the conscience and make life unbearable. To be free of guilt is a blessed state of mind and brings peace to the heart of all who will confess it to God. As Christian, we also can experience guilt even though we have not willfully sinned. In the human, our actions and behavior may not be sinful, but they may not always be constructive. It is sometime after the fact that we realize that we wrongful judged, or spoke harshly. The Holy Spirit is faithful to use our conscience and cause us to experience guilt. It’s mistakes like this that His grace is sufficient and greater to cover. Confessing our fault to one another and to God will bring the smile of God and His blessing.