April 2005 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain's Corner - April 25, 2005
Rev. Rich Hines
Inmates Need To Take Full Responsibility For Their Sins
This message is prepared especially for those in the United States who call
upon the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve
as a chaplain in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue
mission.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV),
copyright 1979,1980,1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by
permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any
deviation from the NKJV text is within parenthesis signs ( ). These
usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting, to help apply the text to today's
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or a
comment about the text.
As Bible-believing chaplains you must know in human pride all sinners want to
blame someone else for their own sin. As it was with the first human sinners,
so it remains with their offspring (all of us). Adam ultimately blamed God,
"'the woman whom You gave to be with me' (Genesis
3:12). Eve blamed the Devil, 'The serpent deceived me,'" (Genesis 3:13).
We've all learned the art of blame-shifting.
To an even greater degree than others, most inmates are constantly taught by
the judicial system, to always look for an out. Some even think if they can
beat a case on a technicality, they REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.
But with those whom the true God eventually saves it's the complete opposite.
Consider King David. He took full responsibility for his sins, as we shall see
in Psalm 51. He was also a man who, by the Holy Spirit, could say to God in
Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will see Your face in
righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness." That
verse means he was assured by the Holy Spirit that he would be saved from the
just punishment for his sins and be in God's eternal presence.
The same will be true for any inmate who truly repents and puts their faith in
Jesus Christ for deliverance from the consequences of his or her sins. Though
assured of heaven, they will not make excuses for sins in their life. Rather,
according to 1 John 1:9, truly saved people are the ones literally
"constantly confessing" their sins.
What inmates really need to do is to take full responsibility for their sins.
You chaplain, need to help them learn this lesson. Teach inmates and residents
that the struggle with sin is a lifelong event.
Teach them a truly saved person, supernaturally born of the Spirit and adopted
by God as His child takes every known sin very seriously. They even pray that
God would show them their unknown sins. With that thought in mind we come to
Psalm 51. You and your staff should be teaching this Psalm regularly to
inmates.
FIRST, David's sin is mentioned in part, in the Holy Spirit inspired
SUPERSCRIPTION.
"To the Chief Musician. A Psalm
of David When Nathan the Prophet Went to Him, After He Had Gone in to
Bathsheba."
The last thing stated, "He had gone in to Bathsheba," is a direct
reference to his act of adultery. He had sex with another man's wife. He even
got her pregnant. Based on this alone you should be teaching inmates they must
honestly admit their specific sins to God. David did that here in the
superscription of Psalm 51.
Note also the phrase, "when Nathan the Prophet
went to him." This refers to the passage in 2 Samuel 12:1-7, where the
prophet confronted him about his sin.
The enormity of the whole disgraceful thing is told in 2 Samuel 11. His first
sin was ADULTERY with Bathsheba. But when David found out she was pregnant by
him, it quickly led to a cover up attempt, which was really LYING, then the
MURDER of Bathsheba's husband Uriah, and then, HYPOCRISY - because in marrying
the widow, he looked like a hero. At that point 2 Samuel 11:27 then says, "But the thing (the whole thing - all the SINS)
that David had done displeased the LORD.
That's when God revealed it all to His prophet and that brave man, Nathan,
confronted David.
So, in VERSES 1-6 we have David's TRUE CONFESSION recorded. It contains some
great truths about the true God and sinful mankind. Having already admitted the
specific sin and being internally convicted of the offense it was to God, David
said:
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Often unforgiven sinners say they want justice. They
shouldn't. If any of us really got what was fair and just we'd be in eternal
hell fire. Inmate sinners need God's mercy rather than His justice.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, (note the plural) and my sin is always
before me.
Someone that the Holy Spirit is dealing with can't get away from the conviction
of their guilt before God, until they've been made right by Him. David was
under deep conviction, night and day.
Next, a tremendous theological statement comes in VERSE 4. He says to God:
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight -
Wait a minute! He'd sinned against the man Uriah, he'd sinned with and against
his wife Bathsheba, in a sense he'd sinned against the
nation of which he as king was the leader. David's sin had hurt a lot of
people. Yet, as hurt as they all were, it was nothing compared to the offense
that God felt. That's right. All sin ultimately is against God. He's the most
upset about our sin because He is the All Holy One.
Look at it again
Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your
sight - THAT YOU MAY BE FOUND JUST WHEN YOU SPEAK, AND BLAMELESS WHEN YOU
JUDGE.
What a great comment! It's SO UNTYPICALLY INMATE.
Let me explain what I mean. He was saying in effect "God, if in Your righteousness and justice You judge me, then You are right
to do so! I did the sin, I am guilty, it was evil and it deserves Your punishment, even though I'm asking for mercy." If
an inmate can get to the point where he admits the sinfulness of his sin to
God, THEN you've got something to work with.
Then he says something else in VERSE 5, another oft repeated theological truth
in the Bible.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
He didn't mean a sinful act (fornication or adultery) got her pregnant, but
that he was a sinner from the very point of his conception in his mother's
body. We sin, because by nature we're sinners. We inherit a sin nature from our
parents. (Compare Romans 5:12-21).
Next ,he said:
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will
make me to know wisdom.
Sin is a matter of the heart. It's in our innermost being. That's where we have
to figure it all out. That's where truth must come. It's also where God's
cleansing must take place.
Next in VERSES 7-9 we see David's FURTHER REQUEST FOR CLEANSING, looking
forward to the promised Lamb of God.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow.
What's so important here is the word "HYSSOP." It was a leafy plant
that was used by Old Testament believers, initially on the Passover in Exodus
12:22. It was dipped in the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb, and then
used to paint the door posts and lintel. When the death angel saw the blood, he
would pass over the house and its believing
inhabitants and so they'd be saved from judgment.
As hyssop was associated with the blood of the sacrifice it pointed to the true
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
David knew from the Scriptures that this promised Sin-Bearer would come one day
and pay for his sins with His blood.
David looked forward in faith to the Christ, we look
back on the same One. In saying "purge me with hyssop" - he was
saying in about 1000 BC, "take away my sin by the
substitutionary sacrifice You're sending in the
future."
He then said:
8 Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.
This is a reference to the shepherding practice of breaking the leg of an
unruly lamb so that it couldn't run off and get into trouble. During the time
of it's healing the shepherd would carry the lamb in a
pouch next to his body. That would bind the sheep closer to its'
shepherd.
Like a shepherd, God's hand of chastening had been heavy on David during the
months that followed his sin with Bathsheba. Now, with this confession of the
sin, the discipline would come to an end.
David continued:
9 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities (an echo of verse
1, "Blot out my transgressions").
Moving along, we see Davi's DESIRE FOR THE FUTURE: a
CLOSER RELATIONSHIP with God and SERVICE that would flow out of cleansing in
VERSES 10 - 17.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not
take Your Holy Spirit from me.
No New Testament age believer has to fear having the Holy Spirit taken away
from them. But, according to 1 Corinthians 9:27, through sin, a New Testament
age believer can disqualify themselves from future service for Christ, even
though they'll still possess the Holy Spirit.
In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit would come upon believers to empower
them for some particular role or ministry and then leave. What David was really
praying for in verse 11 was that God wouldn't bench him, but rather, continue
to use him in future ministry.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold
me by Your generous Spirit. (in a state of unconfessed sin, there is no real experience of salvation's
joy)
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to
You.
An honest man can't witness to others about the LORD, UNTIL he is right with
the LORD himself.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and
my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
The mention of "BLOODSHED" goes back to the murder of Uriah,
Bathsheba's husband. Returning to the theme of future ministry and worship
flowing out of a right relationship with God, David said:
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would
give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart -
these, O God, You will not despise.
Again, teach inmates they can't truly worship God because their worship will
not be accepted by God UNTIL the innermost being of their heart is truly
repentant of its' sin.
FINALLY the Psalm closes in VERSES 18,19 with David's
DESIRE FOR OTHERS:
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to
19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of
righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then THEY shall
offer bulls on Your altar.
In other words, he closes the Psalm with a prayer that God would do in others
what He'd done in him, and so receive even more praise and worship.
It really is a great Psalm, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE LEARNED BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Recently I heard a contemporary song based on David's experience in Psalm 51,
"Purify Me" - written by Steve Siler, Scott Krippayne
and Tony Wood, copyright New Spring Publishing, Inc.
It was sung by Clay Crosse on the CD album "David Ordinary Man -
Extraordinary God." Here are some of the words:
I recognize my shameful deeds - They haunt me day and night
I've sinned against You, Lord, You alone - Doing evil in Your sight
I'm longing to repent - Lord, give me your joy once again
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - WASH ME AND I WILL BE CLEAN
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - DOWN TO MY INNERMOST BEING
Remove the stain of my guilt - Till I'm whiter than snow
And my spirit has been restored - Purify me, purify me, purify me, O Lord
Forgive me , Lord, for all my wrongs - Make me willing to obey
Till I follow You, Lord, just You alone - And my lips will sing Your praise
Come chase away the dark - Have mercy on me, change my heart
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - WASH ME AND I WILL BE CLEAN
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - DOWN TO MY INNERMOST BEING
REMOVE THE STAIN OF MY GUILT - TILL I'M WHITER THAN SNOW
AND MY SPIRIT HAS BEEN RESTORED - PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME, O LORD
I don't want to offend You with an empty sacrifice - The only gift You want is
a difference in my life
Oh -
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - WASH ME AND I WILL BE CLEAN
PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME - DOWN TO MY INNERMOST BEING
REMOVE THE STAIN OF MY GUILT - TILL I'M WHITER THAN SNOW
AND MY SPIRIT HAS BEEN RESTORED - PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME, PURIFY ME, O LORD
May the inmates at your facility stop blame-shifting and instead go straight to
the Lord defenseless about their sin, but clinging to who Jesus is and what
He's done for them as the great Lamb of God.
"blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute
iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." (Psalm 32:1,2)
Rich Hines - Minister To Chaplains,