THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE REPENTANCE VIS A VIZ KING DAVID AND PSALM 51

KING DAVID The person of King David conjures certain attributes to mind: Shepherd, Poet, Giant Killer, King, and Ancestor of Jesus, one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. It also brings to mind; Betrayer, Adulterer, Liar, Murderer. However the greatest of all these attributes is that which is attributed to him for all time, as it was given to him by the almighty; a man after Gods own heart. King David had an unwavering belief in the faithful and forgiving nature of God. He was a sinner with a difference; he was quick to repent of his sins, but better still his confessions were from the heart, his repentance was genuine such that he never repeated them. PSALM 51 This psalm is recognized as the clearest examples of repentance in the scripture. It deals with the different issues that are raised when dealing with human reactions to repentance: excuse man makes, which end up as justification for the sins committed, half-hearted repentance, lack of sorrow over sin.

CHARACTERISTICS OF TRUE REPENTANCE

King David, the man after Gods heart possessed certain characteristics when exhibiting repentance which was show cased in vivid detail in psalm 51, these characteristics are outlined below:

1. Recognition That All Sins Committed Are Against God

When David murdered Uriah as a result of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, he was quick to recognize that he had sinned not against Uriah and Bathsheba, but God. It was an act of rebellion on his part, against God and his commandment and that this rebellion meant there was a gulf between him and God, which only repentance and forgiveness could breach.

2. Recognition That Anything Short Of A Broken Spirit Or A Contrite Heart Is Not The Attitude Of Repentance

The attitude of the world is that good deeds outweigh bad ones, this is a fallacy. God is not interested in our good deeds they are likened to filthy rags before him. He is also not interested in gifts or sacrifices, his sole interest lies in the heart of man.

The true attitude to repentance is a sorrowful heart that refuses to be free until it receives Gods forgiveness. Such sorrow must be strong enough to make that person convinced and committed not to commit that sin again; Godly sorrow.

3. Recognition That Repentance Is More Than Will Power.

People, who desire to do the will of God and to keep away from sinning by their own sheer will, always discover that they not only fall short of the desire but are constantly living in sin. David asked God to create in me a clean heart o

God and purify me, this is an acknowledgment that only a new heart bought by the blood of Christ and purified through fellowship with the Holy Spirit can abstain from sin.

4. Guilt

Acknowledgment of sins results in the feeling of guilt, which is like a stain such that it must be washed off. This guilt is an indicator that a sin has been committed and forgiveness must be sought and until forgiveness is received the guilt never fades.

Most people believe thy can suppress the guilt by ignoring it and keeping busy, but they only way to reconciliation is to acknowledge the reason behind the guilt and seek forgiveness.

5. A Desire For Restoration

Sins create a gulf between God and man. It removes man totally from the presence of God, because God cannot behold iniquity. Anyone who is truly repentant seeks to be restored to the presence of God.

6. A Desire For Restitution

When we are forgiven our sins, we often feel the desire to ask the person we sinned against for forgiveness, in a bid to rectify the wrong done, this is called restitution and it is a natural desire that springs from true repentance.