How Sin Affects God’s People - Psalm 6
How Sin Affects God’s People - Psalm 6
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 4, 2007 AM
David was a man that was often vexed by troubles from his enemies. He often felt persecuted and sought to understand why this occurred in his life. We discover that David was not always the holy person God desired him to be. In fact, many of his problems were caused by his own stubbornness and guilt when he was caught in his own sin. David discovered that far too often, like most of us do, God does not like it when His people sin. We may wonder, like David did, where our grief, anger, or even frustration comes from and cry out, “How long, O Lord, how long?” However, if we take a close look at our own lives, compare it to this Psalm, we soon discover how sin affects God’s people.
What happens and what should God’s people do when they are caught in sin’s grasp? Too few people in our day understand the consequences of their sin and what sin will do in their lives. They shrug it off not realizing who they harm and what havoc they create in their lives and the lives of others around them. Here in this Psalm we discover not only what sin creates, but the answer for our lives when we are caught up in sin. Let’s take a closer look and find out how sin affects God’s people.
READ: Psalm 6
One thing I have discovered for my life that seems to be true for everyone: Sinning is easy, living a holy life is a lot tougher. Why is that? I believe it is because we hate to admit that we sin, and especially we hate to admit it to God! We fear what God might think. Here’s some news: God already knows! David gives us insight into how we all dread how God views our sinfulness, yet in David’s words we also find hope. David helps us to see that…
I. God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin! (vv. 1-5)
1. “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning!” Paul bluntly states. (1 Corinthians 15:34) Interestingly, in the Hebrew David actually says to God, “In Your anger, do not rebuke me or in Your wrath do not discipline me.” David fears what God thinks of his sin. This is a necessary thing for us if are truly seeking God in our lives. David’s words emphasizes the manner of the punishment. If God’s wrath against David were to continue, he could not survive. This is why he quickly asks, “be merciful to me… heal me!” Only in the “agony” of his sinful “anguish” could David find God’s mercy. We often have to look up and cry, “How long, O LORD, how long? Before we understand just how much God loves us! David then gives two reasons why God should answer: 1) The LORD should rescue him because of [God’s] unfailing love, and 2) Who praises [God] from the grave? The fact is “No one remembers [God] when he is dead. It is too late! When we sin we fear what God thinks about it, but He offers us mercy and forgiveness when we ask! David reminds us that God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin!
EXAMPLE: “When will you learn?” was all my uncle asked me. I knew what he meant. I was on “parole” for not following through with what I had promised to do. I had not kept my word, even though others had. But more than that, I had mouthed off. Now I was suffering the results of my verbal and physical rebellion. And that is what sin truly is: rebellion. Saying “I will not” to God, and sometimes far worse: “Who are you to tell me what to do?” That’s’ what I had done. Just as my discipline came quickly, so does God’s. We wonder why these things are happening to us? “It’s not my fault!” we whine. Yet, He will not be mocked. We often wonder like David, “How long, O Lord, how long?” When we know what we should do all along. God’s people should turn back to God when they sin.
Being sorry for doing wrong is a far cry from being remorseful for our sinful condition. We are sorry for a number of reasons: For being caught, out of embarrassment, or as an excuse. Remorse carries with it a whole new meaning. David shares with us that…
II. God’s people should be remorseful for their sin! (vv. 6-7)
1. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Paul would wonder. (Romans 7:24) David felt the total effects of unconfessed sin when he tried to sleep at night. Have you ever felt so afflicted? Why does this happen? A godly person feels remorse when they sin. Remorse carries with it repentance. Repentance means turning from our sin and turning to God. Notice that David was “worn out from groaning.” He flooded his “bed with weeping” and his “couch with tears.” He was “weak with sorrow.” We discover the full impact on the life of one who knows what he needs to do, but finds it difficult. We are taught to “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment.” However, “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 2:12) Paul would ask his fellow Jews why “do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed!” (Romans 2:4-5) Wow! Repentance for sin must proceed forgiveness. Sin affects God’s people and we should be remorseful for our sin!
EXAMPLE: I could not just feel “sorry” for what I had done, I had to “think about it.” I hated doing that. I still can hear my mother saying, “Young man, since you are not really sorry for what you did, just sit there and think about it until you are.” Sit? Sit! Me? A full-fledged on the go boy, sit and “think” about what he did? While I did not realize what my mother was trying to teach me, I can clearly see now. She wanted me to understand that anyone could be “sorry” because they were caught, but true remorse only comes when a person fully understands the consequences of their sin. I can remember calling out to my Mom every five minutes or so, “Mom! Have I sat here long enough yet?” Her irritating reply was, “Do you understand what you did?” She would not accept my simple “Yes.” That woman knew what lurks “in the heart of a child,” and so does God. Sometimes, only “a rod of discipline” can drive it far from us. God’s people should be remorseful for their sin.
There are times when we can feel like God could not possibly love us or care for us and during these times it is easy to just give into our sin. However, this is simply not true, God does love us. Why then do we feel this way? Because we know the truth. In spite of ourselves, God does care for us, but He hates our sin! David discovered that when God’s people sin, it causes a spiritually stressful condition. Here in this Psalm we learn that sin affects the very core of our being and our immediate fellowship with God. David teaches us to see that…
III. God’s people should feel shame over their sin! (vv. 8-10)
1. “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” Paul irritatingly asked. (Romans 6:21) For David, his “enemies” represented torment in his life. In reality that enemy was sin. God had “heard [his] weeping,” his “cry for mercy,” and accepted David’s confessional “prayer.” Why? When we view sin as it should be, our destructive “enemy,” then we begin to realize the consequences of our actions. David wanted nothing more to do with sin in his life and prays, “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.” Evidently David’s foes saw his sin and were laughing at his predicament. Sin was David’s problem, not his other enemies. Sin is disgraced when we openly confess it and feel shame because of it. Only in our shame can we find ourselves cleansed. Sin should be so repulsive that we, like David, see it as the enemy of our lives. So much so that we feel ashamed of our actions and cry out to God for mercy. David would later sing, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17) David had not originally felt shame over his adultery with Bathsheba, but when he was confronted by God, and later lost his firstborn son, he realized the extent and consequences of his actions. Later, his own children would plot to kill him. David’s shame would follow him. How glorious for us to know that “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” and “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all!” (Hebrews 9:28; 10:10) David teaches us that God’s people should feel shame over their sin.
EXAMPLE: “Well, I am not sorry!” I defiantly declared, as I stood with my scrawny arms folded over my chest. (It is amazing how a five year old can be demonic in their rebellious nature.) My bottom hurt as much as my pride, and while my pride was still intact my father knew he had to get his point across. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” he quietly declared, “treating your mother that way. No young man ever treats their mother with disrespect. So, you have a choice to make. Either be treated as a young man, or lose the right.” My mother worked hard packing apples all day. Individually wrapping them to be shipped all over the world. She worked 8 to 10 hours a day in a refrigerated warehouse. It was hard, tedious work and I had made her day a whole lot tougher. I had been rude and was not very grateful for what she had prepared for supper. After being reminded of these “facts” I was ashamed of my actions. I slowly went in and told her so. David experienced the same thing and teaches us that God’s people should feel shame over their sin.
Conclusion:
The Bible reminds us that “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) and that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He 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 out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:8-10) Now, how do you feel about your sin? God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin! God’s people should be remorseful for their sin! God’s people should feel shame over their sin!
By Pastor Lee Hemen
November 4, 2007 AM
David was a man that was often vexed by troubles from his enemies. He often felt persecuted and sought to understand why this occurred in his life. We discover that David was not always the holy person God desired him to be. In fact, many of his problems were caused by his own stubbornness and guilt when he was caught in his own sin. David discovered that far too often, like most of us do, God does not like it when His people sin. We may wonder, like David did, where our grief, anger, or even frustration comes from and cry out, “How long, O Lord, how long?” However, if we take a close look at our own lives, compare it to this Psalm, we soon discover how sin affects God’s people.
What happens and what should God’s people do when they are caught in sin’s grasp? Too few people in our day understand the consequences of their sin and what sin will do in their lives. They shrug it off not realizing who they harm and what havoc they create in their lives and the lives of others around them. Here in this Psalm we discover not only what sin creates, but the answer for our lives when we are caught up in sin. Let’s take a closer look and find out how sin affects God’s people.
READ: Psalm 6
One thing I have discovered for my life that seems to be true for everyone: Sinning is easy, living a holy life is a lot tougher. Why is that? I believe it is because we hate to admit that we sin, and especially we hate to admit it to God! We fear what God might think. Here’s some news: God already knows! David gives us insight into how we all dread how God views our sinfulness, yet in David’s words we also find hope. David helps us to see that…
I. God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin! (vv. 1-5)
1. “Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning!” Paul bluntly states. (1 Corinthians 15:34) Interestingly, in the Hebrew David actually says to God, “In Your anger, do not rebuke me or in Your wrath do not discipline me.” David fears what God thinks of his sin. This is a necessary thing for us if are truly seeking God in our lives. David’s words emphasizes the manner of the punishment. If God’s wrath against David were to continue, he could not survive. This is why he quickly asks, “be merciful to me… heal me!” Only in the “agony” of his sinful “anguish” could David find God’s mercy. We often have to look up and cry, “How long, O LORD, how long? Before we understand just how much God loves us! David then gives two reasons why God should answer: 1) The LORD should rescue him because of [God’s] unfailing love, and 2) Who praises [God] from the grave? The fact is “No one remembers [God] when he is dead. It is too late! When we sin we fear what God thinks about it, but He offers us mercy and forgiveness when we ask! David reminds us that God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin!
EXAMPLE: “When will you learn?” was all my uncle asked me. I knew what he meant. I was on “parole” for not following through with what I had promised to do. I had not kept my word, even though others had. But more than that, I had mouthed off. Now I was suffering the results of my verbal and physical rebellion. And that is what sin truly is: rebellion. Saying “I will not” to God, and sometimes far worse: “Who are you to tell me what to do?” That’s’ what I had done. Just as my discipline came quickly, so does God’s. We wonder why these things are happening to us? “It’s not my fault!” we whine. Yet, He will not be mocked. We often wonder like David, “How long, O Lord, how long?” When we know what we should do all along. God’s people should turn back to God when they sin.
Being sorry for doing wrong is a far cry from being remorseful for our sinful condition. We are sorry for a number of reasons: For being caught, out of embarrassment, or as an excuse. Remorse carries with it a whole new meaning. David shares with us that…
II. God’s people should be remorseful for their sin! (vv. 6-7)
1. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Paul would wonder. (Romans 7:24) David felt the total effects of unconfessed sin when he tried to sleep at night. Have you ever felt so afflicted? Why does this happen? A godly person feels remorse when they sin. Remorse carries with it repentance. Repentance means turning from our sin and turning to God. Notice that David was “worn out from groaning.” He flooded his “bed with weeping” and his “couch with tears.” He was “weak with sorrow.” We discover the full impact on the life of one who knows what he needs to do, but finds it difficult. We are taught to “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for His wrath can flare up in a moment.” However, “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 2:12) Paul would ask his fellow Jews why “do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed!” (Romans 2:4-5) Wow! Repentance for sin must proceed forgiveness. Sin affects God’s people and we should be remorseful for our sin!
EXAMPLE: I could not just feel “sorry” for what I had done, I had to “think about it.” I hated doing that. I still can hear my mother saying, “Young man, since you are not really sorry for what you did, just sit there and think about it until you are.” Sit? Sit! Me? A full-fledged on the go boy, sit and “think” about what he did? While I did not realize what my mother was trying to teach me, I can clearly see now. She wanted me to understand that anyone could be “sorry” because they were caught, but true remorse only comes when a person fully understands the consequences of their sin. I can remember calling out to my Mom every five minutes or so, “Mom! Have I sat here long enough yet?” Her irritating reply was, “Do you understand what you did?” She would not accept my simple “Yes.” That woman knew what lurks “in the heart of a child,” and so does God. Sometimes, only “a rod of discipline” can drive it far from us. God’s people should be remorseful for their sin.
There are times when we can feel like God could not possibly love us or care for us and during these times it is easy to just give into our sin. However, this is simply not true, God does love us. Why then do we feel this way? Because we know the truth. In spite of ourselves, God does care for us, but He hates our sin! David discovered that when God’s people sin, it causes a spiritually stressful condition. Here in this Psalm we learn that sin affects the very core of our being and our immediate fellowship with God. David teaches us to see that…
III. God’s people should feel shame over their sin! (vv. 8-10)
1. “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” Paul irritatingly asked. (Romans 6:21) For David, his “enemies” represented torment in his life. In reality that enemy was sin. God had “heard [his] weeping,” his “cry for mercy,” and accepted David’s confessional “prayer.” Why? When we view sin as it should be, our destructive “enemy,” then we begin to realize the consequences of our actions. David wanted nothing more to do with sin in his life and prays, “All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed; they will turn back in sudden disgrace.” Evidently David’s foes saw his sin and were laughing at his predicament. Sin was David’s problem, not his other enemies. Sin is disgraced when we openly confess it and feel shame because of it. Only in our shame can we find ourselves cleansed. Sin should be so repulsive that we, like David, see it as the enemy of our lives. So much so that we feel ashamed of our actions and cry out to God for mercy. David would later sing, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17) David had not originally felt shame over his adultery with Bathsheba, but when he was confronted by God, and later lost his firstborn son, he realized the extent and consequences of his actions. Later, his own children would plot to kill him. David’s shame would follow him. How glorious for us to know that “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people” and “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all!” (Hebrews 9:28; 10:10) David teaches us that God’s people should feel shame over their sin.
EXAMPLE: “Well, I am not sorry!” I defiantly declared, as I stood with my scrawny arms folded over my chest. (It is amazing how a five year old can be demonic in their rebellious nature.) My bottom hurt as much as my pride, and while my pride was still intact my father knew he had to get his point across. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” he quietly declared, “treating your mother that way. No young man ever treats their mother with disrespect. So, you have a choice to make. Either be treated as a young man, or lose the right.” My mother worked hard packing apples all day. Individually wrapping them to be shipped all over the world. She worked 8 to 10 hours a day in a refrigerated warehouse. It was hard, tedious work and I had made her day a whole lot tougher. I had been rude and was not very grateful for what she had prepared for supper. After being reminded of these “facts” I was ashamed of my actions. I slowly went in and told her so. David experienced the same thing and teaches us that God’s people should feel shame over their sin.
Conclusion:
The Bible reminds us that “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) and that “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He 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 out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.” (1 John 1:8-10) Now, how do you feel about your sin? God’s people should turn back to God when they commit sin! God’s people should be remorseful for their sin! God’s people should feel shame over their sin!
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