Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Psalm 51:11:
“Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm written by David during his quest for forgiveness. It is traditionally believed to have been composed after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. In this Psalm, David expresses his deep sorrow for his sin, emphasizing that, although his sin harmed others, all sin ultimately goes against the LORD.
To understand this Psalm, we must view it in the context of the Law. David knew the Law’s requirements for atonement and likely recalled God’s judgment on Saul, David’s predecessor, for his sin, which resulted in the loss of the kingdom and the removal of the Holy Spirit. This fear of divine judgment probably influenced David as he wrote.
David’s Psalm teaches us the importance of feeling remorse for our sins. However, some Bible teachers use this Psalm and similar Old Testament passages as teaching that believers must perform works of repentance for forgiveness and that, because of sin, they can lose salvation; we must reject that fear-based message.
Unlike those who lived under the Law, we who accept the gospel of grace today can be confident that all our sins are forgiven through faith and faith alone in the finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Our belief in the gospel of grace assures us that, despite the grief caused by sin, all our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ. Because of Christ’s bodily resurrection, we have a righteous standing before God, and we should never fear that the Holy Spirit will abandon us.
Nevertheless, dear brothers and sisters, know this: our security in Christ does not give us a license to sin. As members of the Body of Christ, we should strive to live by faith and rely on the Holy Spirit. Each day, we are called to put off our old, sinful nature and embrace the new life we have in Christ. When we sin and feel the Holy Spirit’s conviction, we neither need to beg nor plead for forgiveness, but we should confess and accept the forgiveness that is ours through faith, holding onto the promise of Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (NKJV).
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Ps 51:11.
