Recently, I have been reading through the book of Psalms again. Psalm 51 is a Psalm about true godly sorrow that leads to repentance. David, who was king, had stayed at home while his people were off at war. He committed adultery with one of his soldier’s wives, Bathsheba. Bathsheba became pregnant, and in an attempt to “cover” his guilt, David had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed in battle. Nathan, who was one of God’s prophets was sent to David to let David know that God knew what he had done, and David was to reap the consequences. We then have what David wrote, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in the 51st Psalm.
David recognizes that he has not sinned not against man, but against the God of the universe. David recognizes how depraved and helpless he is, how dirty he is, and how unworthy he is to stand before a righteous, holy, and just God. He asks God,
“…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me , and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7).
He hates the sin that is in him, and wants God to forgive Him. What struck me in this Psalm was why David wanted to be forgiven. After he asks God to cleanse him of his filthiness, and restore to him the joy of his salvation, he says
“…Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you… my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”
David hated his sin, was broken at the fact that he sinned against a holy God, for he recognized what he was called to do, and that was to glorify God throughout the nations.
We, like David have sinned against God. We deserve the very worse, for we at one time hated God. Yet, through Jesus Christ, who was perfect in His obedience to the father, even in going to the cross to become a curse in our place, dying, and rising again from the dead to be seated at the right hand of the Father, we can be forgiven and clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We are saved for the glory of God. We are not to be selfish and keep the joy of our salvation or the freedom we have in Christ, to ourselves. We are saved to proclaim the glory of God to the world so that other sinners will return to God, that we may sing aloud of His righteousness, and that our mouths will declare His praise. To God alone be the glory.