The Joy of Repentance

Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
–Psalm 51:8

This week, we’ve learned how to move from guilt to repentance following the example of David. When we receive God’s forgiveness and repent of sin, God does three marvelous things.

First of all, God removes our sin. In Psalm 51, David used several images to describe what happens when God removes our sin:

• “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity” (v. 2). Have you ever felt dirty because of something you said or did? When God forgives you, He washes away the dirt and grime of your sin.
• “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean” (v. 7). Old Testament priests used hyssop branches to sprinkle the blood of innocent animals as a symbol of purification. But Jesus made the once-for-all sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins and remove our guilt. If you have trusted in Christ, then you still need to seek God’s forgiveness when you sin, but you can go to Him knowing He has washed away your guilt with the blood of His Son.
• “Blot out all my iniquities” (v. 9). When God forgives you, He expunges your criminal record. Your sin is no longer attached to you.

Second, God reinstates our joy. David wrote, “Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. . . . Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (vv. 8, 12). People who feel guilty often tell me, “I miss the joy I once had in my relationship with God.” When God forgives us, He restores the joy we had in Him.

Finally, God restores our fellowship with Him. Verse 11 says, “Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” As Christians, we never have to worry that God will remove His Spirit from us. John 10:28 says, “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” Though we move away from God when we sin, God doesn’t move away from us. And when we receive God’s forgiveness, our fellowship with Him is restored. We can feel confident to come before His throne. As David wrote, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” (Psalm 32:1).

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Moving from Guilt to Repentance,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.