When Forgiveness Is Needed– Psalm 51
When Forgiveness Is Needed– Psalm 51
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 23, 2007 AM
Have you ever blown it so bad that you felt like no one could ever forgive you for what you did? I have. Often when we make a mistake it is hard for us to own up to “blowing it.” Why is that? I believe it is because of pride. We do not want to admit we blew it, and worse, we do not want to admit we were in sin. David blew it big time. He not only allowed temptation to take hold in his life, he willingly plotted the death of an innocent man to cover up his adultery. Confronted with his horrendous sin, David realizes that although he does not deserve God’s love and acceptance, he desperately needs God’s forgiveness.
Herein lies a truth that we often forget: God is holy and cannot have fellowship with that which is not holy. Holiness is not being good, nice, or even desiring to be good or nice. Holiness is not sinning. This Psalm of David’s, so eloquently written, teaches us what to do when forgiveness is needed. Let’s discover what it means to be restored with God in fellowship.
READ: Psalm 51
Someone once asked me, “How do you know if someone is truly a Christian?” I replied, “It is not just simply believing there is a God, demons know that. And it is not simply believing in Jesus, many today say they do but it is not evident in their lives. Being a Christian is when you have confessed your sin, placed your trust in Christ, have recognized Him as the only means of salvation, and as Lord of your life. Then, you will display it by living a Godly life.” The starting point here is important in the spiritual process. David understood this and realized that when forgiveness is needed…
I. We need to confess our sins (vv. 3-6)!
1. Confession is more than good for the soul, it renews our relationship! It is not only being honest with yourself, it is being honest with God. God knows your sin, but He wants you to fully understand it as well. Why? God is holy. And, if you say you are a Christian, you should be living a holy lifestyle! Paul would say that as a Christian you “are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9) Paul would go on to relate that “we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14) John would remind us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him [Jesus] out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:8-10) David understood this well. He had sinned with Bathsheba and had paid the price of losing his firstborn son. Christians suffer the price of lost fellowship with their Lord. For David it was a matter of returning to God. Of confessing his sin and being restored. The same is true for us: When forgiveness is needed, we need to confess our sin!
EXAMPLE: “Now, what do you have to tell me?” my father asked as he sat down on the back porch steps. Some days this seemed like a common occurrence. Me sitting on the back porch trying to explain to my Dad just how and why I had messed up for the day. Sometimes, it was hard to get the words out because I felt like there might come a time when Dad would not want to hear my asking for him to forgive me anymore, but he never did. Sure, I had to pay the price of my disobedience, but I found that if I was honest, he always forgave me. Make no mistake, Dad did not accept an “I’m sorry.” Anyone could be “sorry,” but if I really was honest and openly confessed to him what I had done, he forgave me. I guess it was because he loved me. David found this out as well. When forgiveness is needed, we need to confess our sin.
We may think God will not want to hear from us one more time.” But this is simply not true. He is never too busy, never tires of listening to us, and always is ready to hear our cry for help in times of struggle. It serves two important aspects in our spirituality: 1) Our dependency on God alone, and 2) our willingness to go directly to Him. He is always a prayer away. David understood this and realized that when forgiveness is needed…
II. We need to petition the Lord (vv. 1-2, 7-12)!
1. Petition knows that it has nothing to offer and nowhere to stand! David uses three very descriptive verbs here: “blot out,” “wash away,” and “cleanse.” Interestingly, they are probably drawn from the liturgical ceremonial law in which one might be purified for temple participation. David understood that only God could do what he asked. It was “according to [God’s] unfailing love” and His “great compassion” alone that David appealed. Notice in verses 7-9, David reverses the order: cleanse, wash, and blot out! His only desire was “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David understood that God’s gift of the Holy Spirit for him was based on his willingness to remain pure before the Lord, God could now remove His guidance from David. David cries, “Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me.” King Saul had been removed from God, David was in danger of this as well. He cries, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Otherwise, David had no hope. Not true for the Christian! Because of Jesus, the Spirit never leaves the life of a believer; at the moment of salvation He indwells us forever! However, a Christian can be hindered from service because of sin! David was also aware that in order to experience the joy he once had in his salvation, he needed God’s inner spiritual renewal. Isaiah tells us to “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on Him while He is near…. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him!” (Isaiah 55:6 & 7) When forgiveness is needed, we need to petition the Lord.
EXAMPLE: It is not always easy to ask someone else for help. Ask any guy who has worked on his car by himself! I can remember laying under our old blue Chevy Astro Van and wondering, “Lord, how in the world am I going to fix the oil leak that is gushing out onto the gravel?” It was more than a question, it was a plea for help in a time of great distress! Not knowing who to turn to or what to say, I finally bit the bullet and cried for help from the Lord and He directed me to call the church we were headed for. I remember being kind of blunt on the phone, but the reply was, “Do not worry. We will be right there.” Not only were they there in short order, but they also crawled under the van, patched it up enough to drive it, brought extra oil, and took it to a private garage where it was completely fixed! Afterwards, I remember apologizing for my bluntness. My rescuer laughed, “Hey, you were up to your armpits in oil! I guess you were having a bad day!” He understood completely. And that’s the way the Lord is as well. When forgiveness is needed, we need to petition the Lord.
Far too often when the trial is over, or our sin is forgiven, we forget to praise the One who forgives us: The Lord! Praise should come quickly to the lips of the person whose sins have been forgiven. In fact, all Christians should find it easy to praise God because of what He has done in their lives! David teaches in his Psalm that when forgiveness is needed…
III. We need to praise God for what He has done (vv. 13-17)!
1. Praise is the thanksgiving of our hearts when we are cleansed from our sin! David declared he would do several things if God would hear his cry: 1) David said that if God forgave him, he would teach sinners God’s ways, 2) David said if God forgave him, he would sing and praise God. David knew that only when he was delivered from his blood-guiltiness could he in reality join in praising God! The idea was from the ability to worship in the temple only after being cleansed through the shedding of blood from a sacrifice. And 3) David promised that if God forgave his sins he would sacrifice to God. He knew that God did not desire simply an animal sacrifice from him. Rather the sacrifice he had to bring was “a broken and contrite (crushed) heart”—a humbled spirit fully penitent for sin. That is what God desires and will receive! In the Old Testament, anyone who sinned as David did had to receive a word from a priest or prophet indicating he was forgiven. In the New Testament the word of forgiveness is forever written in God’s Word—the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from sin: “If we claim to have fellowship with Him [Jesus] yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7). Praise should always follow forgiveness! When forgiveness is needed, we need to praise God for what He has done!
EXAMPLE: This is why later David could sing at the top of his lungs, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:1-5) He was praising God for forgiving him of his sin! When was the last time you sang praises to God for His forgiveness? When forgiveness is needed, we need to praise the Lord for what He has done!
Conclusion:
When forgiveness is needed we need to confess our sins, petition the Lord, and praise God for what He has done. Is forgiveness needed in your life?
By Pastor Lee Hemen
September 23, 2007 AM
Have you ever blown it so bad that you felt like no one could ever forgive you for what you did? I have. Often when we make a mistake it is hard for us to own up to “blowing it.” Why is that? I believe it is because of pride. We do not want to admit we blew it, and worse, we do not want to admit we were in sin. David blew it big time. He not only allowed temptation to take hold in his life, he willingly plotted the death of an innocent man to cover up his adultery. Confronted with his horrendous sin, David realizes that although he does not deserve God’s love and acceptance, he desperately needs God’s forgiveness.
Herein lies a truth that we often forget: God is holy and cannot have fellowship with that which is not holy. Holiness is not being good, nice, or even desiring to be good or nice. Holiness is not sinning. This Psalm of David’s, so eloquently written, teaches us what to do when forgiveness is needed. Let’s discover what it means to be restored with God in fellowship.
READ: Psalm 51
Someone once asked me, “How do you know if someone is truly a Christian?” I replied, “It is not just simply believing there is a God, demons know that. And it is not simply believing in Jesus, many today say they do but it is not evident in their lives. Being a Christian is when you have confessed your sin, placed your trust in Christ, have recognized Him as the only means of salvation, and as Lord of your life. Then, you will display it by living a Godly life.” The starting point here is important in the spiritual process. David understood this and realized that when forgiveness is needed…
I. We need to confess our sins (vv. 3-6)!
1. Confession is more than good for the soul, it renews our relationship! It is not only being honest with yourself, it is being honest with God. God knows your sin, but He wants you to fully understand it as well. Why? God is holy. And, if you say you are a Christian, you should be living a holy lifestyle! Paul would say that as a Christian you “are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9) Paul would go on to relate that “we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14) John would remind us that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him [Jesus] out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:8-10) David understood this well. He had sinned with Bathsheba and had paid the price of losing his firstborn son. Christians suffer the price of lost fellowship with their Lord. For David it was a matter of returning to God. Of confessing his sin and being restored. The same is true for us: When forgiveness is needed, we need to confess our sin!
EXAMPLE: “Now, what do you have to tell me?” my father asked as he sat down on the back porch steps. Some days this seemed like a common occurrence. Me sitting on the back porch trying to explain to my Dad just how and why I had messed up for the day. Sometimes, it was hard to get the words out because I felt like there might come a time when Dad would not want to hear my asking for him to forgive me anymore, but he never did. Sure, I had to pay the price of my disobedience, but I found that if I was honest, he always forgave me. Make no mistake, Dad did not accept an “I’m sorry.” Anyone could be “sorry,” but if I really was honest and openly confessed to him what I had done, he forgave me. I guess it was because he loved me. David found this out as well. When forgiveness is needed, we need to confess our sin.
We may think God will not want to hear from us one more time.” But this is simply not true. He is never too busy, never tires of listening to us, and always is ready to hear our cry for help in times of struggle. It serves two important aspects in our spirituality: 1) Our dependency on God alone, and 2) our willingness to go directly to Him. He is always a prayer away. David understood this and realized that when forgiveness is needed…
II. We need to petition the Lord (vv. 1-2, 7-12)!
1. Petition knows that it has nothing to offer and nowhere to stand! David uses three very descriptive verbs here: “blot out,” “wash away,” and “cleanse.” Interestingly, they are probably drawn from the liturgical ceremonial law in which one might be purified for temple participation. David understood that only God could do what he asked. It was “according to [God’s] unfailing love” and His “great compassion” alone that David appealed. Notice in verses 7-9, David reverses the order: cleanse, wash, and blot out! His only desire was “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” David understood that God’s gift of the Holy Spirit for him was based on his willingness to remain pure before the Lord, God could now remove His guidance from David. David cries, “Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me.” King Saul had been removed from God, David was in danger of this as well. He cries, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Otherwise, David had no hope. Not true for the Christian! Because of Jesus, the Spirit never leaves the life of a believer; at the moment of salvation He indwells us forever! However, a Christian can be hindered from service because of sin! David was also aware that in order to experience the joy he once had in his salvation, he needed God’s inner spiritual renewal. Isaiah tells us to “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on Him while He is near…. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him!” (Isaiah 55:6 & 7) When forgiveness is needed, we need to petition the Lord.
EXAMPLE: It is not always easy to ask someone else for help. Ask any guy who has worked on his car by himself! I can remember laying under our old blue Chevy Astro Van and wondering, “Lord, how in the world am I going to fix the oil leak that is gushing out onto the gravel?” It was more than a question, it was a plea for help in a time of great distress! Not knowing who to turn to or what to say, I finally bit the bullet and cried for help from the Lord and He directed me to call the church we were headed for. I remember being kind of blunt on the phone, but the reply was, “Do not worry. We will be right there.” Not only were they there in short order, but they also crawled under the van, patched it up enough to drive it, brought extra oil, and took it to a private garage where it was completely fixed! Afterwards, I remember apologizing for my bluntness. My rescuer laughed, “Hey, you were up to your armpits in oil! I guess you were having a bad day!” He understood completely. And that’s the way the Lord is as well. When forgiveness is needed, we need to petition the Lord.
Far too often when the trial is over, or our sin is forgiven, we forget to praise the One who forgives us: The Lord! Praise should come quickly to the lips of the person whose sins have been forgiven. In fact, all Christians should find it easy to praise God because of what He has done in their lives! David teaches in his Psalm that when forgiveness is needed…
III. We need to praise God for what He has done (vv. 13-17)!
1. Praise is the thanksgiving of our hearts when we are cleansed from our sin! David declared he would do several things if God would hear his cry: 1) David said that if God forgave him, he would teach sinners God’s ways, 2) David said if God forgave him, he would sing and praise God. David knew that only when he was delivered from his blood-guiltiness could he in reality join in praising God! The idea was from the ability to worship in the temple only after being cleansed through the shedding of blood from a sacrifice. And 3) David promised that if God forgave his sins he would sacrifice to God. He knew that God did not desire simply an animal sacrifice from him. Rather the sacrifice he had to bring was “a broken and contrite (crushed) heart”—a humbled spirit fully penitent for sin. That is what God desires and will receive! In the Old Testament, anyone who sinned as David did had to receive a word from a priest or prophet indicating he was forgiven. In the New Testament the word of forgiveness is forever written in God’s Word—the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from sin: “If we claim to have fellowship with Him [Jesus] yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7). Praise should always follow forgiveness! When forgiveness is needed, we need to praise God for what He has done!
EXAMPLE: This is why later David could sing at the top of his lungs, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!” (Psalm 103:1-5) He was praising God for forgiving him of his sin! When was the last time you sang praises to God for His forgiveness? When forgiveness is needed, we need to praise the Lord for what He has done!
Conclusion:
When forgiveness is needed we need to confess our sins, petition the Lord, and praise God for what He has done. Is forgiveness needed in your life?
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