16/11/2013 - AFTER THE FALL

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Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:1

Would God’s judgment be less efficient than man’s? Most certainly not! In the divine justice the truth is shown, confessed and accepted by everyone involved, even those who have been condemned. The verse above refers to David’s fall with Bathsheba: by opening his heart after the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist left us good tips about what should be done to restore the fellowship with the Lord.

The psalmist begins Psalm 51 begging for mercy according to the loving-kindness of the Most High, for he knew that God’s kind hope would compel Him to use His compassion and he would be forgiven. His prayer was so good that the Holy Spirit inspired him to write it down. The king also pleaded for his sins to be erased according to the multitude of the divine mercies. He who follows the Father’s direction obtains a favorable response.

David cried out for the Lord to wash him thoroughly from his iniquity. Likewise, do not let even a little bit of sin stay in your heart. You might, for instance, be married but secretly covet someone who is not your spouse and start entertaining ideas of what your life would be like with that person if you were a widow(er). Even if you repent, you will not be forgiven because it is a sign that you still harbor wickedness in your heart.

The psalmist wanted to get rid of his sin, so he did not hide the fact he had transgressed, and then he prayed to the holy God. Never hide your errors from the Lord because if you do, you will be adding a worse and bigger sin: the sin of lie. Do not try to deceive the All-knowing nor the one who you offended because you know the evil that you have done. Confessing is being free again.

David was seduced by Bathsheba. She was not innocent when she decided to bathe outdoors so she was responsible for everything that followed her bath. However, the Spirit of God urged the king not to fall into sin. The Psalmist said that he had sinned against God only because he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In fact, David knew it was forbidden.

We were brought forth in iniquity and the world is overtaken by sin (Psalm 51:15, I John 5:19). We were born into sin but by accepting Jesus as Savior we are freed from all deception and then we are able to maintain sanctity without falling into transgression. He who sins and hides what he did commits a greater error, but he who confesses and flees sin is justified by the Lord who enables him to be in fellowship with and be the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).

It would be great if you would never fall. However, if this has already happened, go now to the feet of the Lord, confess your transgression and do not be fooled by the lies of the enemy. Also, if you have offended someone when you fell, make amends with that person because only those who mend their ways completely are truly clean. Be truly free!

In Christ with love,

R. R. Soares