Rev. Don Campbell
Psalms 32, 51, 86, 122
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, May 14, 2019
“WHAT GRACE WILL NOT DO”
I first typed “What grace cannot do,” but God’s grace is God’s grace and he can bestow it on whomever he wishes and on whatever terms he requires (Romans 9:14-16). God’s word tells us some things his grace will not do, one of which is show indifference toward sin.
Psalms 32, 51, and 88 are connected by the theme of God’s forgiveness of sins based on his grace and mercy. The connection to Psalm 122 would seem to be this: David declared that he was glad when they said, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (v.1), for it was there that David wished to teach transgressors the way of God’s salvation (51:13).
The first two verses of Psalm 32 are quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 4:7-8, saying, that David was speaking of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Neither David nor Paul praise cheap grace. Grace is free to us, but it is not cheap. It cost God his Son and it costs us a broken and contrite heart (51:16-17). To grant grace to one who has sinned, but who lacks a broken and contrite heart is to turn the grace of God into sensuality (Jude v.4) [lasciviousness, KJV; licentiousness, NASB; a license for immorality, NIV].
Those who want to exact a pound of flesh and demand restitution for sin before accepting the sinner into fellowship need to study God’s gracious dealings with David. Those who show indifference to sin, insisting that grace frees us the need to pursue holiness need to study God’s discipline of David.
Based on Exodus 22:1-4, David rightly judged that the man in the parable should repay four sheep for the one lamb which he had taken. David went beyond the law in sentencing the man to death. Restitution was never required except in matters of property. There could be no restitution (making things right) for David’s sins of adultery, covetousness, dishonesty, and murder. Nor were there any sacrifices that could be offered to atone for those sins. The only thing David could do—which is the only thing one in a covenant relationship can do—was confess his sin (Psalm 32:5) and plead for God’s mercy (Psalm 51:1-4).
One who acknowledges sin without a broken and contrite heart will find no grace, for such is not a confession, but boasting. Peter describes them: “They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse” (1 Peter 2:13-14).
When we sin, we break more than we can fix, but God can and will restore to us the joy of salvation when we have a broken and contrite heart. [I am also posting in the new group “Studying the Bible for All It Is Worth” an article which I wrote for the Gospel Advocate 33 years ago this month. You may find it there under the title “We Can Break More than We Can Fix.” It is too long to incorporate into today’s thought]
CONNECTIONS
1. It has been said (by whom I don’t know) that when we preach on the grace of God if we are not accused of being soft on sin, then we probably have not preached the true doctrine of grace. Was not Paul accused of this (Romans 3:5-8)?
2. When the apostles and elders met in Jerusalem and Peter said, “Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” was he speaking of the simple act of physical circumcision? (Acts 15:10)
