Mark Ballenger 
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance after he sins with Bathsheba. Within this prayer, David expresses his supreme confidence in the the faithfulness of God to forgive. However, when we come to Psalm 51:7, David mentions a plant called “hyssop.” It seems like an odd request to ask God to use a hyssop plant to wipe away David’s sin. So it raises a question worth asking, “What does the hyssop represent in the Bible?”
In every Christian, whether they would admit it or not, there is a desire to have a strong, wise mentor who is willing to invest in them. Few, however, find a wiser Christian mentor who is willing to help guide them through life, relationships, and ministry as a good mentor should. So how do you find a Christian mentor?
How to Find a Christian Mentor: Don’t Be Self-Centered
“Where are all the mentors?” is often posed as a question but it is really meant to be an accusation against the generation above us. But perhaps the blame does not always lie in the lack of mentors available but also in the demands and expectations of those desiring to be mentored.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”-Psalm 51:5-6
Our external sins are an expression of our internal condition. God has made humans with the tendency to sexualize their feelings. Intercourse, at its purest form, is the love of a husband and wife sexualized. The love and commitment they have in their hearts towards one another was designed by God to be expressed physically through the joining of one flesh.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me . . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. – Psalm 51:3,7
How to Overcome Sexual Sin (Part 3)
If you choose to deny your disease, you will also ignore the Cure, Christ Jesus. Without a deep and sincere disgust for sexual sin, you will never overcome the lusts that plague you.
It’s crucial to notice that the first word in Psalm 51:3 is “For.” This word is like “because.” This means that that what was said in Psalm 51:1-2 is being said “because” of the truth found in Psalm 51:3.
David pleaded for mercy and love because of God’s loving and merciful nature. But he would never have done this action if he was not first convicted of his sin. Psalm 51:2 says, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Why? Psalm 51:3 explains, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” If you don’t come to grips with how evil your sexual sin really is, you will never truly cry out to God for deliverance.
How to Overcome Sexual Sin?
If you’re anything like me, when you make a mistake, the first thing you do is try to make it right. Maybe you did this as a kid. You hurt one of your friends or younger siblings, and rather than let them get you in trouble, you offered them a deal, “Don’t tell mom. Here, punch me back, pay me back.” And then once they took their retribution, you made sure to over embellish how bad it actually hurt to ensure you would be dept free.
Psalm 51 does not start that way. If you do anything other than pray to God after you sin sexually, you are relying on something other than the power of God for your freedom. If you try and make it right by doing something good because you are seeking to make up for something you did bad, you are relying on your works rather than God’s grace.
David doesn’t make promises to God or try to cut a deal to pay for his sexual sin. Instead he turns to God in prayer.
Does the Bible say being gay is a choice? All sin is a choice. Therefore, one way to answer “Does the Bible say being gay is a choice?” is to decide if being gay is a sin according to the Bible.
Psalm 51 Introduction: “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”
To overcome sexual sin, we must first believe that God’s grace is great enough.
Everyone has something in their life they want to change. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution, an addictive sin pattern, or just an annoying habit you are finally fed up with, the Bible states that change is possible. But it’s not easy. And certain changes can only be done through the power of Jesus Christ. Therefore, here are four Christ-centered, Christian ways to change your life.
Change Your Identity Through Christ to Change Your Life
The primary Christian way to change your life is to change your identity through the grace of Jesus Christ. At the core of Christian doctrine is the idea that who you are will determine what you will do. The world opposes this idea and states that to change yourself, you just need to change your actions. But again, Christianity states that to change your actions, your identity needs to change first. Jesus explains it this ways:
Bible Verses: John 21:12-15, 1 Kings 19:4-9
Life is exhausting, especially when we are seeking to please the Lord and we have failed. Nothing wears us out like our own sin. In times of failure and exhaustion, we know we need a touch from God, but sometimes we can’t hear him. So what should we do?
While there are many spiritual answers that would be appropriate (read the word, pray, fellowship with other believers, resist the devil), the Bible often points to one aspect of our life that we frequently devalue: taking care of our bodies.