David’s song continued: Create for me a pure heart, O God!  Renew a resolute spirit within me!  Do not reject me!  Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me! ¹  Whatever Daivid’s understanding of making sins as white as snow, he apparently grasped that creating a pure heart and renewing a resolute spirit was the work of the Holy Spirit rather than his own.  David continued: Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance!  Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! ²

It was both surprising and encouraging to find this man after Jesus’ own heart in the Old Testament who would say, amen, to Paul’s saying, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.³ There is however a New Testament corollary to the concept of making sins as white as snow:  And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose…⁴

For all things to work together for good for me, the effect of other people’s sins on my life must be neutralized.  One might say, though their sins are like red, they must be made white as snow in their effect upon me, though they are red like scarlet, they must be made like wool.  Here, on this side of the equation, Jesus provided all kinds of instruction for his followers to be part of the process of gathering with Him rather than scattering.⁵  First and foremost among these is, forgive: if you have anything against anyone, forgive (ἀφίετε, a form of ἀφίημι) him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive (ἀφῇ, another form of ἀφίημι) you your sins (παραπτώματα, a form of παράπτωμα).⁶  This is quite frankly the fastest way to mute the effect of others’ sins on my life. If God is for us, who can be against us?⁷ 

If I thought of this as law instead of love, then I tried to puff up some phony forgiveness like a tea kettle or a “little engine that could,” or else God wouldn’t forgive me my sins.  But when I thought of this is as love rather than law, I realized I could take from the Lord’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that flows like a stream of living water through me, and—knowing that no one is less deserving of forgiveness than I—share the overflow of that mercy, grace and forgiveness and the gift of righteousness as freely with another as I have received it myself.

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” the Lord Jesus quoted the limits on retribution He had placed in the law He gave to Moses.  But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer.  But whoever strikes you on⁸ the⁹ right cheek, turn the other to him as well.  And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.¹⁰  Follow me,¹¹ Jesus said.  He wants his followers to join Him in blunting the effectiveness of sin, not as sin eaters per se, but more like sin shock absorbers.  This is the limit, from here the shit stops rolling down hill.

Give¹² to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow¹³ from you, Jesus continued.  You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor” and “hate your enemy.”  But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you [Table], so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.¹⁴

This reminds me of the movie 300.  First the phalanx absorbs the shock of sin’s assault, then comes the push back.  And David continued: Then I will teach rebels your merciful ways, and sinners will turn to you.¹⁵  This teaching is not didactic but a loving demonstration of the very mercy that is its object.  Paul picked up on the militant spirit of overcoming, or conquering, evil with good (Romans 12:9-21 NET).

Love (ἀγάπη) must be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good (ἀγαθῷ, a form of ἀγαθός).  Be devoted to one another with mutual love (φιλόστοργοι, a form of φιλόστοργος), showing eagerness in honoring one another.  Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.¹⁶  Rejoice (χαίροντες, a form of χαίρω) in hope (ἐλπίδι, a form of ἐλπίς), endure (ὑπομένοντες, a form of ὑπομένω) in suffering (θλίψει, a form of θλίψις), persist in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.  Rejoice (χαίρειν, another form of χαίρω) with those who rejoice (χαιρόντων, another form of χαίρω),¹⁷  weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.  Do not be conceited.  Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.  Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.  Rather,¹⁸  if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals¹⁹ on his head.  Do not be overcome (νικῶ, a form of νικάω) by evil, but overcome (νίκα, another form of νικάω) evil with good (ἀγαθῷ, a form of ἀγαθός).

I couldn’t help but notice how similar these instructions are to the love that fulfills the law (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NET).

Love (ἀγάπη) is patient (μακροθυμεῖ, a form of μακροθυμέω), love is kind, it is not envious.  Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.  It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.  It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.  It bears all things, believes (πιστεύει, a form of πιστεύω) all things, hopes (ἐλπίζει, a form of ἐλπίζω) all things, endures (ὑπομένει, another form of ὑπομένω) all things.

None of this, however, originates with me.  All of it comes from drinking and continuing to drink from that river of living water²⁰ which is the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23 NET Table).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy (χαρά), peace, patience (μακροθυμία), kindness, goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη), faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.

Addendum: February 2, 2020
Tables comparing the NET parallel Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Exodus or Leviticus with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow:

A table comparing the NET parallel Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Leviticus (Table) with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

It seems possible to me that Paul, given his own proclivity toward vengeance (Acts 9:1-9; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 Timothy 1:12-14), shared a personal word from the Lord with believers in Rome, but a table comparing the NET parallel Greek as an allusion to Deuteronomy in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

A table comparing the NET parallel Greek of Paul’s quotation from Proverbs with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

Tables comparing Psalm 51:10; Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Psalm 51:13; Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 25:21 and 25:22 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Psalm 51:10 (50:12); Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Psalm 51:13 (50:15); Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 25:21 and 25:22 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing Matthew 5:39; 5:42; Romans 12:11; 12:15 and 12:20 in the NET and KJV.