The death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ comprise the heart of the Christian gospel, making Good Friday and Easter two of the most significant celebrations in the Christian year. Traditionally, the 40 days of the Lenten season start with Ash Wednesday on 5 March and end on 19 April with Holy Saturday. “Lent is a period of grief that necessarily ends with a great celebration of Easter. In Eastern Orthodox churches, it is noted as the season of ‘bright sadness’.” (Wikipedia)
From Ash Wednesday, we prepare with prayers and fasting all the way through Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. That marks the start of Holy Week, remembering Christ’s arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter Sunday marks the triumphant conclusion to the Lenten time of prayer, fasting and repentance as we celebrate the passion and resurrection of our Saviour.
Psalm 51 is a poignant psalm that captures the biblical understanding of true repentance. It offers a model on how to look to God in times of failure, sin and brokenness. It teaches that true repentance is deeply rooted in self-reflection, personal acknowledgment of sin and the desire for transformation to become more and more like Jesus Christ.
From this psalm, we also learn that true repentance is not just about confessing our wrongdoings and feeling remorse. It entails reflecting in depth on our sin and the impact it has on our relationship with God. Most importantly, it is turning away from what is undesirable and turning back to God in righteousness.
Repentance Involves Acknowledging Our Sin
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (vv.1-2).
Firstly, the psalmist opens his prayer with a plea for mercy. He does not minimise or justify his actions. Instead, he fully acknowledges his wrongdoing—the sin he committed against God and others. By reflecting on his transgressions, he becomes fully aware of the gravity of his actions.
True repentance is to acknowledge and confront our sin. A Sunday school teacher once asked a class what was meant by the word “repentance”. A boy put up his hand and said, “It is being sorry for your sins.” A girl also raised her hand and said, “Please, it is being sorry enough to quit.” (Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times, Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc., 1996, 1133.)
Repentance Requires Self-Examination and Reflection
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place” (vv. 3-6).
Secondly, the psalmist demonstrates the importance of self-reflection. He reflects on how his actions, though they affected others, were ultimately against God. This reflection helps him understand that the source of his sin lies within his own heart.
True repentance involves looking inward to recognise the internal nature of sin, which is pervasive and not just about breaking moral codes or hurting others. Sin, therefore, defies God’s will and breaks our communion with Him. To reach repentance, it requires deep introspection into the root causes of our behaviours and attitudes. It compels us to reflect on our own brokenness and the inherent tendency to sin, instead of blaming circumstances or other people for our actions. Repentance begins when blame shifting ends.
Repentance Desires Purification and Renewal
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (vv. 7-10).
Thirdly, the psalmist does not only acknowledge his sin and take full responsibility for it but also desires to be purified and renewed. He asks God for a new heart that is pure and steadfast.
True repentance leads to a longing for transformation and renewal. Only when we realise the depth of our sin can we have the conviction to ask God for inner change. Starting with the confession of sin, we must reflect on the change we desire in our heart and ask God to purify us. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Spiritual renewal is reflected in true repentance which changes the heart and mind, not a temporary change in behaviour.
Repentance Is About Restoration of Relationship
“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (vv. 11-12).
Fourthly, the psalmist recognises that sin has severed his connection with God. Reflection allows him to see that sin breaks the heart of God. He desires to be close to God again, to experience the joy of salvation and to be sustained by a willing spirit.
True repentance, then, is about more than cleansing from sin—it’s about restoring the relationship that sin has broken. In other words, repentance goes beyond personal guilt and is deeply concerned with restoring intimacy with God.
Repentance Leads to a Changed Life and Purpose
“Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour” (vv. 13-15).
Fifthly, the psalmist’s repentance involves a shift in his life’s direction. After receiving God’s forgiveness and restoration, his commitment to teaching others shows that repentance brings about action—not mere reflection on sin but also reflecting God’s mercy and grace to others.
A Bible story that testifies to this is Zacchaeus’ (Lk 19:1-6). He was a chief tax collector in the city of Jericho. He was not popular with the citizens because, like all corrupt tax collectors, he collected more taxes than he should and pocketed the extra for himself. However, he underwent a complete change of heart when Jesus called out to him and invited himself to his house for supper with him and his friends. Not only did Zacchaeus stop his sinful act, which was a disguised form of stealing, he also gave half his wealth to the poor and made a fourfold restitution to people he had defrauded. Zacchaeus taught others the real meaning of repentance through a changed life and purpose.
Reflection Helps Us See the Heart of True Repentance
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar” (vv. 16-19).
Last but not least, the psalmist concludes by acknowledging that true repentance does not come through outward acts alone but through a heart that is broken and humble before God.
Reflection on God’s nature reveals that He does not desire empty rituals but a heart that is sincerely humbled and repentant. True repentance requires a contrite heart—one that is broken by the weight of sin and fully reliant on God’s mercy. Reflection helps us to examine our heart posture—whether we are simply going through the motions or genuinely seeking God’s forgiveness.
In summary, Psalm 51 teaches that true repentance involves six actions in our discipleship journey:
- Acknowledging our sin through honest reflection, without excusing or justifying it
- Self-examination to recognise the depth of sin and its impact on our relationship with God
- Desiring transformation—not just forgiveness but a renewed heart and spirit
- Restoring our relationship with God, seeking not only forgiveness but closeness and joy in His presence
- Living a changed life, with a new purpose to share God’s love and grace with others
- Heartfelt humility—true repentance is marked by a broken, contrite heart, not mere external acts of sacrifice
Reflection on our sin, our brokenness and God’s mercy is at the heart of true repentance. Through honest self-examination and genuine sorrow for sin, we can experience not just forgiveness but a deep transformation that restores our relationship with God and leads to a life of gratitude, humility and obedience.
What do you have to repent and seek God’s restoration and renewal in your life?
Prayer
We give you thanks, ever-present God, for all your goodness at times and in all places because you have shielded, rescued, helped and guided us all the days of our lives.
We ask you, merciful God, to grant in your goodness that we may spend this day, and all the time of our lives, without sin, in fullness of joy, holiness and reverence to you. But drive away from us, O Lord, all envy, all fear and all temptations.
Bestow on us what is good and honourable. Whatever sin we commit in thought, word or deed, may you in your goodness and mercy be pleased to pardon. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, through the grace, mercy and love of your only Son, Jesus. Amen.
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Read also: Looking Up to His Faithfulness, Reaching Out in Our Mission
