Five Habits of a Cleaned-Up Sinner – Habit #2: Look Up!

“Against you, you only have I sinned” Psalm 51:4

When I go shopping for a new suit, I never want to show up looking like a slob, so I dress up and try to look my best. I have to confess that when I walk through the mall, I feel pretty good about myself. I mean, compared to most everyone else in the mall, I’m lookin’ good! But the fall that inevitably comes after pride is just about ready to kick in. Walking into the haberdashery, I am suddenly confronted with the salesman who is perfectly put together wearing a killer suit and tie. As he stands behind me in the three-way mirror helping me to try on suit coats, I can’t help but feel I look really sloppy compared to him.

The same dynamic is at work in our spiritual lives. You can always find someone who is more slovenly than you are spiritually and end up feeling really good about yourself. But when you walk into the presence of a holy God, you get a glimpse of how sinful you really are.

As we learned yesterday, step one in our quest for R & R—the restoring and refinishing touch that only God can give—is confession. But true confession can only happen when, with David, we take the second step, which is to look up.

Notice what David admits in Psalm 51:4: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”

I love the fact that David immediately looked up after he was confronted with his sin. Rather than looking around and comparing himself to others, David’s thoughts were riveted on God and His incomparable perfection. After Nathan delivered God’s message to David in 2 Samuel 12:13, David’s first reaction was, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Of course, sin brings devastating collateral damage to others just as David’s sin did. But we can’t afford to miss what David is essentially saying here. He is deeply convicted, because in looking to God he is very much aware that his sin has offended God and that, compared to God’s righteous standard, he has a serious problem.

Comparing ourselves to others will always dull our hearts toward the seriousness of our sin. Thoughts like, “I know a lot of church people who do things a lot worse than this!” or “It’s a private thing, no one knows and no one is harmed!” are lethal! These kinds of thoughts do nothing other than keep us in the guilt of our sin.

But when we look up to God, we realize that He is right—all the time, and anything that deviates from Him and His ways is wrong—all the time. Which means we have a serious problem.

I’m reminded of the story of the prodigal son who gravely offended his father. By asking for an early share of his inheritance he, in essence, said, “Dad, I wish you were dead”! It’s the worst thing a Jewish kid could do to his dad. He then squandered that portion of his family estate, bringing further shame on his family by depleting his father’s “Social Security” reserves. In light of all that, the father’s forgiveness is a stunning picture of our heavenly Father’s willingness to welcome us to the joy of a restored relationship with Him in spite of our sin.

So look up, and with King David run into God’s welcoming arms of mercy and forgiveness! 

YOUR JOURNEY…

• Read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-31. Put yourself in the son’s place. What sinful offenses have you committed against your heavenly Father?
• Do you have a habit of comparing yourself to others when it comes to wanting to feel better about your own sinfulness? If so, ask God to help you look up to His standard of perfection.
• Meditate on God’s holiness and righteousness. What difference does that make to you?
• Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for part three of “Five Habits of a Cleaned-Up Sinner”!