This is a phrase made popular through its use in the title sequence of the Star Trek series, describing the mission of the starship Enterprise. The complete introductory speech, spoken by William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk at the beginning of each episode, is as follows:
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!
You may ask why I would start with such an opening?? Well, it is because the passage of scripture that we will start with today, Psalms 51: 1-13, has always intrigued me, challenged me, and at times causes me to go where I have not gone before!! Much like the starship Enterprises mission was to seek out new worlds, we are to seek out new life, to discover new things in God, to examine our own inner worlds, to search out my own endless possibilities……..
“Have mercy on me O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, and you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so, you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in my womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all iniquity. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.”
This is David’s response, lament or prayer to God after Nathan the prophet had confronted David’s sin. (2nd Sam:12) David had committed adultery, arranged for Uriah to be killed so he could claim Bathsheba, and continued to hide his actions for nearly a year. Maybe even thinking that all was good, thinking no one knows any differently… Given this scenario let me ask a question, one which I have often asked myself. “What would be your initial response to God”?? If you were in such a circumstance?? Ponder that question a little before you so quickly respond!!!
Verse 1 says David approaches God asking for mercy, reminding God of His character (unfailing, unconditional love) and (His great compassions) …Let that hit the depths of your heart and mind!!
The truth is, only a righteous man, (or a man after God’s own heart) can or would attempt such a bold approach. Such a man or woman remains sensitive, ever keeping their sin before them. Not in a penitence/ self-judging approach or style, but because of an inner Holy reverence for God. Their sin consciousness kept fresh by the convictions, promptings and inner workings of the Holy Spirit. Verses 10 & 11 speak of these inner workings, the cry for a pure heart, which the result is a steadfast spirit!! Purity will always produce a steady consistent lifestyle!! It is obvious to me that David, unlike any other Old Testament individuals, had a completely different understanding of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of it in firsthand, personal and intimate manner, knowing where his guidance and sustenance came from. Realizing that it was his sin above all that affected his closeness, his joy, his interactions with God and others. Many may say that David had witnessed what happened to SAUL, and his decent into a demented state after God removed His spirit from him and was fearful of a similar fate. The Holy Spirits actions, influences and methods in the Old Testament, are another teaching for another time. But I am convinced that David was modeling something new, something fresh, something almost New Testament like in nature. A precursor if you will of how you and I are to interact with the Holy Spirit today.
Proverbs 28:13 says “He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but he who confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.” David is also correct in his assertion that his sin was against God, and God only. It is this understanding or positioning that will always produce a Godly sorrow, which leads to repentance. It allows God to show you your sin in a perspective that produces positive results, instead of the guilt and shame that accompanies one that tends to hide or justify their sin. It brings a Holy Spirit conviction free of condemnation!! And the result is you will be able to affectively minister to those in need who have gone astray. Verses 12&13 says Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant to me a willing (pliable) spirit, to sustain me, then I will (be able) to teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.”
It is clear that if we continue to live with hidden sin, unrepentant behaviors, we render ourselves ineffective and almost useless in God’s kingdom. 2nd, if that continues God himself makes our chains so heavy, even chaotic at times, so that we are driven to repentance.
It was David’s cry from an open heart, a crushed heart, a broken heart because of his sin that led him to cry out “have mercy on me!!” The only hope of an individual crushed by the consciousness of sin is the Mercy of God. That is the only path to cleanse those inner secret parts. The Lord opened every hidden part or place in David’s life, to bring him to a full and complete repentance!! David, being convicted (spirit) and convinced (his mind and heart), came boldly to pour out his soul to God in a prayer for mercy and grace. And do you know that you and I are instructed to do the same thing in the New Testament…Heb 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly (parresia) unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain (lambano) mercy, and find (eurisko) grace to help in time of need.” The parallels between this verse and the pattern that David modeled in the introductory passages are amazingly similar. David’s boldness in Psalms 51 and the invitation in Hebrews are the same. Because David knew the character of God, and the fact that Christ has made us righteous, gives us the confident inroad into the throne of Grace. The word ‘parresia’ translates to freedom of speech, and openness, a frank conversation. This tells us that whenever we approach God that we should never fear being too frank, too bold, too forthright or direct, but to confidently bear our hearts and request to Him. While this is done in reverence and a fearful respect, it should never be done from a position of shame or guilt. He wants us to share our hearts. He has the ability to change our wrong thinking, our jaded perspectives and beliefs while we share and converse with Him.
The 2nd part of this scripture uses the word ‘lambano’ or the translation of obtain. This word is translated in a couple different ways. It means to “lay hold of, to make it your own, to capture and even to violently lay hold of something in order to seize it”….the amazing thing about this word is it can be any of these definitions depending on the circumstance or situation of the individual or persons need or spiritual mindset. To obtain can at times be as simple as receiving a gift, while at other times it requires almost a violent warfare approach.
Now 3rd and lastly the word ‘eurisko’ or to find, to discover something by searching. Sometimes through study and other times through a prolonged search, a relentless persistence. Kind of reminds me of the verse Matthew 7:8 that says, “For everyone who ask receives; the one who seeks finds; and the one who knocks, the door shall be opened.”
So, when studying this passage, I had never seen before the internal progression, or different individual stages of this verse. Could it be at times, that we stop short at part 1 or 2 of this verse, never seeing it to completion. Maybe our level of boldness and persistence is affected by the way we see ourselves before God. I was struck by a persistent thought of “do you see yourself as righteous??” Your answer to this question has a direct bearing on your own personal boldness. I believe this has a direct impact on how you approach God. 2 Cor 5:21 says “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”, But for many Christians this remains a difficult concept to grasp. Many act as if this cannot really be true. If not led by the Holy Spirit in repentance, and guidance, many almost inevitably try to maintain their own righteousness by focusing on the do’s and don’ts of religion. It is sadly just the natural tendency of man. This often leaves us approaching God on that merry go round of sorry here I am again, I will try harder next time!! The result of this is lack of confidence and little boldness when we come to God.
Like David, sin must be dealt with, but I believe the bigger problem is seeing ourselves in a proper biblical standing with God. Grace and Mercy or often confused, and sadly interchanged to conform to our image and application, depending on our personal circumstance. Mercy is God not giving us what we rightfully deserve (as David said), because of our sins or actions. Grace is God’s power (the Holy Spirit), empowerment in us and through us even though we cannot earn it or deserve it. Grace gives you the ability to be righteous and empowers you to walk out your righteousness. (2 Cor 5:21) It is God’s divine influence which operates in us to regenerate, to sanctify and to compel us to be Godly, and to impart strength to endure trials and temptations. The longer that I walk with the Lord, the more convinced I have become of “the more that we walk in the grace of God, the less we will have to focus on the Mercy of God!!”
As I was doing this study, I asked God to give me a relevant and applicable example of grace. And much to my surprise He did!! When we were in our previous home, our youngest son Jonah was having this re occurring problem. I would find objects (balls, toys ect.) on an alcove over our entry way. With a little investigation I found out that he would throw things from the second story balcony or walkway, as he felt led. This required me getting the larger ladder out to retrieve these items on multiple occasions. Not that big a deal in the bigger picture but it was just a constant hassle.
When we had that father to son talk which went as such. “Jonah if this happens again, you will get a spanking!! Do you understand?? Yes sir!! OK, most of you already know what’s coming next!! Two weeks later, as I was checking upstairs, and you guessed it, there were two items on the alcove!!……when He was confronted, and I reminded him of his punishment, without batting an eye he said “Daddy do you know how hard it is to be good when you are six??”
Jonah had bypassed his current dilemma, looked passed his impending punishment, instead he was appealing directly to my goodness, my familiarity and even my sympathy… Much as Hebrews 4 tells us that we have a great HIGH PRIEST who knows our struggles and infirmities, he knew that his Dad would understand…..Did Jonah get punished??? No, He received my Mercy and Grace!!!! Just as David reminded God of His goodness, which brought forgiveness and Mercy!!!
David approached God with Boldness because he was a man after God’s own heart. We are therefore compelled to approach with Boldness because of our High Priest who has made us righteous. Let’s be like David and go where we may not have gone before!!!
What is your level of Boldness!!
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