Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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   Confession: Sacrament of Reconciliation With God and Human


    Psalm 51
“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (Psalms 51:17)
 
Psalm 51 combines the awe of divine mercy with the painful reality and depth of sin. Psalm 51 is a lament; it is a psalm of confession and repentance. King David, who is recognized as a man after God's own heart, authored it. David plotted to assassinate Uriah after claiming his wife for himself. He continued as if nothing had happened for a year until the arrival of the prophet Nathan, and this Psalm is the result of the Lord’s dealing with David’s sin. 
 
  1. Confession is appealing to the love and mercy of God
David does not appeal to God’s justice. He doesn’t appeal to his own goodness. Nor to his sincerity. He does not even appeal to a zealous promise to do better or pay God back. He appeals to the love and mercy of God. First, he appeals to the steadfast love of the Lord. It is the faithful, covenantal, unstoppable, always-pursuing, never-ending love of God for the undeserving. Repentance appeals to the abundant mercy of God. The finished, merciful work of Christ on our behalf does not make ongoing repentance and confession unnecessary. It makes it possible and full of hope.
 
  1. Confession calls for humility and a joyful resolve to obey
Confession involves humility and a joy to obey the will of God. David, even though he was a king and of high status, knew that he must humble himself before the Lord. David’s intention to live for the glory of God and declare his righteousness and sing and tell sinners about God's mercy exemplifies the genuineness of David’s repentance. His confession was by no means an empty profession. There was fruit in his repentance. We are not saved by our good works or by our obedience. We are saved, however, by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. From that point onwards, our lives are meant to reflect God’s image more vividly.
 
Christ’s salvific act on the cross was the ultimate act of love. It is through this sacrifice that we are reconciled with God. Through our confessions and Christ’s sacrifice, we are able to be reconciled with God and live in his presence. 
 
 

Prayer
O Lord, may we learn that your love is greater than any temptation we face, so that we can strive to be better for you and become the light of the world.
 
Thought for the Day
He accepts us even with our inherent brokenness and loves us for ourselves.


Esther Mathew
Salem MTC, NY

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