The connection between confession, restoration, and sharing your faith
Psalm 51 draws a lot of attention for being the song David wrote after the prophet Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba. As such, it has become for many the “go to” passage for reflecting on confession and repentance.
The Psalm even inspired one of the most well-known worship songs by the early CCM legend, Keith Green. The lyrics are taken straight from the KJV of verses 10-12a. When I read them, I can’t help but sing them (perhaps some of you will start singing as you read them now):
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…”
As such, whenever I read this Psalm, in any translation, verses 10-12 stand out to me. But in a recent read of this Psalm, I was struck by verse 13.
“Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.”
While the KJV was used in Keith Green’s song, I read the CSB:
“Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you.”
Put this verse together with the verses that precede it, and we learn that the result of confession and repentance is evangelism. It is making disciples.
In other words, the natural result of repentance is missions.
We are sinners. We deserve God’s wrath. We need to repent. Thankfully, God does indeed restore to us the joy of salvation. All thanks to the work Christ Jesus did for us through his crucifixion and resurrection. This joy doesn’t just stay with us; it compels us to share with others in the despair of their sin the source of the joy of our salvation. Be it to those in our own family or to the families of other nations.
Why not read Psalm 51 right now?
Reflection Questions (After Reading Psalm 51):
- What do you need to confess & repent of?
- Are you experiencing the joy of your salvation in Christ?
- Are you sharing that joy with others?
Discussion Questions for Your Friends on Social Media:
On your social media, choose a question to answer in more detail and share the link to this blog post. Or you can leave a comment on our posts on Facebook and Instagram.
- What is Psalm 51 about?
- How are repentance and missions connected?
- What is the joy of Salvation?
Want to Read or See More?
- Old Testament Foundations for Missions (Video and Audio)
- Panel Discussion on Missions (video)
- Toolbox For Missions
- How to Use Netflix and Amazon for Missions
- Was Paul Really a Tentmaker?
Photo by Benjamin Chambon on Unsplash