SIN-Psalm 51

Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

Ps51-I Know My Sin powerpoint.

“For I know…my sin.” “Cleanse me…” “Create in me a pure heart…” “Then I will teach transgressors your ways…”  (Psalm 51:3, 7, 10, 13).
  • Whatever happens, good or bad, all I need to do is to repent (Ac 3:19).

Sin will take me further than I want to go.

Sin will keep me longer than I want to stay.

Sin will cost me more than I want to pay.

God‘s holiness offers sinful humanity both its greatest problem and its greatest hope. Because a holy God cannot turn a blind eye to sin, I find myself under God’s judgment, in need of salvation and reconciliation. But because God is also relentlessly good, he provides a way that they can be restored to a right relationship with God and with one another in order to receive blessing and not judgment–first through Israel and ultimately through Christ.

Psalm 51 (NIV, KJV) is the 4th and the greatest of the 7 “penitential psalms” (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130 and 143), in which confession and repentance from personal sin is the focus.

True Repentance involves:
  1. A plea for forgiveness (51:1-9).
  2. A promise to teach others (51:10-17).
  3. A prayer for God‘s interest (51:18-19).
A true confession is 3-fold:
  1. See your sin for what it is (51:1-5). The need of God’s mercy.
  2. See God for who he is (51:6-12). The expression of God’s mercy.
  3. See yourself for who you are (51:13-19). The results of God’s mercy.
Structure of Psalm 51:
  1. Plea for forgiveness of sin (Ps 51:1-2).
  2. A confession of sin (Ps 51:3-6).
  3. A plea for cleansing (Ps 51:7-9).
  4. A plea for spiritual restoration (Ps 51:10-12).
  5. A vow of praise and public contrition (Ps 51:13-17).
  6. A concluding plea for the restoration of Zion/Jerusalem (Ps 51:18-19).
  • A. Prayer for individual restoration (1-2). Plea for forgiveness.
    • B. Confession and contrition (3-6). Confession of sin.
      • C. Prayer for restoration (7-12).
        • Plea for cleansing (7-9).
        • Plea for spiritual restoration (10-12).
    • B’. Thanksgiving (13-17). Vow of praise and public contrition.
  • A’. Prayer for national restoration (18-19). Plea for restoration of Zion.

To be right with God requires an understanding of:

  1. The need for repentance (Ps 51:1-3).
  2. The depth of sin (Ps 51:4-5). 
  3. The nature of God’s forgiveness (Ps 51:6-12).
  4. The implications for personal (Ps 51:13-17) and communal spiritual renewal (Ps 51:18-19).
Summary of David’s existential reality
  1. Sin had made him dirty and he wanted to be clean.
  2. Guilt had made him sick and he wanted to be well.
  3. Disobedience had made him lonely and he wanted to be reconciled.
  4. Rebellion had made him fearful and he wanted to be pardoned.
5 aspects of sin and of true confession
  1. His sin deserves judgment (Ps 51:4b). No appeal to law, justice, merit, achievement.
  2. His appeal is only for mercy (Ps 51:1). 3 words in reference to God. Ps 103:3, 10.
  3. He knows he is guilty (Ps 51:2-3). 3 standard words for evil.
  4. He takes full responsibility (Ps 51:4). He does not blame like Adam and Eve.
  5. He knows who he really is (Ps 51:5). Gen 8:21. Jer 17:9. Isa 64:6. Rom 5:12.
Knows who God is and what God wants
  1. God desires holiness on the inside (Ps 51:6). He knows what the Holy God wants.
  2. God has the power to cleanse and create a clean pure heart (Ps 51:7, 10-11).
  3. God can give restoration and reconciliation (Ps 51:8-9, 12; 103:12; Mic 7:18-19).
  4. God desires repentance to influence and turn sinners back to God (Ps 51:13-15).
  5. God wants him to ultimately please only God with a broken and contrite heart (Ps 51:16-17; 66:18) and be a good influence to the people of God (Ps 51:18-19).
  • David uses 3 words in reference to God and 3 words in reference to himself in Ps 51:1-2.

Brokenness is appropriate because:

  1. Our sin stains and scars our very souls.
  2. Our sin creates memories that remain with us.
  3. Our sin is an affront to a holy God.
  4. Our sin is a hindrance to the true worship of God.

3 reasons why it is good that we do not forget our sins. If you could forget your sin:

  1. You could never testify of the goodness of God.
  2. You would never be warned against doing them again.
  3. You could never rejoice in your victories or see growth that the Spirit has produced in you.
Whiter than Snow.
  1. Appeal (Ps 51:1-2). Sin, grace and cleansing.
  2. Confession (Ps 51:3-5). Sin and conscience (Ps 51:3). Sin and God (Ps 51:4).
  3. Restoration (Ps 51:6-9). Longing to be right with God.
  4. Inward renewal (Ps 51:10-12). Commitment to newness of life.
  5. Humble worship (Ps 51:13-15). Sharing the truth.
  6. A people’s prayer (Ps 51:16-19). The community of penitents.
Various titles:
  • Come to God when you fail (Ps 51:1-2).
  • Prayer of repentance.
  • Sin is ultimately against God only (Ps 51:4).
  • Repentance, Restoration, Revolution and Revival [Review, Reassess, Reflect, Repent].
  • Wisdom in the secret place (Ps 51:6).
  • Purging the inward parts (Ps 51:6).
  • Broken and contrite for sin (Ps 51:17). Restoration of the broken and contrite. Christian confession of Sin. True confession.
Right perspectives of a true confession is threefold:
  1. See your sin for what it is.
  2. See God for who he is.
  3. See yourself for who you are.
His prayer (Ps 51:10). “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps 66:18).

“I live in a high and holy place, but also with [the one] who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isa 57:15).

[Kevin Albright] You might think that at least I’m not an adulterer or a murderer like David! My sins aren’t that bad! I’m so much better than people who drink, smoke, take drugs, or sleep around. But what did Jesus say? “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Mt 5:21). Even calling someone a “Fool!” is a serious sin. Jesus’ point is that murder begins with anger and hatred in our hearts. So if you hate someone you’re a murderer. Why do we hate people? It’s for something they did or said that was hurtful. So we judge them and want them to be punished or even destroyed. That makes us a spiritual murderer.
 
How about adultery? What did Jesus say? Listen to Jesus: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a person lustfully has already committed adultery with them in their heart (Mt 5:27-28). So, according to Jesus, you are guilty of spiritual adultery, if you just entertain sexual thoughts toward anyone you are not married to. What is a lustful look? It is not a passing glance but a willful, calculated stare that arouses sexual desire. In other words, adulterous eyes see others as potential sexual partners. This is very common in our society. So we may think: it’s no big deal. Everybody does that. But that doesn’t make it right in the sight of God.
  1. John Calvin (1509-1564):

    “The beginning of true repentance is the conviction of sin, and this conviction we will never have as long as we are satisfied with ourselves.”

  2. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892):

    “The broken heart is the healed heart. The contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit. The repenting soul is the victorious soul. The humble man is the victorious man.”

  3. Martin Luther (1483-1546):

    “David’s repentance is the most genuine repentance described in any book. It is a repentance in which he does not merely acknowledge his sin, but he feels it, and so feels it, that he is almost maddened by it.”

  4. Timothy Keller:

    “Psalm 51 teaches us that we must go beyond mere remorse and have our hearts broken with repentance, and that only then will we be changed.”

  5. John Piper:

    “David’s penitential psalm, Psalm 51, is a masterpiece on repentance, teaching us to confess our sins openly and ask for the transforming power of God’s grace.”

  6. Matthew Henry (1662-1714):

    “The mercy of God is the fountain out of which the streams of all other mercies flow, and the plea for pardon must be taken from that only. The good man, though he has fallen, will still seek and trust the mercy of God; for there is forgiveness with him.”

  7. A.W. Tozer (1897-1963):

    “The self-sufficient do not ask what they shall have. They are not told to say what they shall say. They are told to repent and believe. Nothing is said about resolving, dedicating, rededicating or surrendering. Repentance is not a work but a radical change.”

References:
  1. Tim Keller. The Songs of Jesus. 2015.
  2. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016.
  3. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.
  4. Derek Kidner. Psalms 1-72, 1973. Psalms 73-150, 1975.
  5. Affliction, Adversity, Anxiety and Anguish is Good for Me.
  6. When David was a Man After God’s Own Heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

From March 2018:

  • Consider the reason(s) why you may be unhappy. What do you usually do to resolve your unhappiness?
  • What are the costs and benefits of keeping secret something you have done wrong versus admitting it?
  • Identify a recurring sin that you have not yet eradicated from your life. If so inclined, what plans will you make to rid yourself of that sin?
  • Describe David’s sin in 2 Samuel 11.
  • How did Nathan confront his sin in 2 Samuel 12:1-12? 2 Samuel 12:13 is David’s response and Nathan’s reply. Why do you think David found it necessary to compose Psalm 51 (David’s reaction to Nathan’s confrontation)?
  • Read Psalm 51 slowly and thoughtfully in at least two translations. How would you describe David’s reaction? What are some words or phrases that are meaningful to you? What is a verse that you would like to remember?
  • What three things does David ask God to do (Ps 51:1-2)? Why did David dare to ask for these things (51:1)?
  • What terms does David use to describe himself and his wrongdoing (51:1-5)? What is David’s attitude toward his sin (51:3-5)?
    • How do you feel about unconfessed sin in your life?
    • How honest are you about your sin? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.
    • As Christians, we know we are sinful. Why then, is it still so painful to be confronted with a specific sin?
    • ♥ What role does honesty play in our receiving forgiveness and what part does denial play in our remaining guilty (Ps 32:3)?
    • ♥ Are you ever tempted to rationalize your sin? How should you view your sin?
    • ♥ Why did David verbalize his sorrow and confession so specifically? What can we learn from his example?
    • Why do you think sin has become an unpopular and little-used word today?
  • Why is sin that involves another person chiefly a sin against God (Ps 51:4)? Does this make our sin against another person less serious?
  • If we are born as sinners (51:5), sin must be something more than doing wrong things. What else is it?
  • What does David infer to be the opposite of sin and guilt (51:6)? Can sin and truth coexist in the heart (your inner being)? Why or why not?
    • ♥ How would you answer the person who says, “I’ve never done anything as bad as what David did. Psalm 51 doesn’t really apply to me.”?
  • How does David ask to be restored (51:7-12)? What does David seems to most desire (51:1, 2, 7, 9)? How confident is David that God can do this for him (51:7)? Why do you think David places so much value on being clean, not just forgiven?
  • Where does God desire the work of cleansing to begin (51:6, 10)? What is the significance of this? [In Biblical terms, create means to “make something out of nothing” and in Scripture, only God creates (Gen 1:1). In light of these facts, what is the significance of David’s request (51:10)?]
  • What positive things did David expect God to bring out of his whole ordeal (51:13-15)? Is this a by-product of a forgiven life? [What experience have you had with forgiven sin that could help someone else?]
  • What are some ways that won’t work in dealing with guilt and sin (Ps 51:16)?
  • What characteristic is God looking for in us (Ps 51:17)? Why do you think this is important?
    • ♥ What do you consider a broken and contrite heart to be (51:17)? What is your experience with this condition? When are you likely to come to God with an “offering” for sin (51:16) instead of a broken and contrite heart? Why?
  • First David says that God does not delight in sacrifices (51:16) and then he says that sacrifices do delight God (51:19). What makes the difference?
  • Does forgiveness and cleansing mean we will not suffer the consequences of our sin?
  • What, specifically, does Psalm 51 have in common with 1 John 1:9? Why do you think we are sometimes hesitant to confess our sin, even when we know God will forgive and cleanse us?
    • ♥ How often do we need to make good on God’s offer in 1 John 1:9?
    • ♥ Have you ever struggled with a sense that your sin was so great that you could never be fully forgiven? What hope do you find in David’s prayer?
    • ♥ On what basis can you plead and claim God’s mercy and forgiveness for your sin?
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