“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 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 judgment.” (Psalm 51: 3 - 4)
Beloved, Many people are quick to highlight man’s responsibility when it comes to salvation and while I do agree that we have a part to play, it is not what most think. The claim is that what occurs at the point of salvation is that God lays all His cards on the table; that is He makes His best “sales pitch” and we decide whether or not we will purchase His wears. I don’t believe this is at all consistent with what scripture teaches about repentance. Psalm 51shows us what real repentance leading to salvation looks like. In this passage, David is not trying to decide whether or not he will transact business with God by accepting God’s offer. He is broken over his sinful rebellion that has dishonored God’s name. David is most concerned that God will show him mercy and renew a proper relationship with him. By the way, this is not simply about God removing His favor from David so that David ceases to be king. It is more about David’s desire to be in right standing with God whether God makes him a pauper or not. What is seen here is the very core of repentance. It is in fact a holy fear of God; that is an understanding of the offense God has suffered because of our sinful behavior, a realization that God could rightly refuse to show us any kind of mercy or favor, an unyielding desire to be made right with God at whatever cost He may exact and a deep-seated brokenness to do whatever it takes to please God whether such actions result in anything good for us. That is repentance and without it we simply will not see or experience God. There is something else that is talked about a lot today; revival. Everyone wants to see revival; that is an outpouring of God’s Spirit. Have you ever wondered why with so many people asking for revival God doesn’t do it? It is for the same reason so many people claim an association with God that is not backed up by real actions. There is no repentance. Revival is really just a lot of people being saved all at the same time and we have just said that if there is no repentance then there is no salvation. In short, if there is no repentance there is no revival. As long as we see our responsibility before God as being whether we choose to buy something from Him as a result of His promotional publicity we will never see the need to repent from sin and we will never see God move in our own lives or in the lives of those around us.
For a fuller understanding of this account in David’s life, read 2 Samuel 11: 1 – 12: 23.
Word for the weak
Repent, (3340) μετανοέω [metanoeō]: vb.; repent, to change one’s life, based on complete change of attitude and thought concerning sin and righteousness. Used in Mark 1: 15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
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