Wash Me (Through the Psalms) Psalm 51

Welcome to through the song a weekend ministry of the truth. Pulpit overtime will study all 150 Psalms with pastor Don Greene from Cruz Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio were glad you're with us is over the Psalms that as we join our teacher in the truthful. There are many reasons to love the Bible. The 66 books of the Bible. There are many reasons to love God's word. One of the many reasons in my opinion, to love God's word is because it deals with reality, it tells us the way things really are, rather than flattering us in telling us that we are good people by nature. It deals with the reality of sin, and James, for example, says that we all stumble in many ways and so the Bible confronts us with our sin and and gives us a means to deal with it and yet it tells us that we stumble in in many many ways. In the passage that I read earlier from second Samuel 12 we saw God confronting David with the reality of his sin with Bathsheba and also with the murder of Uriah. Those are very flagrant sins that are easy to recognize.

Let me remind you as we come to Psalm 51 of Psalm 50 which we studied just two weeks ago to realize that there are multiple ways that the Lord addresses us and convicts us of sin. In Psalm 50.

The Lord called his people to repent of their insincere worship.

He convicted them of external formality. Just going through the motions when they came to be before him, and to present their sacrifices.

He convicted them of life hypocrisy. In one sense gave a head fake to Scripture. They were actually rejecting God's instruction and living life in a very simple way and so Psalm 50 ends on a rather pouring in a very strong call to repentance without AA complete resolution of the issue that it raises well it's very interesting that as you just read consecutively through the Psalter to find Psalm 51 right at as the next tax that a Jew would read as he goes through the Psalter. After seeing the call to repentance. Look at Psalm 50 verse 22.

Just to remind you of this. I don't think that commentators have given quite enough attention to the connection between Psalm 50 and Psalm 51 there's a few that do but Psalm 50 ends on a strong call to repentance. And in verse 22. The Scripture says now consider this.

You who forget God or I will tear you in pieces and there will be none to deliver. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me and to him who orders his way aright, I shall show the salvation of God there.

There's a crossroads there's a fork in the road that says choose which way you were going to go at the end of Psalm 50 and then as you turn to Psalm 51 you have this very familiar Psalm of confession and of repentance and so Psalm 51. In a sense serves in the broader context of the Psalter as an illustration of what true repentance looks like. In other words, if you read Psalm 50 and you were convicted by what it said and said, now what do I do Psalm 51 would answer that spiritual question for you, and say you need to move forward in this manner as is illustrated for you here and so that's kind of the broader context of Psalm 51 that adds to our understanding as we see have already seen the historical context that gave rise to this song from the life of David and so let's read Psalm 51 there's a lot of Scripture reading going on tonight.

I think that's a good thing. I hope you agree. Psalm 51. Let's read the whole tax and go through it and then will come back in expound it for all too brief of the time. Psalm 51. The inscription says that it is a Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone into Bathsheba verse one now we see having seen that David said in second Samuel 12 I have sinned against the Lord. Psalm 51 flashes that outing gives us a sense of what went on in David's heart.

After that confrontation.

Verse one says be gracious to me.

Oh God, according to your lovingkindness. According to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly for my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me against you.

You only I have sinned, and done what is evil in your sight so that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me, behold, you desire truth in the innermost being and in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom purify me with his sub and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which you have broken. Rejoice hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities created in me a clean heart of God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit, then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will be converted to you.

Deliver me from blood guilt enough so God the God of my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully sing of your righteousness, O Lord, open my lips that my mouth may declare your praise for you do not delight in sacrifice. Otherwise, I would give it you are not pleased with burnt offering the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit of broken and a contrite heart.

Oh God, you will not despise by your favor to good design in build the walls of Jerusalem then you will delight in righteous sacrifices and burnt offering and whole burnt offering then young bulls will be offered on your altar. The wonder of Psalm 51 is this is that in the. The magnitude of the sin that David committed, he nevertheless still found grace in his sin he found forgiveness. He found God ready to grant him mercy when he approached him in a spirit of repentance.

The wonderful thing for all of you here this evening and those of you watching over the lifestream is that if you come here tonight was sin bearing down on your conscience, the guilt and the weight of unconfessed sin and you feel the weight of that on your heart. The promise of Scripture is is that you can find grace to that as we come to God with a broken and contrite heart that he receives us in mercy. He doesn't scold us. He doesn't rebuke us when we come he's ready to show his loyal love once more ready to show his grace and mercy of on you. I don't know about you but that sounds pretty good to me this evening to be able to come to God with a sense that that he is willing to receive sinners in a favorable sense when they come to them in the spirit outlined in in this song. What we have here in Psalm 51 is perhaps arguably the greatest and the most detailed roadmap that a spirit of confession should take. And as we said this past Sunday as we were talking about Matthew chapter 5 verse four. We realize that the biblical picture of confession is not simply acknowledging the sin that you've committed, though that's true enough, and that's the central element of true confession of agreeing with God over the sin that you've committed yes that is central to it. But what we see here in Psalm 51 what we talked about Sunday from Matthew chapter 54 is the true confession moves beyond that as well and it turns and puts its trust in the saving in the sanctifying in the forgiving mercy of God, and it is only when a a a sinner has come to not only confess and express sorrow over his sin, but to humbly turn his trust over to the mercy of God that biblical confession has actually taken place and so no one should flatter themselves in thinking that they are deeply sorrowful over there sin if that sorrow doesn't motivate them and turn them to Christ as well. It's not enough simply to to bewail how bad a person you are.

There are lots of false religions that would slash themselves in. Do different things and suppose it means of penitence, but never actually trust Christ. What you want to do as a Christian, what you need to do is a sinner is is to recognize your sin in such a way that it moves you beyond that to put your trust in Christ and in the shed blood that is offered for the forgiveness of sin. And so that's kind of what we see.

We want to see that the full Lord confession that brings somebody not only from stating that he is sin, but resting in the remedy that God is provided for sinners.

And that's what were going to see as we go through four basic points here this evening to take us through Psalm 51, and what selects let's dive into the song which is a wonderful hope and wonderful comfort for us here this evening. You know I can't tell you what's going to happen with the election and in one sense, I really don't care about the election and I'm never going to try to tell you how to vote or do any of that stuff you can deal with that political stuff as you wish and according to the dictates of your own conscience. We have something far more important to talk about here tonight, I have something far more strategic to share with you here this evening and that is how you can have the stain of sin cleansed from your soul and that's what we have the privilege of looking at here this evening and so what does David do we see first of all that he offers a prayer of confession. He offers a prayer of confession and were going to see this in the first nine verses of Psalm 51. First of all you see him making an a confession of his actual acts of sin, a CTS not a XC that would be something really different confession of his actual acts of sin and as we start, I want you to see those of you that, especially that of been with us on Sundays. I want you to see the marvelous way that Scripture integrates with itself and how the Old Testament testimony about the spiritual realities is in perfect conformity with what we have seen Jesus teaching us at the beginning of the sermon on the Mount in Matthew five, six and seven we have said in the sermon on the mount that Jesus is establishing the principle that the kingdom of God operates on a principle of grace, not merit, that's what we see David resting in his he opens his his prayer. Here in Psalm 51 in the very first in the very first verse. Look at it with me.

He says be gracious to me.

Oh God, according to your lovingkindness.

According to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly for my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me notice what he's doing right from the very beginning.

Notice that the ground upon which he approaches God after his mammoth year of sin is. He approaches God solely on the principle of grace, he appeals to God's compassion.

He compared he appeals to God's loyal love for his people and he says God I appeal to who you are. I appeal to your attributes of mercy and kindness and the pity that you have on sinners as the sole basis upon which I ask you to hear my prayer.

There is no other grounds upon which God can be approached you all individually and collectively. You all have sinned in too many ways you have you have stumbled into many ways you broken God's law, you have not loved him as you should, you have not obeyed him and his positive command you've not done the things that he said you should do. You've done things and thought things and said things that he says, you ought not to have done. Your righteousness is like a window that is had a rock thrown through it is shattered and there's nothing that can be done to put it back together and so that means that the only principle upon which we could approach God would be if he would have undeserved favor and kindness toward us. That is essential for us to understand and we ever live under that principle of grace.

We rely on it and we never shift over into a sense of pride and self-righteousness were always resting in the compassion and the loyal love of God is our only hope of approaching him is what David says here and as he has. He bases his appeal on the compassion and the greatness of the lovingkindness of God is he is acknowledging from the very start that there is no justification for his sin.

There is no excuse for him and so he appeals to divine love and undeserved favor for God to receive him be like a child who's been naughty and goes to his parent, he has to appeal to the parents love for reconciled relationship because his disobedience has placed him in a position of needing discipline while David is approaching God in a much in a much greater sense than that appealing to the character of God alone is the basis upon which God would receive him now that's that's where confession starts. In other words, as you are confessing sin even as a believer you are mindful that the reason that I can come to God like this is not because he owes me anything, but it's because who he is and that remembering that principle that attribute of compassion in the character of God gives you a sense of confidence that he will receive you even though you don't deserve that and so confession starts as everything else does in the Christian life somehow centered on the character of God. That's where David begins now as you move on. You see that there are three phrases that kind of frame David's request for forgiveness. Look at the end of verse one with me and you'll see that he uses three words to signify forgiveness and three words to signify sin and what were about to see.

He says at the end of verse one blot out my transgressions verse to wash me thoroughly for my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin, so he says blotted out wash me and cleanse me and so just to kinda take a quick look at those when David says blot out my transgressions.

He's speaking in a way that that is a picture of asking God to remove the charges that are on the book against him. God, I realize that there are charges against me, that are written in the book, as it were.

There are debits on my side of the ledger God. I'm asking you to erase those. I'm asking you to take those off the books so that they would not be held against me in your divine court violated the lines of divine authority I have sinned against your word, I've sinned against your character. I sinned against the privilege of being king to your people. Oh God, what can I say except to ask you to remove that which by justice, you could hold against me. He says wash me from my iniquity. He's using a different word picture here now that kind of pictures a a a a laundry mud who is using soap and vigorous vigorous rubbing in order to cleanse a garment to soap and rents a soiled garment to get it clean. David says, Lord, I am that soiled garment I'm dirty inside I'm not clean before you, there is guilt attached to my soul and the Lord my soul is is perverse.

It is out of alignment and God I need inner cleansing. You know what that's like, don't you know what it's like to have a guilty conscience when you know that you sinned against God, and there's no denying it. If you're Christian you know something about that anyway you come you just have that sense of of of your energy being dissipated in and the weight of a black cloud hanging on you and say not only by not done right. I've not made this right with the Lord, and you feel the weight of that in your heart will David felt that he says that the divine work that he needs is like a a cleansing of a garment so that the stain that's on his soul would be removed. God, I have a debt against you. Please blotted out God I'm dirty before you please cleanse me see the different word pictures. These using in this kinda goes to what I was saying on Sunday.

Also, for those of you that were with us on Sunday. I apologize for the multiplied references to my Sunday message. But it's available out there on the table if you want to pick it up is to realize you know we set on Sunday and am just so grateful for all of you that come so faithfully Sunday and Tuesday because when we talk like this and when these messages start to build on one another.

We can really make some spiritual progress together. We really have an opportunity when God's word is reinforcing itself from different perspectives, even from both of the testaments to be able to see things like this together. What we said on Sunday was talking about the sincerity of our confession. We Jesus said blessed are those who mourn, and we asked the question. You know when was the last time that you confessed any sin and and how long did it take you to do. It wasn't five seconds was maybe 15 or 30 and you start to realize the superficial way that we have been conditioned to deal with sin that we think it's a fairly light matter is shown by the way that we pray about it when we do sin. Lord, please forgive me and Alex move on to what I have to ask you for here today. Well, this is not the picture that David gives to us is David.

David David dwells on what he wants God to do God blotted out God cleanse me and he goes on there in verse two it.

He says God wash me thoroughly for my iniquity and there at the end of verse to look at it with me says cleanse me from my sin, he saying God I need purity to approach you for worship. I have fallen short of your holiness and so taken together these three requests are saying God I need you to drop the charges. The rightly against me blot them out God. My soul is dirty, wash it please and cleanse it, that I would be rid of the stain on my soul make me fit for worship once again and on pointing out by comparing this with what we talked about on Sunday is the fact that this wasn't something that David rushed through in his prayer that David David stopped and took the condition of his soul seriously. He realized that his life of sin over the prior year was a great violation of the holiness of God and that because of God's great holiness because of God's great compassion is great authority. His great love his mercy on his people to sin against that was a was an inexcusable act of treason in such a way that it should be dealt with superficially and so these multiplied references emphasize the totality of restoration that he was seeking God. There's just so many different ways to express it. I lay it all before you and ask you to have mercy on me because I am defiled and I need to be cleansed so and how much did David see how what was David's perspective on his sin. It's stunning when you realize and remember the historical context of it. Here he's here. He is committed adultery with the woman and used his kingly authority to bring her into his bedroom, as it were, and then he used his authority to have him. Her husband assassinated when he didn't go along with David's attempt in the cover-up. This is really serious people's lives were greatly affected by what had happened and yet, what's David's perspective is he's confessing his sin. Look at verse four. In this prayer of confession as it goes on.

David says against you. You only I have sinned, and done what is evil in your sight. David is so theocentric he is.

So God centered in his confession, his his attention in his mind is so exclusively devoted to the God to whom he is praying that it's like there's no one else in the room that in comparison to the vertical violation of the holiness of God that nothing else matters. By comparison, it's not that he's denying that there were human consequences. It's not denying that there were human effects, but by comparison the sin against God was so far greater that that's the exclusive focus of his prayer. That's how much the holiness of God mattered to. That's how much he yearned for reconciliation with God, the God when I think about this in your presence. Nothing else matters.

By comparison, this is just about you and me blood has your heart ever yearned, after God like that. Do you love God like that, that when it comes time to confess sin that that that you're just so caught up with the spiritual realities as they are vertically with toward God that that really nothing else matters.

It's not about your reputation. It's not about the consequences to you or to others. God I need to deal with you before I deal with anyone else. That's the spirit of true confession that David teaches us here and so any consequences that God would bring upon him would be righteous and just look at what David says there in verse four.

Notice the complete self abandonment of of what David does here. He doesn't plead against the consequences that Nathan warned him would come in the passage we read in second Samuel 12, David simply says II have sinned in such a way that you are justified when you speak and blameless when you judge God, whatever you would do with me the way I have sinned against you would be right you would be justified if there were any one that can take you to account God and there's not. But even if there were God, you would be justified vindicated, declared righteous in any way that you would deal with me.

I prostrate myself before you. I bow low before you incomplete and utter submission and humility. I accept whatever you have for me. As a result, the sets the bar pretty high for us doesn't you see the you see the kind of spiritual morning that we spoke about on Sunday being fleshed out and what David says here in Psalm 51 and I just I just ask you and encourage you and invite you to this kind of perspective with with your God. God I'm not asking you to spare me any consequences for my sin. I just place myself entirely in your hands. According to your mercy, cleanse me and whatever comes from that father I accept what else could I do God I forfeited all my rights of claims on you soon. David is thoroughly resigned before God and yet you know what he goes further, the depth of this confession is is quite remarkable. If it leads us.

It leads us into realms of theology realms of spiritual thought of of biblical realities that we all need to take to heart and that hopefully in our systematic theology courses on Saturdays for Saturdays of every month will be able to dig into more closely in days to come. But I want you to see here this evening is the personal way. The personal examination. The David makes of his own soul. You see we all and I'm guilty of this as well. No intend to stop at confessing the acts that come to our mind. You know you lose your temper or you know you done something and you confess that act in you.

You confess sad and you stop there. Okay, it's good to confess in that way. What I want you to see is that David goes further. He's thinking more deeply about his sin. The question when you sin is always this.

It's it always transcends the individual actor word or thought that that that your confessing. There is another realm to go to when you are confessing sin. Another way that you need to think about it that goes deeper than what we usually do. You see, do you know why you sin. Do you know why that happens is because you have a sinful nature, you have a disposition that is prone toward sin. If you are not a Christian. That is the dominating principle of your entire life, you are disposed toward sin in the acts of sin, simpler flowing out of your unregenerate heart. Yet even as a Christian, there is still a remnant of sin. There is a principle of sin. The apostle Paul could say I find that there is a principle of evil that is within me.

Romans chapter 7, one who wishes to do good good that I want. I don't do the bad that I don't want. I do what's wrong with me. Paul goes deeper and says there's a principle of evil. It's in my heart. Well, what David is doing as we progress through the songs he's going to that and he's confessing the the twisted nature, but that the the distorted disposition that he has. Look at verses five and six and see where he goes with this he goes deeply to his inner man. He's not content to simply leave it at a superficial level. So David not only confesses his acts of sin. He confesses the fact that he has a sinful nature.

Look at verse five behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me, behold, you desire truth in the innermost being and in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. What's he saying here he says he says Lord. The reason that I sin like this is that sin has been attached to my nature. From the moment of my conception. My mother transmitted sin to me.

There was us there was a sinful seed in me at the moment of my conception and what the sins that I've committed now can be traced all the way back to that deep root. Oh God, he's not saying that his mother committed immorality when she conceived him rather he saying I have been a sinner from the start.

Lord, that's the problem I'm I'm not twisted inside. I've never been righteous never been right. I have always been prone to evil.

In the words of the hymn that we sung at the beginning of the evening. Lord, I'm prone to wander, I feel it. That's what David is expressing here he saying the problem God is this, this is the this is the problem that we all have to deal with. The reason that you sin is that you have a heart your inner man is inclined in that direction. That was the root of the problem and as a Christian, it's that which we have to put to death. We have to mortify that inclination to sin again and again and again as part of the sanctification process that we fight a battle against that that we rely on the spirit and that we make effort against sin, rather than letting that disposition lead us away from the God that saved us. The point here for this evening is is a David made the connection that this sin that I've committed occurred in a spiritual context of the twisted nature that is within me and got I confess that before you and so my friends my brothers and sisters in Christ, if you want to seriously want to grow spiritually. You truly desire.

After the holiness of God. You truly want to put sin to death. You have to come to grips with that reality that there is evil there is a principle of sin still within you that you must put to death your inner man is not has not been made perfect you been regenerated. God is given you a new nature, you been born again. Yes yes yes but it's not a principle of perfection that still waits for when you will be in heaven. In the meantime, your worst enemy is found within your own heart and you know that by experience.

If you thought about it at all.

That nature that disposition. That principle of evil is why you sin.

And so David takes it a step further and says God I need I need your help because this is stated differently different metaphor.

This is deeply rooted in me. This came from deep inside me. Oh God, it wasn't just a passing mistake. And so David says, and he emphasizes this as he says there in verse six you can see how he goes to his innermost being. Verse six God, you desire truth in the innermost being in the hidden part you will make me know wisdom. What's he saying, except that that I have lacked that inside me and so God I need your help to deal with that inner problem that I am facing with verses seven and eight with me again. God, purify me with hyssop were going to talk about this for a little bit and I shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow make me to hear joy and gladness.

Let the bones which you have broken.

Rejoice the course is literal. Bones were literally broken, but the weight that he was feeling in his state of unconfessed sin was pressing upon him in a heavy weight upon him. What's he saying when he says purify me with hyssop you know, I'm pretty sure that none of us apart from Psalm 51, it would never occur to any of us to pray those exact words. I know it's never occurred to me God.

You know what I really need you to do is purify me with this. What's up what's that mean it must admit something to David well Scripture helps us here in a way that is going to lead us straight to the cross is where this is going hyssop was a kind of plant it was a multi-stemmed plant that had what they describe as Harry leaves it had an absorbent quality toward it that made it function a little bit.

This is a weak analogy, but a little bit like a paintbrush. You might say, you know there's an absorbency and a good paintbrush and you can dip it in and then you can flip it in there.

It's things will splatter out as you do that will hyssop was a plant that was like that it would be tied in branches and used like a rush. Stay with me here with where this is going. Do you know that in Exodus chapter 12 before the Exodus you know how the Israelites were supposed to apply blood to the doorpost so that the angel of death would pass over their home.

How did they apply that blood with hyssop. Exodus 1222. Did you know that when it came time to do a ceremonial cleansing of lepers. There would be blood of birds that they would use to ceremonially apply blood to them. You know how they applied it with hyssop. Leviticus 14 verse six hyssop was connected to blood sacrifice. And if you look over at the book of Hebrews chapter 9 were going to let the New Testament help us understand the Old Testament Hebrews chapter 9 verse 19 always this good always this helpful to understand what David is saying Hebrews chapter 9 gives us a perspective on the way that the whole law of Moses should be viewed that which would have been informing what David was saying when he wrote Psalm 51 Hebrews chapter 9 verse 19 and inspired commentary on this matter says that when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the law. He took the blood of the calves and the goats, and water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people saying this is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you. And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood and according to the law, one may almost say all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness what's telling you what's it saying to us here this evening. It's interpreting the law of Moses and saying cleansing happens by bloodshed and innocent victim sheds blood and that is the basis upon which cleansing can come and this is the principle that that animates the law of Moses.

According to the New Testament expansion and understanding that it gives to us.

This is what was in David's mind when he said these things, hyssop was clearly related to blood sacrifice. So when he says purify me with hyssop, remembering what Hebrews chapter 9 says that all things are cleansed with blood. David is saying God cleansed my so how's that soul going to be cleansed going to be cleansed with bloodshed, clearly referring to blood sacrifice James Montgomery Boyce says this and I quote said when David asked that God cleanse him with hyssop he met cleanse me by the blood. Forgive me and regard me as cleansed on the basis of the innocent victim that has died. What David found in the Old Testament, and assemble, beloved, you and I find in our Lord Jesus Christ.

First John chapter 1 verse seven says the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. And if we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

It's about blood being shed David recognizing that God had established a pattern of blood sacrifices that that now we know were pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross. David is saying God I need blood applied to my soul when it comes to you dealing with your sin. Beloved, we are saying the exact same thing that we said on Sunday, two days ago that when you are morning and confessing sin, the true morning over sin is that which leads you to trust in Christ and in his shed blood on your behalf so that the, the conviction of guilt, the conviction of sin that comes upon you. You confess that. And there comes a point where you prohibit, as it were, your focus changes I've laid this out honestly to the Lord. And now, oh God. The blood that was shed for me is what I appeal to for the cleansing.

I know that it is sufficient. I trust in your word when it says it cleanses me from sin and that beloved is the answer to your accusing conscience that is the only place where sinners find true relief is in the shed blood and David go back to Psalm 51 now, you probably were wise enough to keep your finger in that part of the Bible. I was not in so I am turning to Psalm 51 as I speak. Here we go. And so David knew that with an acceptable blood sacrifice. He could be made clean the God on the basis of shed blood could wash him and he would be whiter than snow that picture surety that picture of cleansing that picture of no stain, no blemish, and David wraps it up as it were, saying make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones you broken, rejoice, O God, he kinda wraps it up and uses the same verb city was using earlier. That's how we know to tie the section together hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities, not just the ones with Bathsheba and Uriah.

Oh God, wash them all away. Take it all away cleanse me so that my soul is right again and again you hear the echo of this in the verse that I quoted earlier from first John 19 when we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Do you realize the magnitude that you have in Christ, you realize the wonder of salvation that God forgives not only the sins that you confess he wipes them all away. What a wonderful place to be under the blood of Christ. Wonderful Savior to have what a place for you to rest this evening.

Despite all of the wrong things that you have done the ways that you've twisted life defined that in Christ there is a complete utter full forgiveness that answers the holiness of God and that there is, as Paul said in Romans eight verse one there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

I realize were not a and a Manning church and that's fine. I kinda prefer it that way but there should be one big hallelujah rising up in your heart right now.

Oh Jesus, thank you. The greatness of what you have done in the greatness of your blood as it were splashed on me to cover me to cleanse me. Oh Christ, I think you from the bottom of my heart because beloved right here right now.

That's the rest for your soul. Now David as he moves on in this Psalm moves on in the second part second section 2nd point.

For if you're taking notes tonight with a prayer for restoration. He's made a prayer of confession.

He's dealt with sin thoroughly and now he moves forward and asks for restoration, since David's nature had produced the sin he needs a work within to keep him from returning to sin.

Look at verse 10 with me. Notice the inward focus of it and that's just what I really have you have you take to heart those of you the desire to be a a sincere and noble Christian to see that the depth of which at which David deals with that.

This is not superficial.

This is not external. This is all about the inner man and I know that some of you young people are well on a path toward developing holy desires. Well, here you go. Here's how you extend those and develop those in verse 10 David says create in me a clean heart of God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Many commentators have noted that when David says create in me a clean heart. It's the same Hebrew verb that is used in Genesis 1 to speak about God's creation of the heavens and the earth is asking God to to use his creative power to instill in him something that is not there to make something from outside take root on the inside. David is asking God. God inclined by your power to incline my nature toward obedience, overcome this thing that is within me by your greater power to secure me in the desire for righteousness in two weeks give or take will be will be looking at Matthew chapter 5 verse six. I can't tell you how grateful and happy I am to be in the sermon on the Mount. I've been waiting five years for this in Matthew chapter 5 verse six Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. What's David saying here he saying God I'm hungry for righteousness.

There's a spiritual yearning within me that I would live righteously that I would follow after you and stop the sin in this disobedience. I don't want to go back in the slop of the pigpen of my own sin.

God I want to be different. God I want to I want to live righteously. I want to please you instead of what I've been doing over the past year. What's he doing something God I I hunger and thirst for righteousness, thousand years later, David could've been sitting at the feet of Christ, his own son his own descendent and said yes I understand exactly what you're talking about. That's what I was expressing in Psalm 51 he is desiring after steadfast loyalty toward God. The joy of his salvation. A willing spirit that is willing and compliant and submissive to God. That's what he wants is that what you want, isn't that what you want.

Maybe I should strike and stated more positively than that. I know this is true of most of you in this room.

That's what you want what you have here in Psalm 51 is David's invitation to to pray to God. God strengthen that an establishment still more in my life. Why, because I hunger and thirst for righteousness God whatever's happening in this world around me. Whatever else happens. Whatever else comes upon me in my own personal life. Oh God, just help me live righteously help me live in the life help me live a life that is worthy of the Christ who died and saved me help me help me live in a manner that is worthy of the God who elected me before the foundation of the world. Oh God, help me live in a manner that is worthy of the spirit that it that indwells me.I want that God help me. Oh God, it's the it's the deeper earnest longing of the redeemed heart now just a word about verse 11, which will treat all to briefly David says.

Don't cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

Notice first of all, that obviously the spirit is still somehow with him because otherwise God couldn't take it.

If he was already gone.

But what David is alluding to here is not the spirit in the way I believe not in the way that you and I have the spirit in the in the New Testament sense of the permanent indwelling of the spirit in the Old Testament God somehow gave his spirit and had his spirit. Anoint his servants in a way that enabled them to do the tasks that he would have them carry out within David's lifetime would have seen King Saul lose this that anointing of the Spirit of God for his disobedience.

First Samuel 16 verse 14 what David is saying.

It would seem, saying God don't take away that anointing of the spirit that enables me to serve you as your King simply because I've rebelled against you. David still belongs to God.

Here he is still redeemed and he's not asking for his salvation to be restored, contrary to an Arminian view that says you can lose your salvation. That's not true. David is asking God to restore the joy of his salvation, God, it's this past year has been hard on me as I have lived in unconfessed sin and felt the weight of conviction that comes from that as I tried to hide it and cover it up.

God deliver me from that place of of of misery and bring me back to the place of joy the belongs to those who walk with you restore my joy and how confident was David the God would answer the recall his request completely confident in beloved. This is this is what you have to understand that your confession of sin and your hope of God's forgiveness and restoration is not based on your conduct.

It has nothing to do with whether you deserve this or not. And so it is an utter futility. It is an utter waste of your time to try to fix your life and to and to start being better and to start acting more obediently and then maybe God wants, he sees that sees you through a period of probation, then maybe God will restore that joy to you. That's not let me free you from the confused chains that bind you.

When you think that way that could never be in your imperfect obedience could never bring you the perfect joy of Christ, and it would be foolish of God to grant it to you on that basis remember the whole premise of David's prayer is found in verse one. Be gracious to me. Oh God, according to your lovingkindness. According to the greatness of your compassion blot out my transgressions. This sincere confession has the assurance of God's immediate blessing.

Why because it is based on the immutable compassion and loyal love that God has to his people and so when we come unconfessed sin in an honest way. We are met immediately and without hesitation by gracious God wipes it away who cleanses us and restores us to the fullness of fellowship with you say but but that's that's incredible but that's you know we don't have to do something to deserve that to which I would say don't you understand what we've been saying for weeks that the kingdom of God operates on a principle of grace not on merit. Say it again and again. I think at some point it's going to sink in and take root in all of our hearts and thinking. This operates on the principle of God's compassion, not your deserving. That's why those of you who struggle with doubt assurance. Those of you who always are wondering, have I done enough cannot. Isn't there more that I should be doing, abandon yourself righteousness abandon your effort to deserve it because you never can never can turn instead to the richness of the promises of God that are in his word. This is laid out here in Psalm 51 so that all of us would enter into the glorious grace of David knew that he could avail himself of this is your spiritual freedom that is being presented to you tonight from Psalm 51 and David anticipates God to grant his request. He knows that God is going to restore the joy of his salvation so he says God, here's what I'm gonna do with it. Verse 13 he said restore to me the joy of your salvation. Verse 12 sustain me with a willing spirit, then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will be converted to you. God wants you deal with me like I know you're going to deal with me because I'm appealing to your compassion, not my merit. Once you deal with me and cleanse me like this. I am going to pivot away from my self preoccupation confession here and give myself over to teaching other sinners.

Your ways so that they also could be restored to you, he commits himself to future service. He says once this restoration takes place I'm moving forward God to serve you in an instructor very capacity and instructive capacity so that other sinners will know the benefit of what you're giving to me here.

Those young people of you that your in Christ now you come to Christ at an early age. Praise God for that wouldn't be a wonderful life occupation for you to give yourself to that if God has forgiven you, that you would give over those future years of your life to teaching sinners about the grace of God becoming a man of God to teach others the Scriptures so that others could hear the things that you benefit from when to be wonderful for us as adults to speak more freely more boldly more clearly in our sphere of rep relationships to speak more clearly to tell other sinners about what we've heard about what God has done for us would not be a wonderful way for us to be. Tell others about Christ and not just casted off on that next coming generation.

Although I think God should raise up some men of God from the young people in this room. I do believe that, but for us to give ourselves over to that wonderful task Christ saves sinners, Christ has mercy on those who don't deserve the kingdom of God is a kingdom of grace but still people that will David goes further still. Point number three when expresses a prayer of appreciation, David now turns the corner to gratitude. Verses 14 and 15. He says deliver me from blood guilt Tina.

So God, the God of my salvation. I think what he saying here is, is God.

I realize I deserve the death penalty I've murdered and committed adultery under those are capital offenses against your law. Deliver me from that.

And then my tongue will joyfully sing of your righteousness, old Lord, open my lips that my mouth may declare your praise and so what David is done here is he says he says open my mouth.

He has gone from the, the, the silence of shame in his state of unconfessed sin. This silence of shame. You know what it's like you know how your mouth shrivels up in speaking about the things of God when you know you're caring about unconfessed sin. You know exactly what that's like David says, open my lips, father, let let this restoration result in me moving away from the silence of shame to shouts of praise to sing joyfully of your grace to sing joyfully of your righteousness.

God I want to praise you for what I know that you're doing now is your cleansing my heart and in verses 16 and 17. He teaches the positive side of the negative lessons of Psalm 50 was teaching remember what we said about Psalm 50 formality going through the motions hypocritical life and how it called forth a sacrifice of thanksgiving in verse 23 of Psalm 50 God says you need to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving will here's David showing what that looks like in verse 16 he says, for you do not delight in sacrifice. Otherwise, I would give it you are not pleased with burnt offering the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit of broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, you will not despise with what he saying here is, he's not casting aside the whole sacrificial system. At this point in redemptive history that God had established through Moses what he saying is, is it that sacrificial system presupposes watch this, a chastened and trusting heart he said.I understand you can't just go through the motions. I can't just slit the throat of a bull and think that that's acceptable to you. If it's not being presented from a heart that is loyal to you. You know what that's like to do you want gifts from somebody that you know is a disloyal person is the gift almost becomes an insult. If a traitorous friend offers you a gift without a reconciliation in the relationship. The gift becomes an insult. This isn't since there say maybe you don't yell quite like that. That's the cry of your heart. This is insincere.

This is an insult because our relationship is not right. Well what David is saying God I understand God what you want is sincere loyalty and that's what I offer to you God broken and a contrite heart is what I present to you. God receives sinners who come to him. God is merciful to those who feel guilt and confess it to him.

Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. What a wonderful God. God is what a magnificent benevolence runs throughout his holy undivided character to be kind like that to people who have sinned against him well. We need to wrap this up. Point number four we seen David praying confession versus one through nine, we seen him pray for restoration versus 10 through 13 we seen him pray a prayer of appreciation. I'm not sure I got that third point out a few taking notes. A prayer of appreciation there in verses 14 through 17, and now he closes with a prayer of intercession. Point number four. Prayer of intercession as King David sin affected the nation, not just himself personally and so he turns to pray for God's blessing on the nation.

He turns his focus outward verses 18 and 19 by your favor, do good to Zion build the walls of Jerusalem then you will delight in righteous sacrifices in burnt offering and whole burnt offering then young bulls will be offered on your altar see what he does eat, he prays for the people of God been affected by sin. Oh God, build them up and protect them because my sin. Compromise our national safety. So be merciful in that way and then in verse 19. You see that then Lord wants this is this inner spiritual restoration is taken place. Then we can present the sacrifices that your law calls for knowing that you'll be pleased with them under that condition is always praying that others that God's blessing would spill over to others and isn't that what you do also. As you're walking with God. Aren't you praying to God asking him to spill the blessing over to others as well.

Restoration leads to gratitude leads to intercession because you want others to join in the mercy of trap it up like this. You come here tonight as you think about your relationship with Christ. Maybe still in sin, unregenerate unsaved or you're a Christian, that simply lost her pass this on invite you to come to Christ, the one who receives sinners with the assurance with the promise of the word of God. Here's what you need to hear with the promise of God's word that he will gladly receive you that he will receive you. Well that he will not turn you away. You can go to Christ knowing that he's gladly receiving you as you come because he delights in forgiving centers. The apostle Paul said. First Timothy one verse 15 it's a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners, among whom I am for most you know what friends God forgave David of adultery and murder God forgave Paul persecuting the church and of being a religious hypocrite in his own right. In some ways God forgave David of such great sin on the testimony of the Holy Spirit. He forgave Paul, who was the greatest of sinners. You know what that means for you. If God forgave great sinners like that go to him and be reconciled to through the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is pray together.

Father, we thank you for your great mercy your great compassion in your great loyal love. I pray father that if there are some here tonight to feel the weight of unforgiven sin that you would work in their hearts and and lead them to Christ. Father why would they turn away. I can't understand why they would turn away from yet again another gracious offer that you make of your son for their salvation. Help them to make tonight the night that they truly turn father for those of us that are in Christ. Maybe we've manifested our anger.

Maybe we've pursued less that we knew were wrong.

Maybe we've just been cold and indifferent to your word. Maybe we've lied, maybe was cheated. Maybe we've been disobedient to our parents in ways that bring shame upon her name.

Whatever the course of sin. Father, the answer is the same.

The blood of Jesus your son cleanses us from all sin. We humbly confess arson before you tonight Lord we thank you for the assurance that you cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we do so we walk out of here, father not weighed down by sin.

But buoyed up by the wonder of your grace yet again, thank you for your mercy, which knows no in thank you for your faithfulness which is new every morning great is your faith greatest your greatest of one belonging to you through our victorious Lord Jesus. His one matchless perfect impeccable payment will friend thank you for joining us on through the Psalms. If you would like to follow my weekly messages from truth community church go to truth Community Church.org and look for the link titled pulpit podcast again. That's truth Community Church.org God bless you.

Thanks, Don and Fred. Be sure to join us each weekend as we continue through the Psalms, with Pastor Don Greene, you could find church information God's complete sermon, library and other helpful materials at the truth.

Pulpit.com this message is copyrighted by John Green. All rights reserved