As we conclude our journey through Psalm 51, we encounter a profound shift in David’s focus—a shift that epitomizes the essence of true repentance. In the concluding verses of Psalm 51, David’s attention shifts from self-absorption to concern for others and the glory of God.
Step 6: True Repentance Turns Us Away from Ourselves
Psalm 51:18-19, “Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.”
David’s previous verses were saturated with “I,” “me,” and “my,” reflecting his self-centered focus. But now, having traversed the path of genuine repentance, he directs his thoughts outward. This shift signifies a crucial aspect of repentance—it turns us away from ourselves.
False Repentance
False repentance often leads to self-deprecation, self-pity, and self-focused sorrow. Instead of genuine humility before God, it fosters an unhealthy preoccupation with one’s own failures. Thinking that we are truly broken, we may inadvertently make it about ourselves, falling into a cycle of self-condemnation rather than genuine transformation.
Freedom in Christ emerges when we cease trying to appease God with mere sacrifices and instead focus on loving Him and others. True repentance liberates us from the bondage of self-centeredness, opening the door to sacrificial love and genuine worship.
Traumatic Grace
In closing our exploration of Psalm 51 and the transformative power of repentance, let’s revisit a profound allegory from C.S. Lewis’s “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” The character Eustace, much like many of us in our sin, finds himself transformed into a dragon by his selfish desires and sinful actions. Struggling to rid himself of his dragon skin, Eustace soon realizes that his efforts only reveal deeper layers of his sinful nature.
In a pivotal moment, Aslan, the lion who represents Jesus in the story, intervenes. Aslan instructs Eustace to allow him to undress him, a proposition met with fear and trepidation. Eustace describes the moment: “The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt… Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off… Then he caught hold of me… and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment… Then I saw… I’d turned into a boy again.”
This poignant allegory illustrates the essence of true repentance—a process that requires surrendering to the painful but necessary work of God’s grace. Like Eustace, we may initially recoil at the thought of exposing our deepest flaws and allowing God to strip away our self-deception. Yet, it is only through this transformative process that we can experience true restoration and renewal.
Our sin, like Eustace’s dragon skin, may seem insurmountable. But just as Aslan brought Eustace to a place of healing and transformation, so too does Jesus offer us the hope of redemption. Through the trauma of grace, our brokenness is made whole, and our hearts are restored.
Conclusion
As we conclude this series, let us embrace the radical grace of God—the grace that cuts through our layers of sin and offers us true freedom and restoration. May we, like Eustace, allow Jesus to undress us, trusting in His transformative power to make us new–to break us, that He might heal us.
To read Repentance: Traumatic Grace (Pt. 3) CLICK HERE
