When David did not repent of his sin with Bathsheba,
GOD sent Nathan to warn him.
David was immediately contrite,
finally appreciating how much he had offended GOD,
and he wrote this Psalm begging for GOD'S holy mercy:
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sin and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart
you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
PSALM 51
If we truly repent...
GOD will show mercy.
The penalty for murder was death...
but GOD allowed David to live.
So it is truly worth repenting.
However, there are still consequences.
The rules of GOD's universe mean that consequences will flow.
David knew that the consequence for his sin was fourfold retribution.
This was inescapable.
If you cause harm to another... GOD will forgive you but you will have to face the punishment.
If you murder someone... expect to go to prison.
If you cheat and lie to someone... expect them to expel you from their inner circle.
If you commit adultery... expect to get divorced.
David shows us how.
With our whole heart.
GOD knows what is in our heart so knows exactly how sorry we feel.
If we are simply sorry for the consequences of sin...
Sorry that we have been found out...
Sorry that we did not get away with it...
GOD KNOWS.
Everything that you know is not in line with GOD's commandments for our lives.
Unsure what that is?
Check with the BIBLE.
If your actions are not in line with the teachings and commands of the BIble...
then it is likely they are sinful and require repentance.
What is this?
Repeated and deliberate behaviour that is out of sync with the teachings of the Holy Bible.
There are a myriad of excuses that people make for choosing a life outside of GOD'S teaching.
Some say "God knows my heart and knows that I mean no harm when I..." fill in the blank.
Yes GOD knows your heart but he also knows the rules he set.
Rules for our good not his.
If we disobey him... there are consequences.
Turning away from sin is a prerequisite for FAITH.
FAITH is all that is needed for SALVATION.
Maybe you can work out for yourself just how dire the consequences of deliberate, repeated sin can be.
HOLY FATHER IN HEAVEN HELP US TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN AND FOLLOW YOUR PERFECT WILL FOR OUR LIVES. FORGIVE US LORD WHEN WE FALTER AND HELP US TO OBEY YOU AND LOVE YOU MORE. IN JESUS MIGHTY NAME WE PRAY. AMEN