Psalm 51:1-2 (Repentance)

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" (Psalm 51:1-2).

The path of reconciliation to God begins with an acknowledgment of who God is. He is our creator, judge, and redeemer—Alpha and Omega, author of life, and only through Him can forgiveness of sin be attained. More importantly, God is the author and administer of mercy, because without it, we are declared guilty without excuse. 

It is critical we understand that His love is the reason why He gives mercy, for we deserve His wrath because Scripture declares that sin must be atoned for. Yet because He loves, He provided a way of escape for our eternal judgment by sacrificing His Son on our behalf.  

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Keep in mind, the epitome of mercy is not punishing us for what we deserve, but through grace, providing an even greater gift of salvation and atonement we do not deserve nor can ever payback.

Cleansing of sin must be universal, though, for all roots of sin must be eradicated like cancer for the whole body to survive. But there must be specificity to determine whether we fully understand the breadth and depth of our sins, otherwise we are more apt to fall victim again.

“Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly. Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:11–12).

Bottom-line, when we take the time to acknowledge exactly how we failed and ended up in a pit of guilt and shame, we begin the process of reconciliation and realize that only He can cleanse us of our sins. For time taken to reflect upon our failures points to seeds of brokenness, and that is the ultimate goal God seeks for our sanctification.

That doesn’t mean we will never fail again. Rather, it demonstrates the presence of the Holy Spirit working in our hearts, convicting us of sin, and drawing us to repent and reconcile our souls back to God.