A Broken And Repentant Heart

Psalm 51: 16-17

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

God does not want us to try to make up for our wrongs by trying to do all kinds of things to pacify Him, or balance out the scales. Nothing we can do, no matter how good or how winsome or how much it cost us, it could never make up for any sin of ours, from the least to the greatest. 

We are all born with a sin-bent nature, the Bible calls our "flesh." This is the sin we each are born into, that we inherit by our human nature. That is why we all sooner or later make that wrong choice to do what we know is wrong, but we do it anyway, for whatever reason. Some of us have more private and others more public sins, and some are more deeply affected by our sins and others to a lesser extent.

But the ground is level at the foot of the Cross. We are all guilty, and we each have earned the paycheck of death. That is why Jesus came to this Earth and entered into our World as a human being, just as we are. But He was not born of Adam, who passes on that gene to all of us through our DNA; He was born of Mary, a daughter of Eve, who only had personal sin, being deceived.

So Jesus did not need to give any sacrifice for himself, as all the priests and high-priests were commanded to, before offering the animal for the people; He could give His human life for each of us, which is what He did. 

David knew this, and responded as he did, with that broken heart and spirit, in the repentance that God wants us all to experience. To admit to God that we deserve death, and let Jesus take our place on His Cross, paying our full, eternal debt on our behalf.

II Peter 3: 9

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

God is so gracious to allow His own Son to come forward to offer Himself in our place, as the Lamb of God, sacrificing God's own Blood on His altar, the Cross. Then God raised Him from the dead, with a new, Resurrection Life, proving He accepted that payment in full for each of us, and showing us what He has planned for us--that same Resurrection body that is designed to withstand the very presence of God Almighty to live with Him in His Home, Heaven. 

O my Father, thank You so much for choosing me to be Your own. Thank You for sending Your only Son to take my place on Your Cross! I love You with my whole heart, soul, and my human strength. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!