Confession Before Hope

When we confess our sins, as David admitted and confessed his, then God brings hope, healing, and beautiful forgiveness.

Confession Before Hope

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge."

(Psalm 51:2-4)

In Psalm 51:1, King David appeals to God's mercy, chanan, which means to show favor and be gracious. He deserves wrath and justice, but he asks for mercy, which is God giving to us what we don't deserve. David also asks for God's lovingkindness, checed, goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. Verse 1 closes with David's appeal to God's tender mercies, racham, compassion. David asks God to blot out his transgressions. The word for transgressions here is pesha, which means rebellion. David owns up to his culpability, his guilt. He does not pass the blame off to anyone else; he takes full responsibility.

In verse 2, David confesses his iniquity, avon, which means perversity and depravity. Sin in verse 2 is the Hebrew chatta ath. The Septuagint rendering is the Greek word hamartia, which means to miss the mark.

In verse 3, we see King David at his best; he does not deny or blame but acknowledges his sin before God. He confesses, and he will be cleansed. The dastardly deeds of betrayal, adultery, and murder have weighed him down like an enormous albatross around his neck. The healing is beginning for David.

In verse 4, David is not saying he had not sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah but is pointing out that sin is first and foremost against God. The word for evil is ra, which means malignant. He contrasts his sin with God's just and blameless nature. (Paul quotes David in Romans 3:4.)

When we confess our sins, as David admitted and confessed his, then God brings hope, healing, and beautiful forgiveness. When someone has been forgiven by God, it is palpable in their lives.

Recently, Ashley and I were picking up groceries at HEB. (As my fellow Texans know, HEB is the best!) We met a young lady named Violet. We invited her to our church and asked if she knew Kendalyn, who also works at HEB and is a member of our church. Violet said, "I love her. She has already given me a promotion!" Then Violet shared her testimony with us. She said she was not very religious growing up, but her boyfriend was. He bought her a Bible, and she said, "I read it and became a Christian!" I shared this good news with Kendalyn, and she was elated.

Let me encourage you to do the same thing as David and Violet and every true follower of God: hear the Word of God, repent, be saved, and experience the hope and forgiveness that only God can give.