Contrite Confession of Sin

Another awesome sermon by my pastor!

Psalm 51
1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against 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. 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. 16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Introduction:

King David wrote this psalm after Nathan the prophet came to rebuke him for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Even though a year has passed since David first saw Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed, he has not confessed his sin to God and repented. After Nathan’s rebuke, David realizes he has sinned against God and writes Psalm 51 in response.

This Psalm is a biblical model for confession and repentance of sin in the life of a genuine believer.

When we have not confessed sin in our lives it gnaws away at us. But when we confess to God and ask for His forgiveness, He takes that guilt away. David wrote about this in Psalm 32:3-5.

The sins we commit as Christians do not jeopardize our salvation or reduce God’s love for us as His children. We can not lose our salvation or ever be separated from the unconditional love of Christ. However, living in unrepentant sin as a Christian does hinder our testimony, fruitfulness, and the experience of our joyful fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

“The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and Grace.” ~ The Bible Knowledge Commentary

I. The Plea for Forgiveness (v. 1-2, 7, 9, 14)

In these five verses, David pleads with God to be gracious to him, to wash and purify him, to turn His face from his sin, to blot out his sin, and to deliver him. We, like David, serve a holy God and we need to plead with God for forgiveness as well.

II. The Admission of Guilt (v. 3-4)

Here, David confesses that he has sinned in his actions and that ultimately they are against God. Our sin is the same.

III. The Depth of Sin (v. 5-6)

Verses 5-6 contain David’s confession that his heart is naturally sinful from birth. While this is true for all of us as humans, it is not an excuse for our actions. We are still held accountable before God for what we do, say, and think. David is not excusing what he did, but he is stating that he realizes we are sinful by nature before we are sinful in action.

IV. The Only Acceptable Sacrifice (v. 16-17)

Both David and we can do nothing to wipe away our sin. God has to do it for us. He is willing, but we must first come to Him with a broken and contrite heart.

V. The Desire for Personal Holiness (v. 10-12)

David asks God to not cast him away, to make his heart clean, and to restore their relationship. As Christians, we are on the other side of the cross and our hearts are made clean when we receive God’s gift of salvation. God will never cast us away or remove His Spirit from us. When Christ washed His Disciple’s feet in John 13:5-11, He explained that those who have been saved (or bathed) are clean and they only need their feet washed sometimes.

VI. The Fruit of Forgiveness (v. 8, 12-15, 18-19)

There were four fruits of God’s forgiveness in David’s life:
- A testimony to others of God’s grace and mercy
- A heart of praise
- Joy in his heart at being forgiven
- Blessing on the people under his authority
These same fruits are true in our lives as well.

Conclusion:
Psalm 51 is an example of a contrite confession of sin. The attitude David had while writing it is the same that should be in our hearts.




Contrite Confession of Sin sermon by Pastor Steve Balvanz, February 22, 2009