Brokenness and Mercy: The Weight and Wonder of a Contrite Heart

Brokenness and Mercy: The Weight and Wonder of a Contrite Heart

When David uttered, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1), he wasn’t theorising—he was testifying. The backdrop was dark. He had sinned grievously against God: adultery with Bathsheba, a plot to cover it, and the murder of her husband. Yet before the prophet Nathan ever confronted him, David knew the justice of God. When he heard the tale of injustice, he declared, “As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die… because he had no pity” (2 Samuel 12:5-6). Unbeknownst to him, he condemned himself. Then came Nathan’s gentle yet piercing truth: “Thou art the man.” And just like that, the spotlight of divine conviction landed squarely on his heart. Yet David did not harden—he softened. He didn't excuse—he confessed. “I have sinned against the LORD,” he said, and Nathan replied, “The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (v.13). Mercy met honesty. Not because David deserved it, but because he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God. His bones had waxed old through roaring; his soul was dry like summer’s drought (Psalm 32:3-4). But with confession came relief. Forgiveness. Restoration.

This is not just David’s story—it is ours too. For we who stand under grace, justified freely by the blood of Christ and clothed in His righteousness, must not forget the tender discipline of the Lord toward His sons. Our salvation is secure, imputed and unshaken by our failures. Yet the heart that walks with God is a heart that remains contrite. David's example teaches us that even a man justified by faith can—and must—still cry out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Repentance for the believer is not about earning forgiveness—it is about keeping fellowship sweet. It is about walking softly with our Father, whose lovingkindness draws us to humility. Paul exhorts, “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31). That’s not condemnation—it’s communion. It's the fruit of a heart that longs to be honest before God and upright in spirit. A man may be eternally redeemed and yet spiritually dry, until he comes low and pours out his soul before God. And our God—who gave us Calvary, who imputed righteousness apart from works—still delights in truth in the inward parts.

The Power of Transforming Grace Seen Through Our Doctrine

The Power of Transforming Grace Seen Through Our Doctrine

In Paul’s short but profound letter to Philemon, we see a real-life application of the gospel’s transformative power. It is a letter that does not merely teach doctrine but demonstrates how doctrine must be lived. Through the example of Onesimus, Philemon, and Paul, we are called to elevate truth above self, allowing Christ within us to reign above every carnal impulse—above grudges, revenge, ownership, greed, lusts, and the pride of life.

Onesimus: A Life Transformed

Onesimus was once unprofitable—both spiritually and practically. A runaway slave who likely stole from his master, he embodied the fallen nature of man: seeking self-will above truth, circumstance above faith. But when he encountered Paul in prison, everything changed. By the grace of God, he was begotten in bonds—he got saved and regenerated anew in Christ. His transformation wasn’t just a personal improvement; it redefined his entire identity. He was no longer just Philemon’s servant; he became a brother in the Lord.

This is the reality of salvation. We are not just improved versions of our former selves—we are made new. Onesimus, once a thief and a fugitive, became “profitable” through Christ, Phm.1:11; Tit.3:8. Not because he gained worldly wealth or influence, but because the gospel infused him with purpose. Like Onesimus, we must recognise that transformation in Christ is not about external change but about internal renewal.

Philemon: A Call to Forgiveness

Philemon had every legal right to punish Onesimus. The world would say that justice demands retribution. Carnal nature whispers: Let him suffer. Teach him a lesson. Own your rights. But Paul makes a different appeal—not based on law, but on grace.

May God Have Mercy on Your Soul: An Expression of Ignorance

May God Have Mercy on Your Soul: An Expression of Ignorance

As I watched a funeral on TV, I heard the minister say the following, "Rest in peace <person's name>, may God have mercy on your soul." Those words stuck with me and the more I thought about them, the more I was struck by the absolute ignorance embedded in this statement—an ignorance that disregards the foundational truth of the gospel and the finished work of the cross of Christ. It revealed how tradition and empty expressions continue to be spoken without thought, maintaining a cycle of religious negligence rather than biblical accuracy. This phrase, like others that I list at the end of the post**, have become a customary utterance, mindlessly repeated without questioning its meaning or validity in light of God’s revealed truth. Seeing this, I felt it necessary to bring attention to not only this statement but others also, that persist as vain customs, promoting human imagination rather than biblical reality. Words carry weight, and when they contradict the truth of Scripture, they must be identified and dismissed as meaningless rhetoric—mere traditions of men that veil the absolute authority of God’s Word. 

This article serves as a call to recognize such errors and return to the certainty of sound doctrine, particularly the gospel of God's grace as taught in Paul’s epistles.

The Hollow Tradition of a Fruitless Expression

"May God have mercy on your soul."

The 4 Foundational Cornerstones of the Christian Faith

The 4 Foundational Cornerstones of the Christian Faith

ROMANS is the foundation book in Paul’s epistles. It is the book that firstly, establishes 'the faith', the doctrine that provides us with a fundamental knowledge of God's will and purpose for us as grace believers today, and secondly, that 'stablishes' a grace believer, meaning that it lays a foundation of truth, or principle, that helps us to be grounded and stable in our faith, and guides our walk to complement Gods will and purpose for us, not only here on earth, now, but also in the life to come, our heavenly destination as the Body of Christ.

If one takes a step back from the details in the Roman epistle, and looks at the contents from an overview perspective, one will see four key principles emerge. These four key principles are of great importance. As the title of this post suggests, they are the four cornerstones that keep the foundation of our faith stable. Without any one of these cornerstones, our Christian faith will be unstable and ineffective. Anything that we build upon this foundation will be shaky and problematic, and our growth in the doctrine of 'the faith', will be hindered, weakened, or even completely stunted. Needless to say, recognizing these four key foundational principles, and gaining an intimate knowledge of them, are crucial.