Psalm 51

A Pure Heart is a Repentant Heart 

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.  Ps 51:17

 

A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him after being with Bathsheba

     1    Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness, according to the

           greatness of Your compassion--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, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight,

           so that You are justified when You speak;  and blameless when You judge.

    5     Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

    6     Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.

    7    Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

    8     Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which 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 steadfast spirit within me.

   11     Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

   12     Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.

   13     Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.

   14     Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

   15     O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.

   16     For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it—

   17     The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 

   18     By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem.

   19     Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering.  Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

 

–        We should be able to name our sin as sin and do not male excuses for it. We truly feel
      “godly sorrow,” not just grief about being caught or having to deal with the consequences of  sin.

–        Our repentance should come immediately. A heart that recognizes its sin is in tune with
      God’s spirit within us.  
 
–        We are patient with those who have hurt us, and spend as much time as is needed
       listening to them without jumping to defend ourselves. 

–        We are willing to make our sin known even in the face of consequences. 
 
–        Forgiveness of others is always God’s principle rule.
   
–        A pure heart will never resent accountability, pastoral care, or church discipline. 

–        We seek our comfort in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, not simply in being free of the consequences of our sin. 

–        We are humble and teachable. 

Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 7:6, 9-10:

 

But God, who comforts the depressed, comforts us…  
 
I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the
 point of repentance, for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God... that you
might not suffer loss in anything through us.   For the sorrow that is according to the
will of God produces  repentance without regret, leading to salvation...  but
the sorrow of the world produces death.