By The Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist

Read: Psalm 51:1-19

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

The Rev. Ron Purkey

First, there is a cost for committing sin. Falling into lust and adultery seemed momentary acts, but what a tremendous price David paid.

As we see in Psalm 51:3-4, David paid for his sins physically and became ill. But the spiritual cost was also great. He lost the purity of his heart (verses 1-2) and therefore needed to be washed and cleansed (verse 7).

Notice the words used for sin here: transgressions means acts of rebellion, defying God by crossing over the line God has drawn; iniquity means inward crookedness, perversity; sin means missing the mark, failing to meet God’s standard.

Verse 17 suggests that David’s heart not only became defiled, but it also became hard. When we harbor sin, it hardens the heart.

David’s eyes were also affected; all he could see were his sins (verse 3). People with a dirty conscience are usually on the defensive, wondering what other people may know. Sin also affected his ears, for he lost the sound of joy and gladness (verse 8). Nothing sounds good to a person out of fellowship with God.

The inner person (heart and spirit, verse 10) was out of fellowship with God (verse 11), and there was no joy. God does not take away the Holy Spirit when we sin (John 14:16), but we do grieve the Spirit and thereby lose his fellowship and help (Ephesians 4:30-32). There is a high cost for low living!

Second, there is a cost to confessing sin. True confession of sin involves repentance, a sincere change of mind.

During that year when David covered his sins, he thought he would “get away” with something. But when Nathan confronted David about his sins, David’s heart smote him and he repented.

There is a difference between admitting sins and confessing sins. Confession (1 John 1:9) literally means “to say the same thing.” If we say the same thing about our sins that God says about them, and we truly mean it, then we are confessing sin.

True confession costs something — a broken spirit and a contrite heart (verse 17). This does not mean that we do penance and earn forgiveness, but it does mean that we are so broken by our sins that we hide nothing from God.

Third, there is a cost for cleansing sin. Good works cannot cleanse sin, not even religious works and sacrifices (verses 16-17). Only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away sins (Hebrews 10:1-18; 1 John 1:7-2:2).

Forgiveness is not a cheap thing; it cost the Lord Jesus Christ his life. We receive forgiveness because of what he has done, not because of our prayers or tears.

God is willing to blot out sins (verses 1, 9; see Isaiah 43:25) and purge us completely. The high cost of cleansing alone ought to make us hate sin and want to turn from it.

Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines free at rcpbibleoutlines.com. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.