My Sin

Psalm 51:1 CSB

Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.

INTRO—

[[This Week: Like the closing of MasterChef…have a good night because next time things are going to get personal.]]

Horatio Spafford—the hymn, “It is Well.” Verse three begins: “My sin.”

MY sin.

…We must own it.

Today I ask you to do something I all to infrequently ask you to do—Draw a circle (a bubble) around yourself and maintain this as the context for yourself as we encounter God’s word in Psalm 51 today.

I want us all to be as self-focused as we have ever been when considering our lives in the presence of our Lord.

This focus is how David responded when confronted by the prophet Nathan in the wake of his sins regarding Bathsheba & Uriah (&…&…). [Found in 2 Samuel 11-12]

[LORD, Please…]

LORD, Please Have Mercy (on Me) [Psalm 51.1-6]

[[LORD…please have mercy…ON ME.]]

Basis of the Appeal [51.1-2; be gracious to me…wash & cleanse me]

God’s Character [according to your…faithful love…abundant compassion]

Mercy & Grace Require… [51.3-6]

Confession & Repentance.

[Conscious of MY rebellion…MY sin is always before me, Against you—you alone—I have sinned]

[You are right when you judge, I was born a sinner, You desire integrity in the inner self & wisdom deep within.]

We can’t demand (presume upon God for) mercy and grace…we must ask for (seek) it humbly, meekly.

LORD, Please Cleanse & Restore (Me) [Psalm 51.7-12]

[[LORD…please cleanse and restore…ME.]]

Remove My Sin [51.7, 9-10a]

‘Purify…wash…blot out…clean.’

Only God can forgive sin(s) [sounds like an issue Jesus confronted in his earthly ministry.]

Restore My Life [51.8, 10b-12]

‘Rejoice…renew…your presence…restore…sustain.’

Only God can restore salvation joy.

We, when truly repentant, desire righteousness and the resulting returning joy.

LORD, Please Reestablish Purpose (for Me) [Psalm 51.13-19]

[[LORD…please reestablish purpose...FOR ME.]]

“Then I will…” [51.13a]

Teach your ways [51.13b; rebellious…sinners will return, likely to the community of faith—but also reflects initial Gospel response.]

Praise you [51.14-15; sittin’ on ready…sooner, rather than later, go—go—go with praise!]

Be humble [51.16-17; This position of God’s people is prerequisite to acceptable worship (life of worship; aka Romans 12.1-2), = a broken and contrite heart]

Seek your transformation of the community [51.18-19; ‘Lord, if it pleases you, extend your blessing of renewal, restoration…mercy & grace…beyond ME to the COMMUNITY (of your people [as in this case] and possibly to the surrounding world.)]

We, when forgiven and restored, have our focus drawn to God-honoring living…daily.

CONCL—

If anyone, when initially confronted with the universal reality of sin, won’t own the reality of their sin…

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”

…places themselves outside the possibility of redemption.

Someone who doesn’t see the danger of a situation will not even look for rescue from that situation;

BUT— to lament over sin when confronted with the reality of the human condition, opens up the beauty, necessity, and opportunity of Gospel rescue (aka, salvation).

“It is well” verse three— “My sin—oh the bliss of this glorious thought—my sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, oh my soul!

A believer who will not acknowledge the ongoing, life-long struggle against sin…

1 John 1:8 “If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

…harms their potential for growth in righteousness and their testimony (of faith/faithfulness);

BUT— to lament over sin when confronted with the reality of a Christ follower’s struggle against the flesh, opens up the beauty, neccesity, and opportunity for growth in righteousness and a Christ-honoring testimony (witness). [[This is the entire picture of Psalm 51.]]

INVITATION:

Salvation

Sin…Confession & Repentance (1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”)

Continuing Purpose

Psalm 51:19 CSB

Then you will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.