The Theology Behind Repentance
Psalms 51
September 29, 2019
Tonight we come to one of the top 5
Most popular Psalms in the entire book.
It is the famous 51st Psalm and it is of course
The pinnacle chapter in the Bible on repentance.
You notice in the subheading that:
“For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”
A couple of things there.
• ONE IS obviously the setting, which we will read in a moment.
• BUT THE OTHER is that it is “For the choir director” meaning that David shares this bitter moment publicly.
This is not just a private prayer from David
Regarding his repentance before the Lord,
This is a lesson for the church to sing and learn about repentance.
And that is really the direction I want to take you tonight.
I want you to see the theology behind repentance.
Well, let’s begin by reading the story that inspired this Psalm.
TURN TO: 2 Samuel 11:1 – 12:20
Well there is the story.
• It is the infamous “you the man” sermon by Nathan.
• And it is in response to David’s betrayal of God that David penned this song
and is now commanding it taught to the church.
David’s humility comes shining through in the fact that
He commanded that the subheading be included so that all the world would forever know who the sinner behind the song was.
And just in that we see some obvious aspects of repentance that I want to quickly point out before we get to the structure of the Psalm.
We could just call these sort of some “HOT POINTS”
We can quickly make from this great Psalm.
HERE ARE SOME ASPECTS OF TRUE REPENTANCE
1) IT IS AN APPEAL FOR GRACE NOT JUSTICE (1)
Obviously the prayer of repentance comes to God as a beggar,
Not as a victim.
There are no, “I’m sorry but, You should’ve…” going on here.
David wants no part of justice, he only wants grace.
Such is true repentance.
2) IT IS NOT A CHEAP PLOY TO CONTINUE IN SIN (2)
David isn’t looking for mercy to continue sinning,
David is looking for cleansing from his sin.
3) IT DISCERNS WHO IS TRULY OFFENDED (3-4)
Some might take issue here
Thinking that the truest offended person was Uriah,
But believers know that all sin is first and foremost an offense to God.
• Nathan told David that in his sin he “despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight.” (12:9)
• Nathan also told David that in this sin he “despised” God (12:10)
• Not only that but Nathan also said, “by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme” (12:14)
Every believer should understand who their sin truly hurts.
You only think it hurts you.
You only think it hurts others.
The true victim of our sin is God.
4) IT ADMITS THE DEPTHS OF DEPRAVITY AND TAKES OWNERSHIP (5-6)
This wasn’t a slip up from a man with a good heart.
David knew why he sinned; it’s because he was a sinful man.
David wasn’t a victim of his circumstances.
• David was an adulterer in heart and that’s why he did what he did.
• David was a murderer in heart and that’s why he killed Uriah.
• David was a liar and schemer and a thief in his heart, that’s why he did what he did.
5) IT REQUESTS PURITY WITH MERCY (7-9)
Do you notice all the appeals for purity?
Do you notice the desire to be clean?
This is not a man who wants mercy while being able to remain in his sin.
This man wants the sin gone.
6) IT LONGS FOR PERMANENT VICTORY (10)
He not only wants cleanliness, but he wants steadfastness.
It is his sincere hope to never venture this way again.
7) IT DESIRE RECONCILIATION WITH GOD NOT ELIMINATION OF CONSEQUENCES (11-12)
David ISN’T here requesting to save his reputation
Or for God to remove the consequences.
His only request is that his intimacy with God will be restored.
8) IT DELIGHTS IN A TESTIMONY TO HELP OTHERS (13)
This was a man who led others to blaspheme God by reason of his sin,
And now his desire is to use his forgiveness
To glorify God and restore God’s reputation.
He understood that mercy was something to be proclaimed.
9) IT GLORIFIES GOD (14-15)
True repentance leads to true forgiveness
And that should always result in praise.
Jesus said, “he who is forgiven much loves much”
And that should always be evident.
10) IT IS NOT SUPERFICIAL (16-17)
There is nothing token or routine about this repentance.
• It isn’t a prayer for show or a trip to the altar to impress others.
• True repentance includes a truly broken heart and spirit that longs to be righteous.
11) IT RESULTS IN PURE CORPORATE WORSHIP (18-19)
You see here that the entire congregation
Has learned from David’s mistake, his humility, his confession,
God’s mercy, and David’s restoration.
It drove a holy passion through the entire congregation
So that all are revived and seeking to worship God more sincerely.
Now those are just some rapid fire points to be made about repentance.
That is what it is.
And we could spend a lot more time just on those topics.
But what I really want to look at tonight is the theology behind repentance
When you casually read through Psalms 51
The most obvious attitude you see is David’s humility.
That is the easiest to spot.
You see how humble and broken and contrite he is.
What perhaps you don’t see quite as easily is David’s faith,
And that is what I want us to see tonight.
I want you to understand why faith is necessary for repentance.
I would also go further and say that
The root cause for a lack of repentance in the church
Is because there is a lack of faith.
When you work through this Psalm and you see what David believes
Then you will understand why David repents.
And tonight in this moment of brokenness and confession by David
I simply want you to see his theology.
So let’s look at this Psalm of repentance and see what David believes.
5 beliefs I want us to see tonight.
#1 ABOUT GOD
Psalms 51:1-4
Here we learn what David believes about God.
And that’s a little misleading because you could actually say that
The entire Psalm reveals what David believes about God.
But we’re going to focus on it here in these 4 verses.
Look at verse 1
“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.”
Now let’s think about this for a moment.
• Because we have here a man whom God graciously honored by putting him on the throne.
• And this after God removed his predecessor for a lack of faithfulness.
• This David then despised God and His word by walking into sexual immorality and murder.
• And David blasphemed God by committing this sin before the world.
And yet, David has the idea here to go and approach this God
And ask for forgiveness.
Clearly we learn there what David believes about God.
• David DOESN’T BELIEVE God to be a ruthless tyrant.
• David DOESN’T BELIEVE God to be a vindictive.
• David obviously believes that God is “gracious”
• David obviously believes in God’s CHECED, His “lovingkindness”
• David obviously believes in God’s “compassion”
If you don’t believe God is those things
Then you don’t approach Him for mercy.
You see how David’s theology drives his repentance.
Look at verses 2-3
(2-3) “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.”
On one hand we have here David more than aware of his sin problem.
He says, “my sin is ever before me.”
That is to say, “I know what a problem I have.”
But you also notice what David doesn’t say.
HE DOESN’T SAY, “God I’m going to change. I’m going to turn over a new leaf. I’m not going to do that anymore.”
COULD IT BE that David understood that sin was a bigger problem
Than he could handle on his own? Certainly!
But notice what he believes about God.
• He asks God to “wash me thoroughly”
• He asks God to “cleanse me from my sin”
He obviously believes that God has the ability
To transform his heart.
He obviously believes that God has the power
To deliver from sinful inclinations.
How many times I have taken comfort in:
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
How many times I have taken comfort in the promises of the New Covenant:
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, ” I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Or
Ezekiel 36:26-27 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”
It is the belief we hold when we go to God in repentance
That not only will He be gracious to FORGIVE our sins,
But He also holds the power to change our lives and FREE us from sin.
It was NOT A RANDOM INSIGNIFICANT PROMISE our Lord made when He said:
John 8:31-32 “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Clearly David believed that.
We don’t run to Saviors who have no power to save.
David clearly believed that God had the ability to cleanse his heart.
One more important thing David believed about God.
(40) “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.”
David understood that God was a “justified” and “blameless” judge.
Not only that, but David knew God was A WILLING JUDGE,
Hence the words “when You judge.”
And this is a truly important reality in regard to repentance.
Perhaps it is failure to believe this truth that creates a lack of repentance today.
• David believed that God would judge him for sin.
• David believed that God would not allow iniquity to go unpunished.
And this is the driving force behind repentance.
If you don’t believe that, then you’ll never repent.
But David did.
But you see then David’s theology.
• He believed would judge him for sin.
• He knew he had no power to free himself from sin.
• But he knew God could and if he would humbly come then God would graciously forgive and deliver him.
That is the belief about God that drives our repentance.
YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THOSE THINGS.
If you don’t, I’d venture to guess that repentance
Is not a very common occurrence in your life.
It starts with our belief about God.
It is the driving force to our repentance.
There is a second set of belief we look at:
About God
#2 ABOUT MAN
Psalms 51:5-9
We already saw that David believes God is
• A gracious Savior.
• An able Deliverer.
• And a serious Judge.
But we also learn in this Psalm what David obviously believed about man.
(5) “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”
We have a modern day term for that belief, it is called: “Total Depravity”.
• It is the belief that in Adam we all fell.
• That we are born spiritually dead in sin.
• And that we are all corrupt from birth.
This is the point of Romans 5:12
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned”
This is the point we’ll be driving hard at this year’s Disciple Now.
Namely that we were all condemned “in Adam” and only by being “in Christ” can we be redeemed.
But this is a basic and yet often overlooked truth.
In fact, I tell people this all the time.
(It’s not uncommon for me to get a phone call or an email from someone asking me about the doctrine of election or the doctrine of limited atonement; to debated doctrines today)
But I always tell them, “You’re starting in the wrong place.”
• Don’t enter the debate at the point of election.
• Don’t enter the debate at the point of atonement.
You have to get your doctrine of man right first.
If you’re doctrine of man is wrong all your other doctrines will be too.
And today the popular belief is that of Pelagius (who was actually deemed a heretic by the church in 416 and excommunicated).
Pelagius championed a staunch belief
• That man was not condemned in Adam,
• That man was not born dead in sin,
• That man maintained a freedom of the will to choose salvation,
• And therefore was required to do so.
His main opponent was Augustan who held
• That man was dead in sin,
• That man was not capable of such a choice because of his spiritual death and slavery
• Therefore God must exercise grace.
This is where we discussed the issues of monergism or synergism
In regard to regeneration.
We believe that regeneration is monergistic; (i.e. “the work of One”)
Not synergistic (a cooperative effort).
We believe that man’s will is in bondage
And apart from the regenerating work of God’s Spirit
He cannot choose good.
He is free to choose, but because he is a slave to sin
He will always choose sin.
He is in a prison that he cannot escape on his own,
And it began in the garden with Adam.
And it is extremely clear that David believed that.
“I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”
It is the lament offered by the apostle Paul regarding his battle to try and eliminate sin on his own.
Romans 7:14-24 “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
That is Paul saying the same thing.
• I know about God…He is good.
• I know about the Law…it is good.
• I know about sin…it is bad.
• And I choose not to sin, but to obey God’s Law.
What was the problem?
• He couldn’t!
• He was a slave.
• “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
YOU HAVE TO GET THAT FIRST.
• David has it right which is why he is NOT running to a self-help guru for freedom.
• He is running to God who alone has the power to transform the leopard’s spots.
Look at it:
(6-9) “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.”
David is not promising to do better, he is begging for cleansing.
He is not working harder,
He is throwing himself at the mercy of the Savior.
This is a very important understanding in regard to repentance.
Unless you realize that you have no power to deliver yourself from sin then you will never run to Christ for freedom from it.
Now notice how Paul continued in that lament from Romans 7
Romans 7:24-8:4 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
What he could not do because of his sinfulness,
God did for him through Jesus Christ.
Do you see that in David?
• Are you just going to tell him to quit lusting after women?
• Are you just going to tell him to quit lying about affairs?
• Are you just going to tell him to quit coming up with corrupt solutions to problems?
You can tell him that, but he has no power to change.
God must change him.
That is what David understood and that explains his repentance.
You see what he believed about God
You see what he believed about man
#3 ABOUT FORGIVENESS
Psalms 51:10-13
We already know that David believed that God was forgiving,
But here we learn what David believes about forgiveness itself.
(10) “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
David believed that forgiveness did not just wipe away condemnation, David also believed it restored faithfulness.
You can see in David’s repentance that
He is NOT just asking to have the consequences of his sin removed.
In fact we just read back in verse 8, “Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.”
He wasn’t looking for freedom from punishment,
HE WAS LOOKING FOR FREEDOM FROM SIN
And clearly David believed that if God forgave him
Then he would have that.
He saw forgiveness as a means to also obtaining “a steadfast spirit”
David believed being forgiven would increase his faithfulness.
(11) “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
David clearly believed that forgiveness meant TOTAL RESTORATION.
• He clearly believed that forgiveness would cover all his iniquity no matter how
great it was.
What David speaks of in this verse is that God not treat him like God treated Saul.
• God took the anointing from Saul
• God cast Saul out as king.
And David says, “Please don’t do that to me.”
Clearly David believed that if God forgave him
That it cover a multitude of sins.
In short, he believed in the power of forgiveness.
That it was greater than his sin.
If you don’t believe that God will in fact wipe out all your sin when you come to Him then you are quite likely not to come to Him.
David believed He would.
We learn more about what David believed about forgiveness
(12) “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”
David believed that forgiveness produced joy.
• He saw his sin as the cause for his sorrow.
• He saw his iniquity as the cause for his miserable demeanor.
And yet, if God would forgive him, then joy would be restored.
It’s no wonder then that David sought forgiveness.
We could talk here about the VALUE OF FORGIVENESS.
People don’t seek it because they don’t believe that it will be worth it.
People don’t repent because they don’t believe that
The joy of forgiveness exceeds the pleasures of sin.
But David did.
Another thing he believed about forgiveness
(13) “Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”
David knew that forgiveness is free but it does come with an expectation.
When God forgives us there is an obligation
That we proclaim that forgiveness to the world.
Remember what Paul told Timothy?
1 Timothy 1:15-16 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”
• Paul was the self-proclaimed worst sinner who ever lived.
• But God forgave him and Paul knew why.
• God desired to put Paul on display for other sinners to see.
Paul would spend his life preaching that
“If God will forgive me, then He will forgive anybody!”
David knew that obligation as well.
• I think that has a lot to do with why he penned this song.
• He knew that God forgiving his failures demanded testimony.
But when David repented you see what he believed.
• About God – Gracious, Able, Serious
• About Man – Ensared in sin, needing salvation
• About Forgiveness – it restores, it covers all sin, it produces joy, and it requires a testimony
But we learn more of what David believed here.
#4 ABOUT WORSHIP
Psalms 51:14-17
In short, what you will see here is that David understood that
If he never repented then he’d never be able to worship.
He saw repentance as necessary if he was ever to worship God again.
Look at what David believes about worship
(14) “Deliver me from bloodguiltness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.”
David was not able to go and stand before God in true worship
So long as he bore the weight of having shed innocent blood.
God wasn’t about to accept his worship under those circumstances.
Remember what God revealed through Isaiah:
Isaiah 1:14-15 “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”
Through Jeremiah He asked:
Jeremiah 7:9-11 “Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’ — that you may do all these abominations? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.”
David knew he could not worship God in his sinful state
And that made repentance necessary.
How many today wrongly assume that they can harbor their sin
And come sing acceptable praises to God.
It is the height of hypocrisy.
Friend, leave your sin before you pick up your hymnal.
That is not all David believed about worship
(15) “O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.”
• David knew that worship must come from a heart that God accepted.
• David isn’t promising to open his lips, he is asking god to open his lips.
That is to say, he is asking God to forgive him, and cleanse him,
And then grant him worship.
Is it starting to make more sense now why David repented?
It wasn’t about eliminating consequences,
It was about being accepted before God as a worshiper.
(16-17) “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
• David knew that worship could not be superficial.
• David knew that worship could not be ceremonial.
• David knew that worship must be genuine, sincere, and full of humility.
That is why he brought repentance to God.
God might not accept a lamb, but God would accept humility.
David’s theology here is so important.
How many today come thinking God will accept them apart from a humble spirit so long as they bring an offering?
How foolish.
• Clearly David DID NOT BELIEVE that God could be bought.
• David CLEARLY BELIEVED that the only shot of ever being accepted by God in worship again would be if he repented of his sin.
Do you see that?
Many today don’t repent
Because they think God accepts them “just as they are”.
Many today don’t repent
Because they think their offering, or in some cases just their attendance
Makes God pleased with their worship.
David didn’t believe that.
He believed worship required purity and sincerity
And that is why he repented.
I’ll show you one more set of beliefs David had.
#5 ABOUT PUNISHMENT
Psalms 51:18-19
We are talking here about the conviction and punishment
God brings because of sin.
And David says it is good.
It is good for God’s people.
(18) “By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem.”
God had just confronted David through Nathan the prophet
And pronounced him some pretty severe punishments.
And yet David saw that as a good thing.
He saw that as something that would ultimately
Strengthen the walls of Jerusalem.
Why?
(19) “Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.”
• After seeing David’s sin…
• After seeing God’s displeasure…
• After witnessing David’s repentance…
There is no doubt the entire nation
Was inspired to worship more sincerely.
I would imagine David’s confession produced repentance from many in Israel.
And David says that is a good thing.
• It is good that God convicts of sin.
• It is good that God announces His displeasure.
• It is good that God grants repentance as a means of forgiveness.
• It is good because knowledge of it purifies a nation.
Now I know that is covering this Psalm rather quickly,
But I hope you see now the theology that drives repentance.
What is more perhaps now you can see why people don’t repent.
People don’t’ repent because of what they don’t believe.
• Perhaps they don’t believe God is gracious.
• Perhaps they don’t believe God can cleanse them.
• Perhaps they don’t believe God will judge them.
• Perhaps they don’t believe man needs God’s help.
• Perhaps they don’t believe that man is actually fallen.
• Perhaps they don’t believe forgiveness can restore them.
• Perhaps they don’t believe forgiveness can cover all their sin.
• Perhaps they don’t believe forgiveness is worth it.
• Perhaps they don’t want their lives used as a testimony.
• Perhaps they think they can worship God without it.
• Perhaps they think that a pure heart is not a prerequisite for worship.
• Perhaps they think God will accept the proud.
• Perhaps they think repentance won’t help the body.
People who believe those sorts of things are prone to never repent.
But you can see why David did.
You can see what he believed
And therefore why repentance was necessary.
So tonight we just focus on the theology behind repentance
And ask if there are any of those truths that we do not believe
That would lead us to a lack of repentance.
Repentance is a great grace that God has bestowed upon the church,
And when your theology is correct
You clearly see why you need it so badly.
