Cleanse Me of My Sin

Chuckle: "Arbitrator (ar'-bi-tray'-ter): A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's."

Quote: "There is always an advertised price for sin. But that price is always lower than the actual price it carries." --Unknown source

"Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2 NIV).

Today, we continue with David's prayer for mercy and forgiveness after his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. In verse 1, David asked God for mercy according to God's unfailing love. It is only because we know God loves us that we can ask His mercy, forgiveness of our sins, and restoration to our love relationship and fellowship with Him.

Notice the words David used in Verse 2 of his prayer. He uses the terms "wash" and "cleanse" to describe God's forgiveness of his sin. Washing away our sins is common phraseology among Christians. When something or someone is washed, it/he becomes clean and presentable once again to the one doing the washing or cleansing.

In the New Testament, we are told it is the blood of Jesus that washes away sin. An old hymn goes like this: "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." When your sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus, you can rest assured that not a single stain from those sins remains. It's as if you had never sinned. In verse 7, David voiced his confidence in God's forgiveness and said: "Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

Hebrews 9:22, remind us that, "without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin." This tells us that it was Christ's sacrificial death and the shedding of His blood that makes our salvation possible and the subsequent forgiveness of individual sins.

David found that God can and will forgive any sin, but he also learned that God does not erase the natural consequences of our sin. After his sin, David's life was filled with strife and his family was never the same because of what he had done. He had to live with the consequences of sin in this life, but was completely cleansed from God's perspective.

". . . and the blood of His (God's) son, purifies (cleanses) us from all sin . . . If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify (cleanse) us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7b, 9 NIV). David confessed his sin to God and God was faithful and just and forgave him, cleansed him, and restored him. He will do that today for you and me if we pray the sincere prayer of repentance that David prayed.

Love, Jerry & Dotse