Grace Alone

May 21, 2020

It’s all about what God does. In my Psalm reading pattern, Psalm 51 was on deck for today. It is David’s prayer of repentance after being called out by Nathan the prophet for his rape of Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. It was a heinous crime, and he paid a terrible price; the child of that union died. If that weren’t enough, up till this time, David’s star was rising; everything he touched turned to gold. But from this time on, trouble dogged his steps. His son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar, and was subsequently murdered by her full brother Absalom who later rebelled against his father and tore the kingdom apart in civil war. 

Had David been a leader today, his sins would likely have spelled his political doom; rising stars have flamed out over far lesser sins. But in spite of the seriousness of his sin, David is called “a man after God’s own heart.” He was an ambitious and passionate man—that’s what got him into trouble. He was a terrible father. But David knew how to repent. He didn’t blame, didn’t pass the buck, didn’t prevaricate or try to minimize what he had done. In the third and fourth verses, he puts it plainly: “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.”

Too often, we (read “I”) start out our repentance with excuses: “I couldn’t help myself,” or “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” My favorite is the one Adam gave the Lord—“The woman YOU gave me, enticed me...” Ie. “It’s your fault, God!” 

After the excuses, we try rationalization: “It was just a little white lie.” “I only cheated a little.” “Nobody else knew, and nobody got hurt.” 

When confronted with the knowledge that his sin was known to God, he didn’t resort to the kinds of tricks we often try to play. His bubble was burst, and he simply acknowledged and confessed his sin, casting himself completely on the mercy of God. The interesting part of all this is that his restoration was due simply and solely to the work of God. Following his admission of his wrongdoing, everything else in this psalm is the work of God. David asks God to purge him, wash him, make him hear joy and gladness, blot out his iniquities, create in him a clean heart, renew a right spirit within him, restore the joy of his salvation, uphold him, and deliver him from guilt. None of this is David’s doing; it is the work of a loving and merciful God. 

This tells me two things: First, there is no sin so great that God will not forgive. There are a lot of bad sins in this world, but murdering a faithful friend has to be near the top of the list. God forgave him. Second, forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration is God’s work, not mine. I cannot work my way into God’s good graces; all I can do is repent. I am so grateful tonight for the Gospel proclaimed in this Psalm. This grace, and this alone, is my hope and salvation.