Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God

Last Sunday we dove head-long with David into his prayer of humble confession in Psalm 51.  There are a few questions on temptation, sin, confession and forgiveness I’d like to address now after the fact.

David succumbed to temptation by first allowing his eyes to look in a certain direction (2 Samuel 11).  And the heart follows the eyes.  So where are you looking?  Amidst his turmoil, Job reveals this convic­tion:  “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (31:1).  And Jesus says “everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).  Satan is devious, so he’ll put visual temptation before you when you’re not expecting it:  to resist him, you have to be ready in advance.  Plan now where to (and not to) fix your eyes.  And ask respected Christian friends to hold you accountable for your viewing habits (James 5:16).

Psalm 51 is one long, elaborate confession of sin—and after com­mitting adultery and murder, it does seem fitting that David should confess.  But maybe you’re thinking, “My sins aren’t nearly so exotic, and nothing so flagrant.”  Is confession still needed?  Yes.

But let me clarify.  When the Christian confesses sin, he or she is not asking to be saved all over again (as if God first redeemed / justified / adopted us, and then took back his salvation when we sinned, and then re-redeemed and re-justified and re-adopted us the next day after our confession—all to be repeated day-in and day-out!).  Rather, our ongoing confessions express the desire for unhin­dered communion with the Father.  It’s not unlike other relation­ships:  if your spouse or close friend causes you pain, the air needs to be cleared; confession needs to be made and forgiveness offered.  You can’t just ignore it.

So, yes, confession is necessary—for your joy, for God’s honor.  In fact, a heart that persists in willful sin and lacks remorse may well be a heart that doesn’t really know Christ at all!  How can you be in relationship with Jesus and yet not grieve over the ways you defy and dishonor him?  Confession reveals a heart of faith!  So let’s make 1 John 1:9 our rule and our hope:  Yes, confess!  And be assured of God’s renewing, restoring love!  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.