Being Honest with Ourselves

Being Honest with Ourselves
Psalm 51-55
Ps. 51, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

The hardest thing to do in life is to be honest about our condition before God. We all want to consider ourselves good people. If you ask almost anyone if they want to go to heaven, the response is likely to be “Yes.” If you ask them why God should accept them into heaven, the response would be, “Because I am a good person.”  We all like to think that we are good enough for heaven and worthy of being accepted. However, the harsh reality is that we are not honest with ourselves or with God. We focus on the good things we do and overlook the bad. We minimize our sin while justifying ourselves before God by comparing ourselves to others.
The first step to obtaining salvation from God is coming to the point where we recognize and acknowledge how sinful we really are. The standard of perfect is not the people around us, but it is the holiness and purity of God before whom we stand. IN this Psalm, David is confronted with his sin. He had committed adultery and then orchestrated the death of Bathsheba’s husband on the battlefield. In doing so, he had thought he had concealed his sin. God sees what we can hide from others. God sees the inward depth of our sinful hearts. For David to receive forgiveness, the first step was for him to be honest with himself and with God regarding the reality of sin in his life. David recognized not only that he was a sinner because of his actions, but also that he was born with a sin nature (vs 5). When we speak of the total depravity of humanity, we are not saying we are as sinful as we can be, but that sin has permeated and stained every nook and cranny of our lives and character.

Furthermore, we were born with a sinful nature. Instead of justifying ourselves, we need to come to recognize that we are sinners and unworthy of heaven. No amount of good deeds can compensate for the sinful heart that dwells within each of us. Sin is not just a failure in our actions; it’s a heart condition that corrupts our souls. Deep within us, we say, “there is no God” (Psalm 53:1-4). Not that we deny the existence of God, but that we deny God’s reign over our lives.  

The second step to obtain salvation is to recognize the source of our salvation. If we cannot save ourselves, if we are facing the certainty of divine judgment, then what hope do we have? David provides the answer. The answer comes in the grace and forgiveness of God, which is offered to those who acknowledge their sin and seek Him. Forgiveness is available when we are willingly to surrender to God and confess our sin. What God desires most in us is a “broken and contrite heart” (51:17). In other words, we recognize that we are unworthy and unable to save ourselves, and so our only hope is to seek God’s mercy. When our pride and self-righteousness are broken, then we discover the mercy of God. A “contrite heart” refers to one who recognizes his sinfulness. Contrite people are those who are broken of pride because of their sin and acknowledge their need to surrender to God’s control in their lives. The proud conform God to their desires and expectations; those with a contrite heart fully surrender and conform themselves to the law and truth of God. The first step toward forgiveness is confessing our need for God. When we recognize our spiritual bankruptcy, then we real the restoration and joy of God’s salvation. Are you conforming God to your perception of reality, or are you surrendering and submitting fully to God and his word? The first leads to death and eternal judgment, the second leads to life and everlasting enjoyment of God.