Most of us are familiar with Acts 2:38, which records the Apostle Peter saying, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What a tremendous and unfathomable expression of love by the Creator God that all of our past sins can be forgiven if we truly repent and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. But, what about our sins after baptism? How can our sins after baptism be forgiven?
Romans 3:23 proclaims “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Romans 6:23 reveals that “the wages of sin is death.” Do these warnings only apply “pre-Acts 2:38” for those who are not yet converted? Or, do Christians sometimes sin, even after baptism and conversion? Of course, Christians sincerely strive to overcome sin, and should not be “practicing sin”—continuing in any patterns of willfully disobedient conduct. Naturally, one hopes that sincere Christians are not committing the types of obvious and egregious sins that they may have committed before conversion—but, as we will see, sin is sin—and, as we know, sin is worthy of death (Romans 6:23).
The reality is that, other than and apart from Jesus Christ, all human beings will sin from time to time. The Apostle Paul makes this point in Romans 7:20–22. He notes that after conversion and receiving the Holy Spirit, he continued from time to time to do what he did not want to do, because “sin” dwelt in him. Furthermore, Jesus Christ revealed that not only did He not come to destroy (or do away with) the Law or the Prophets, but rather He came to obey fully, or to fulfill (cause to abound) God’s law (Matthew 5:17). Christ stated that until the heaven and the earth pass away from existence, not one jot or one tittle of God’s law would pass away (v. 18). Then, He stated, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (v. 19). Throughout His life, Christ demonstrated perfect obedience to all of God’s law, and clearly taught that God’s law has not passed away!
Jesus went on to expound on the spiritual nature of God’s law; that to be angry without cause is to murder (v. 21), that to lust is to commit adultery (v. 28), that Christians are not to swear (vv. 34–37), that Christians are to practice mercy, forgiveness, charity and service without limit (vv. 38–41), and that Christians must love their enemies (v. 44). In this passage, Jesus warns that we are not to break even the least of God’s commandments, and He concludes by stating that we are to “be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (v. 48)! This is the high level to which a Christian has been called.
Do we fall short from time to time, in however small a way? Of course we do. But notice what the brother of Jesus points out about even being guilty in a “small” point of God’s law: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). None have been perfect since baptism in every action and in every thought.
If, as with Paul, there is sin after baptism—even in our thoughts—are we then doomed to eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4, 20; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15)? Or, as many Protestant teachers assert, are we somehow “once saved, always saved” regardless of how much we sin and regardless of our attitude toward sin? Hebrews 6:4–6 is one of many scriptures explaining that if a converted Christian “falls away” and turns to practicing sin after receipt of the Holy Spirit, then “it is impossible… if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4–6). Clearly, “once saved, always saved” is a false teaching. For more on the false “once saved, always saved” doctrine, please see Mr. Richard Ames’ Tomorrow’s World articles “Obedience vs. Grace?” (July-August 2011) and “Have You Committed the Unpardonable Sin?” (January-February 2010). You may also want to read the brief Tomorrow’s World web commentary titled, “Of Grace and Obedience.”
So, then, how can our sins after baptism and after conversion be forgiven? The encouraging truth is that Christ—“the Shepherd and Overseer of [our] souls” (1 Peter 2:25)—can lead and restore His sometimes wayward, but repentant sheep. A powerful illustration of this principle is found in Psalm 51, one of the psalms of ancient King David.
The Depravity of Sin
Psalm 51 is one of six psalms commonly known as penitential psalms (the others are Psalm 6, 38, 102, 130 and 143), which David wrote under inspiration of God through the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). Not only is Psalm 51 a thoughtful study of the nature and effects of sin after conversion, but it also reveals four steps from sin to righteousness, from iniquity and separation from God to forgiveness and intimacy with God, from spiritual dirtiness to spiritual cleanliness.
In Psalm 51, David confronts the sins he committed relating to the Bathsheba incident. Remember that this incident occurred long after God’s Spirit came upon David, long after “Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13).
In this psalm, David acknowledges the seriousness of the sins he had committed, and he fully repents of them. It is important to note that his sins were multiple, and went far beyond lust and adultery. His sins included hatred and murder; coveting and stealing, malice and lying and putting his own desires before his fear of God. As James wrote, he who breaks one of God’s laws is guilty of all (cf. James 2:10). Sin is ugly, and David’s sins were many.
Three different Old Testament Hebrew words are commonly translated into English as “sin,” and in Psalm 51 David uses each of these three words meaningfully. In Psalm 51, David fully prostrates himself before God in his guiltiness, accepts full responsibility, and does not in any way attempt to minimize how very serious his sins were. In verse 1, David labels his sins (plural) relating to the Bathsheba incident as transgressions, and uses the Hebrew word pesha’ which implies willful defiance against God. How terrible is the reality of David’s sin, and how truthful David was in his confession to God! Pesha’ is used again in verses 3 and 13, and reminds the reader that David’s sins were his fault. He was willfully defiant against his God and his Lord.
Verse 2 introduces David’s use of the Hebrew word hättä’, which is repeated in verses 3, 4, 5, 9 and 13. Hättä’ conveys an offense or a crime. Hättä’ is sin or crime against authority. As Israel’s king, David ruled with authority, but he was also under God’s authority—as are all kings and queens, presidents and governors, fathers and mothers and every person on the earth (Romans 13:1; 1 Timothy 6:15). When David sinned against Bathsheba, her husband and her family, he also sinned against God’s authority. In Psalm 51, David first acknowledges that his sin was willful defiance (pesha’) against God, and he then acknowledges that He sinned against (hättä’) the One who has authority over all.
Also introduced in verse 2, then repeated in verses 5 and 9, is the Hebrew word ‘avon, which conveys religious iniquity and perversity against God. Not only were David’s multiple sins willful and defiant, and not only were they crimes against God’s authority, but they were also wrong and perverse.
Throughout the pages of Scripture, it is difficult to find a passage that confesses so severely—and so succinctly—the terrible and utter depravity of sin, as David does in Psalm 51.
Repentance and Forgiveness
Having committed the numerous sins associated with the Bathsheba incident, David records in Psalm 51 the path from sin to forgiveness—from being in danger of losing the Holy Spirit (v. 11) to becoming again clean, restored, and intimately close to God (vv. 10–19). While we may consider that we are not guilty of sins as serious as those King David committed, we must remember James’ warning that those who break even one point in God’s law are guilty of breaking it all. Also, consider Jesus Christ’s plain instruction that to transgress even in our thoughts is to be guilty of breaking the Ten Commandments (Matthew 5). Even if we want to try to minimize our sins as just a “little” lack of forgiveness—or a “little” lying, a “little” coveting, a “little” lust, a “little” pride, a “little” anger, a “little” murmuring… or just breaking God’s Sabbath “a little bit,” or just cutting corners on our tithes “a little”—then, according to Scripture, we are still sinners worthy of death.
While the steps outlined in Psalm 51 could be categorized differently, the following enumeration should be helpful in explaining the path from sin to forgiveness:
Awareness and acknowledgment:
In verses 1–3, David begins his psalm of penitence by acknowledging his sins, and by accepting how egregious his sins were before God. Awareness and acknowledgment before God of one’s sins is the first step toward repentance and forgiveness. Also required, and supporting this entire process, is a deep, underlying faith in God’s mercy and lovingkindness (Psalm 51:1). To help understand the profundity of God’s lovingkindness toward those whom He is intimately working with, it is helpful to briefly explain the Hebrew word that David chose to use in Psalm 51:1. The love or lovingkindness that God has toward those whom He has entered into a covenantal relationship with is not simply the human love, or even the divine love expressed by the Hebrew word ahab which one can have for people or things, such as a love of God’s law (Psalms 119:165), a love of wisdom (Proverbs 4:6), or even God’s love toward people (Psalms 146:8, Proverbs 3:12). It is instead, the existence of a purposeful, loving, covenantal relationship between God and that individual. It is lovingkindness [KJV, NKJV], great compassion [NLT, NIV], abundant mercy [RSV], or vast pity [Moffatt], which God expresses toward those whom He has entered into a covenantal relationship with. It is the Hebrew word hesed, which is a purposeful, royal, covenantal love such as what God showed toward Abraham (Micah 7:20) and Joseph (Genesis 39:21), and which he will faithfully manifest toward all those who love Him and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 5:10; 7:9). This conviction in God’s mercy and love is threaded throughout each of the following steps.
Godly sorrow and confession:
After acknowledging his sins in verses 4–6, David then confesses them to God, admitting that “against You, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight” (v. 4). Clearly, David had also committed terrible crimes against Uriah and Bathsheba, their families, and against the very society over which he was ruler. David understood this, but he also recognized the more profound truth that his sins were, in fact: a) pesha’ (willful defiance against God), b) hättä’ (crimes against God’s sovereign authority), and c) ‘avon (spiritual iniquity and perversion against God). Devastated by the weight and the odiousness of his actions against his Creator and his Lord, David expresses more than just human sorrow. With godly sorrow, he confesses his guilt to God, and expresses faith that in God’s “lovingkindness” (cf. v. 1) he will be forgiven.
Seek forgiveness:
Beginning in verse 7, David turns to God seeking to be purged, washed and cleaned. He understands and has deep faith that although he has transgressed and done “evil” in God’s sight (Psalm 51:4), the Creator God is nonetheless loving toward the repentant. Itis God who must grant mercy (v. 1), and it is only God who is capable of “blotting out” (v. 1) our sins. It is God who must “wash” (v. 2) us. To be “purged” by God (v. 7) may require momentary suffering, but it is nonetheless for our good, to make us clean again before God.
In verses 7–12, David turns his focus toward God as the One who forgives, washes, cleans, “blots out” all iniquities and “creates” a clean heart. The word “create” in verse 10 is the Hebrew word, bara’—a word reserved to describe God’s creative ability. It is God who in Genesis 1:1 created (bara’) the universe from nothing. It is God who in Genesis 1:21 created (bara’) the great whales and all living creatures. It is God who created (bara’) man and woman (Genesis 5:2). It is God and only God who can create (bara’) in the repentant sinner a renewed and “clean heart” and a renewed “steadfast spirit (v. 10). Our God is a Creator God, creating the universe from nothing and creating in us a clean heart and a renewed spirit if we are repentant!
Restoration
Verse 10, the middle of Psalm 51, marks an important transition point. With forgiveness, David begins to be restored. It is very instructive to note that the name “God” only appears once from verses 1–9, while David is acknowledging, confessing and seeking forgiveness for his sins. In the first half of Psalm 51, David was spiritually far away from God. Likewise, when we sin, we remove ourselves away from God. The Lord is our Helper, and He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:4–5), but if we are on the path of sin and transgression and do not truly repent, we can leave and forsake Him (Hebrews 6:4–6). The end of this unrepentant path is death, as Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 make clear: “The soul who sins shall die.” And, as the Apostle John warns, “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was [will be] cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). So, when he was guilty of sin, before his deep personal repentance and receiving forgiveness from God, not only was David in jeopardy of losing the Holy Spirit (cf. Psalm 51:11), but—like anyone who sins and does not repent—he was removing himself from an intimate relationship with his Creator, and risking the eternal consequences of that decision!
Beginning in verse 10, the Psalm transitions. It is encouraging to note that upon receiving forgiveness, David becomes quickly and intimately close to God once again. With this transition, the name “God” then appears five times in the last half of the Psalm. With this transition, David becomes cleansed (v. 10), not cast away (v. 11) and is finally restored to God’s presence (v. 12). In the second half of the Psalm, David expresses his restored relationship with God. Because of David’s deep, sincere repentance—and because of God’s mercy, grace and lovingkindness—the compassionate Creator God has forgiven the numerous sins and transgressions that David had committed. Can we be as trusting of God’s grace and mercy?
David begins his Psalm by pleading in faith: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness [hesed]; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies” (Psalm 51:1). Do we fully understand and fully appreciate that God is a merciful God? Much of professing Christianity has painted Jesus as being the “nice” Son, and the Father as being the “harsh” God. But this is an evil lie! Scripture reveals that God is love (1 John 4:8)—and, as David understood, God is also merciful (Psalm 51:1). Jesus Christ and the Father are one in nature, thought and approach (cf. John 10:30)—both loving and merciful. The Apostle Paul clearly revealed the Father’s nature when he wrote: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). The Apostle Peter wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
The above three steps, as found in Psalm 51, illustrate that God is loving and forgiving toward those who acknowledge their sins, are truly repentant, confess to God their sins with godly sorrow, and faithfully seek forgiveness. These three steps lead to the fourth vital step toward restoration, as outlined in Psalm 51.
Commitment and action:
David makes the commitment that, upon being restored, he will live the life of a bondservant to God. He will seek God’s will and teach God’s laws (v. 13). David praises God with a “broken spirit” and a “broken and contrite heart” because, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (v. 17). Finally, David acknowledges God as the Good King, under whom he will strive to rule as a good king—as God’s bondservant (vv. 18–19).
After deep repentance, David looks forward to a life of service and of obedience to God. He would not live a perfect life every day until his death—no one does. Yet we see that David bitterly and deeply repented of his sins, he changed his course, he turned back to God in obedience—and he committed himself to God, just as we can be restored to God’s presence when we “fall short.”
Like David, true Christians must renew their commitment to be “bondservants of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1, James 1:1, Jude 1:1). David would crucify his carnal desires and live a new life, with God’s Spirit in him (1 Peter 1:11; Galatians 2:20). We as Christians must also daily renew our commitment to be “bondservants” of Jesus Christ, “doing the will of God from the heart” for the rest of our lives (Ephesians 6:6).
Thankful for God’s Mercy
Repentant, forgiven and restored Christians are joyful and thankful—not downcast, depressed or downtrodden. Forgiven Christians live lives of action, confident and “steadfast” in spirit (Psalm 51:10), joyful in the knowledge that they have been restored to God’s salvation (v. 12), and teaching transgressors God’s ways through their words and example (v. 13). The person who is forgiven by God is joyful and is “blessed” (Psalm 32:2). That person goes on to live a life of “rejoicing,” being “glad in the Lord” (v. 11).
If we sincerely repent of our sins and confess our sins to God, He will be faithful to forgive. Scripture reminds us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).
We should be profoundly thankful for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, and for the Father’s and the Son’s unsearchable love and mercy. We should also be deeply thankful for baptism—which cleanses us of our past sins (Acts 2:38). But baptism is not the end of our repentance—it is the beginning. Just as Paul still had sin in him even after conversion (cf. Romans 7:20), and just as David sinned terribly after receiving the Holy Spirit, there is both sin and a path from sin to restoration available even after conversion, as the Apostle John plainly stated.
Thank God for the examples of the great men and women of faith, a great “cloud of witnesses” recorded in Scripture for our instruction and for our edification. And even more, thank Christ as the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes [we] were healed. For [we] were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of [our] souls” (1 Peter 2:24–25).
Finally, and most importantly, thank God the Father and Jesus Christ for their hesed lovingkindness! Thank God that He is the Creator who can restore to His presence those who are truly repentant, who can create in the repentant a clean heart (Psalm 51:10) and who in His loving mercy “has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:10–13).