As you consider the words of My servant David, I want you to recognize that I will never turn a deaf ear or be indifferent to a truly repentant heart.  And in this portion you are able to consider the expression of such a heart.  For the most part these words are expressed to Me as a deep and sorrowful cry.  It is only in the last portion that they are addressed to others.  You see that David is aware of his sin.  Even though he does not express his confession in a specific request for forgiveness, he is aware of his worthiness of rebuke and discipline.  Yet in acknowledging that such is due to him, he casts himself upon My mercy.  Yes, true repentance always involves the acknowledgment of one’s sin, of his wrongdoing, of his worthiness of judgment.  But I want you to see that the truly repentant know of no other source of relief than the giving of My mercy.  You can see that for David the consequences of his sin and of his need for My forgiveness brought to him deep anguish and pain.  He is even recognizing that the consequences might result in death, for he cries “No one remembers when he is dead.  Who praises you from the grave?”  But it is not only from an inner agony of soul that David recognizes the consequences of his sin, for he is experiencing the threat and the assault of enemies.  He realizes that his sin has brought him out from under My protecting hand.  Therefore he hastens to return to Me for cover.  And you see in his words addressed to those who do evil, confident testimony that I have heard his cry, accepted his prayer, and will give him not only protection from his enemies, but the experience of seeing them judged.  There is another very important element connected with David’s repentant heart of which you need to take note.  Consider the basis of his confidence, that he will be delivered and accepted in his prayer.  Is it not because in his casting himself upon Me that he recognizes the sure foundation for My forgiveness is My unfailing love? And because of this you will notice that there is not one statement in his cry that suggests he should receive the answer to it because of something within himself, but rather only on the basis of My mercy.  That is the expression of a truly repentant heart.  In the court of My judgment for sin, only a cry for mercy avails.  Take this to heart for yourselves and consider it for all those who profess repentance.

Tags: David, Forgiveness, Mercy, Repentance, Sin

I want to speak to you from this portion about the difference between stumbling and denial of My Son and betrayal. You can see that when My Son told the disciples who were with Him that they would be made to stumble, and that Peter would deny Him three times that not only Peter, but all the disciples vehemently denied that they would do this. And as I have told you before, this was because at that time they did not recognize the condition of their own hearts. As far as they were concerned, they were determined to be loyal to My Son regardless of the cost. But the true situation was described by My Son when He found them asleep and declared that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. At the time that they vehemently declared that they would not deny My Son, they sincerely meant this, but as I have told you before, they did not realize how dependent they were upon the strength of the flesh rather than the power of the Spirit. It remained for them to experience that power when My Spirit was poured out upon them later on. But because their denial arose out of the weakness of the flesh, the possibility of repentance was there, even as it was with Peter when he remembered the words of My Son and wept. But with Judas who was the betrayer, it was different, for all along as he had outwardly followed My Son and had been one of the twelve, his heart was truly in a different place than the others. And you have read how he was stealing from the common collection of money which it was his responsibility to keep. And you may understand that his motivation in following My Son was always to gain something for himself. So when he became disillusioned as he came to understand from the words of My Son that the kingdom He was to establish was not of this world, in his disappointment and disillusion he chose to enter into an intrigue with the enemies of My Son to betray Him. In this condition of his soul it was possible for the enemy to enter in and to lead him on in the fulfillment of the betrayal. And you know that when the realization of what he had done in betraying innocent blood came upon him, that instead of the genuine repentance that was displayed by those who denied Him, Judas could only manage a remorse that brought him to such a level of despair that he took his own life. Now why am I bringing this difference to your attention? I want you to recognize that it is indeed possible for even the most sincere and dedicated follower of My Son to stumble and to deny Him under the pressure of threatening circumstances. This is so because at any one time even the most sincere follower may lean upon the flesh rather than depending continually upon the power of the Spirit. But when this happens, such stumbling and a denial is not an impossible barrier to repentance, for it is out of the honest intention of the heart rather than the momentary exaltation of the flesh that the resolution of the matter is determined.

Therefore, for each of those who have stumbled in denial because the flesh was weak, the way to repentance is open because the spirit is willing. And if this were not so, then My Son would have had to disqualify all those who stumbled and denied Him by forsaking Him in fear for their own lives. And would He have not also had to do the same with you when you have stumbled and denied Him? But because the heart of the betrayer had always and completely been motivated by self-interest it was not merely the momentary dominance of the flesh that drove him to betray My Son. And because godly sorrow was absent from the heart, genuine repentance was not forth coming.

So then the ultimate fruit of betrayal, even when remorse over the deed was present turned into self destruction. In truth, My son and My daughter, the spirit of betrayal is inevitable to the heart that maintains self- interest. But be encouraged, for if your heart is as the hearts of the disciples, though you may stumble and in a manner deny My Son, the way of repentance is still open, and beyond that, strengthening and confirmation in the love of My Son and faithfulness and obedience even unto suffering and death.

Tags: Betrayal, Denial, Repentance