WEBVTT 00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:11.960 I thought it would be appropriate to take a little 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:14.160 break this summer and still commit ourselves 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.699 to exposition and consecutive exposition, but 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:22.000 something a little bit more personal. And that's 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.879 what we find in Psalm 51. Today we're going to 00:00:25.879 --> 00:00:29.120 start and we're going to look through certain 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:32.179 periods and certain events in David's life that 00:00:32.179 --> 00:00:38.179 lead up to his penning of Psalm 51. the events 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:41.780 which lead to it. And that will help us see the 00:00:41.780 --> 00:00:46.420 relevance of that psalm for us today. So in 2 00:00:46.420 --> 00:00:52.920 Samuel chapter 11, we're going to read verses 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:57.420 1 through 4 to start. Then it happened in the 00:00:57.420 --> 00:01:02.060 spring at the time when kings go out to battle, 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:06.379 that David sent Joab and his servants with him. 00:01:06.890 --> 00:01:10.209 and all Israel. And they destroyed the sons of 00:01:10.209 --> 00:01:15.609 Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at 00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:19.409 Jerusalem. Now when evening came, David arose 00:01:19.409 --> 00:01:23.170 from his bed and walked around on the roof of 00:01:23.170 --> 00:01:27.329 the king's house. And from the roof he saw a 00:01:27.329 --> 00:01:30.409 woman bathing. And the woman was very beautiful 00:01:30.409 --> 00:01:35.129 in appearance. So David sent and inquired about 00:01:35.129 --> 00:01:38.659 the woman. And one said, Is this not Bathsheba, 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:42.000 the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:46.560 Hittite? David sent messengers and took her. 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:50.760 And when she came to him, he lay with her. And 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:53.840 when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:58.379 she returned to a house. Verse 5 as well. The 00:01:58.379 --> 00:02:02.519 woman conceived, and she sent and told David 00:02:02.519 --> 00:02:10.699 and said, I am. So the way we are going to proceed 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:17.219 forward today is we are going to look at, we're 00:02:17.219 --> 00:02:21.400 going to consider five things. The first being 00:02:21.400 --> 00:02:26.139 David himself. The second being David's sin. 00:02:26.620 --> 00:02:32.180 The third being David's rebuke. The fourth being 00:02:32.180 --> 00:02:38.120 David's restoration. And the fifth, David's help 00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:46.060 for us today. Beginning with David himself. When 00:02:46.060 --> 00:02:52.539 we think about King David, we think about the 00:02:52.539 --> 00:03:00.000 fact that this man was called a man after God's 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.949 own heart. We think about the fact that He loved 00:03:05.949 --> 00:03:13.030 God's law. He sung day and night of God's law 00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:17.969 throughout the Psalms. He penned and he created 00:03:17.969 --> 00:03:22.550 songs and poems about his love for the precepts 00:03:22.550 --> 00:03:26.729 and his love for the law of God, his love for 00:03:26.729 --> 00:03:32.729 the Lord, for his covenant God. We think about 00:03:32.729 --> 00:03:38.530 the fact that David was the one who slew the 00:03:38.530 --> 00:03:43.349 giant. We think about his exploits and his mighty 00:03:43.349 --> 00:03:47.310 deeds on behalf of Israel, his holy indignation 00:03:47.310 --> 00:03:50.550 at the Philistines that would dare challenge 00:03:50.550 --> 00:03:55.770 the God of Israel. We think about the fact of 00:03:55.770 --> 00:03:59.289 his bravery and his courage in slaying a lion 00:03:59.289 --> 00:04:04.409 or a bear when they came after his sheep. Out 00:04:04.409 --> 00:04:11.770 in the field. He was a man. That was godly. That 00:04:11.770 --> 00:04:16.689 was faithful. That was holy. He's a man according 00:04:16.689 --> 00:04:21.389 to Romans chapter 4. Who was justified by faith. 00:04:22.610 --> 00:04:27.670 We read. But to the one who does not work. But 00:04:27.670 --> 00:04:31.889 believes in him. Who justifies the ungodly. His 00:04:31.889 --> 00:04:36.459 faith. is credited as righteousness, just as 00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:40.220 David also speaks of the blessing on the man 00:04:40.220 --> 00:04:44.680 to whom God credits righteousness, apart from 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:49.500 works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:53.240 have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered. 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.379 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not 00:04:56.379 --> 00:05:04.279 take into account. David was a justified... David 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:10.439 was a mighty saint. Yet, we have to remember 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.699 something else about David's life, don't we? 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:18.600 This mighty man of God, this mighty man of faith, 00:05:18.839 --> 00:05:23.439 the king of Israel, the one that loved Jerusalem 00:05:23.439 --> 00:05:29.160 so dearly, and the people of God, fell deeply 00:05:29.160 --> 00:05:37.930 into sin. This man backslid in his faith. He 00:05:37.930 --> 00:05:43.370 went from loving God and being full of faith 00:05:43.370 --> 00:05:52.009 to reveling in the depths of iniquity. That should 00:05:52.009 --> 00:05:56.250 cause us all to pause for a moment, brothers 00:05:56.250 --> 00:06:00.889 and sisters. It should cause us all to think. 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:06.759 about our condition and our place before the 00:06:06.759 --> 00:06:09.800 Lord. It ought to give us pause to consider the 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:15.680 nature of our hearts and what the state and condition 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:18.100 of our minds and our longings and our desires 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:23.860 are with the Lord. This leads us to the second 00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:26.839 thing we have to examine this morning. David's 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:31.449 sin, which we read about. in 2 Samuel 11, verses 00:06:31.449 --> 00:06:39.790 1 -4. David did not fall into sin in an abrasive 00:06:39.790 --> 00:06:43.189 or an abrupt manner, meaning he didn't see a 00:06:43.189 --> 00:06:46.970 cliff, run and jump over the cliff. It was a 00:06:46.970 --> 00:06:54.100 subtle and gradual digression. The text says 00:06:54.100 --> 00:06:56.779 that David stayed at Jerusalem, and this was 00:06:56.779 --> 00:06:59.740 during the time when kings went off to war. David, 00:06:59.980 --> 00:07:05.199 who was a leader of the mighty men. Maybe the 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:10.600 comfort and the fame, maybe the privilege and 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:16.399 maybe his position, maybe the pride started building 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:21.339 in him. Maybe he started thinking, I don't need 00:07:21.339 --> 00:07:25.319 to fight these battles. I don't need to put myself 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:30.819 in danger. I'll stay here in comfort. And the 00:07:30.819 --> 00:07:34.779 comfort of the palace, it was gradual, it was 00:07:34.779 --> 00:07:38.839 progressive. We see that he stayed, but then 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:42.819 we see the man who would stay up all night, meditating 00:07:42.819 --> 00:07:46.139 on the law of God, now is rising from his bed, 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:51.500 twiddling his fingers. What does he do? He walks 00:07:51.500 --> 00:07:57.600 and he looks and he sees. So now, the subtlety 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:01.839 of sin that came from his spiritual lethargy 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:06.079 and complacency turns into looking and seeing 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:09.040 and desiring. And what does he do? He sins and 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:14.959 then he takes. His sin goes from desire and longing 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:19.019 and looking to taking. And then we see that it 00:08:19.019 --> 00:08:28.639 turns into acting. We see so many gracious opportunities 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:37.620 for David to abstain, for David to cease, for 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:44.139 David to forsake, for David to abandon his sin, 00:08:44.340 --> 00:08:49.830 his desires, his longings. So many gracious opportunities, 00:08:49.990 --> 00:08:57.230 but his desire turned into taking. His longing 00:08:57.230 --> 00:09:01.309 turned into looking. And the transgression of 00:09:01.309 --> 00:09:04.129 God's law in his heart turned into the outward 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:09.850 transgression of God's law in his life. Adultery. 00:09:11.230 --> 00:09:15.840 A heart filled with lust. That was... brought 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:19.620 to fruition in the act of adultery with another 00:09:19.620 --> 00:09:25.440 man's wife, he being a married man. It wasn't 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:28.940 just adultery, brothers and sisters. It wasn't 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:36.059 just lust. It was all of God's law. And this 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:41.320 man knew better, didn't he? This man sinned in 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:47.039 the face of knowledge. He sinned in the face 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:52.919 of God's law. He willingly, volitionally, voluntarily 00:09:52.919 --> 00:10:00.840 took part in this iniquity. And he did not repent 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:06.080 of it. He commits the act, but then he receives 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:12.340 word from Bathsheba that she is pregnant. Now, 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:17.090 David knows enough. And he knows the shame that 00:10:17.090 --> 00:10:20.169 comes with it. He knows the consequences. He 00:10:20.169 --> 00:10:22.450 knows it's wrong. He knows it's unrighteous. 00:10:22.549 --> 00:10:27.450 So what does the great king seek to do? We all 00:10:27.450 --> 00:10:33.129 know the story. He seeks to cover it up. To conceal 00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:39.049 his transgression. To hide it. What does he do? 00:10:39.370 --> 00:10:44.309 He immediately sends to Joab. his commander, 00:10:44.549 --> 00:10:48.250 his general. He says, send Uriah the Hittite 00:10:48.250 --> 00:10:51.009 to me. Uriah comes. He starts small -talking 00:10:51.009 --> 00:10:53.830 with Uriah, and he's kind of building him up. 00:10:55.809 --> 00:10:59.789 He says, you know what? Go home. What's David 00:10:59.789 --> 00:11:02.070 doing? He wants David to spend time with his 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:06.590 wife. He might think the child is his. That doesn't 00:11:06.590 --> 00:11:09.389 work. Why? Because Uriah is a man of integrity, 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:12.360 a man of honor. He has convictions. He won't 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:14.840 enjoy the comforts of his home, the comforts 00:11:14.840 --> 00:11:17.240 of his wife, while his fellow soldiers are out 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:20.879 in the field. So he stays down with the palace 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:25.379 servings. So David says, why haven't you gone 00:11:25.379 --> 00:11:29.019 home? David says, stay for another two or three 00:11:29.019 --> 00:11:31.879 days, then you can go back. David schemes, he 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:36.799 thinks, what can I do to hide this sin? What 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:41.200 can I do to cover this sin up? So he brings Uriah. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:45.100 I'm going to weaken his constitution. I'm going 00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:47.659 to get him drunk. Then I'm going to send him 00:11:47.659 --> 00:11:54.000 home. That doesn't work. He can't cover it. So 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:55.899 what does he do? His last resort. What's his 00:11:55.899 --> 00:12:02.600 last ditch effort? He has the man murdered. By 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:06.100 putting him where the fiercest battle is, where 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:10.210 the fiercest warriors are. Do you see what's 00:12:10.210 --> 00:12:14.850 happened in the life of David already? The subtlety 00:12:14.850 --> 00:12:19.629 of sin has grown into this giant monster, this 00:12:19.629 --> 00:12:24.330 giant beast, and his concealment of it only multiplied 00:12:24.330 --> 00:12:28.809 the transgression. Have you ever heard the saying, 00:12:29.029 --> 00:12:32.149 I think it goes something like this, it takes 00:12:32.149 --> 00:12:37.990 a thousand lies to cover up a single lie? Brothers 00:12:37.990 --> 00:12:41.909 and sisters, the same is true for sin in general. 00:12:42.909 --> 00:12:49.990 It takes a thousand transgressions to hide and 00:12:49.990 --> 00:12:54.950 cover up a single transgression, a single sin. 00:12:56.309 --> 00:13:02.690 His desire and attempt to conceal his iniquity 00:13:02.690 --> 00:13:07.769 only multiplied. the wickedness he was taking 00:13:07.769 --> 00:13:13.490 part in. No longer was it just the act of adultery 00:13:13.490 --> 00:13:16.509 and the rest of his transgressions associated 00:13:16.509 --> 00:13:20.350 with it, but now it's the act of murder and hatred 00:13:20.350 --> 00:13:27.370 in his heart. He seeks to cover it up, and seemingly, 00:13:27.509 --> 00:13:35.070 he's successful. Have you ever considered that? 00:13:37.610 --> 00:13:41.490 With appearance sake, it's almost as though David 00:13:41.490 --> 00:13:50.889 got away with this. It's almost as though he 00:13:50.889 --> 00:13:58.169 slipped one by. He kept it from men. I don't 00:13:58.169 --> 00:14:00.129 know if his servants knew what was going on. 00:14:00.679 --> 00:14:03.340 But it seems as though he concealed it. It almost 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:05.659 seems as though he concealed it from Bathsheba 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:10.960 with regards to Uriah as well. He was keeping 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.720 it from the sight and the knowledge of men, of 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:17.100 his servants, of his kingdom, of his nation, 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:23.740 the brothers and sisters who saw his sin, who 00:14:23.740 --> 00:14:28.620 viewed his sin in its entirety as he committed 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:34.039 it. who observed the iniquity as he took part 00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:39.080 in it, who watched on as he broke the law of 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:42.580 God which he loved and knew so well at one point 00:14:42.580 --> 00:14:47.379 in his life. Verse 21 says, When the time of 00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:49.399 mourning was over, David sent and brought her 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:53.659 to his house, and she became his wife. Then she 00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:58.480 bore him a son. But the thing that David had 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:05.919 done, was evil in the sight of the Lord. He may 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:11.019 have hid it from the eyes of men, but David could 00:15:11.019 --> 00:15:15.379 never keep his sin, his iniquity, his transgression, 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:23.740 his wickedness from God himself. God saw his 00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:31.299 sin all the while. God watched on as this faithful 00:15:31.299 --> 00:15:38.460 man fell to the pits of darkness. And how long 00:15:38.460 --> 00:15:42.919 did David stay in this sin? How long did he remain 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:49.960 in this backslidden state? Well, the baby was 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:54.240 born by the time Nathan the prophet came to him. 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:59.720 That means... that David remained in an unrepentant 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:07.240 state of sin for almost a year long. A whole 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:14.419 year, willingly, volitionally, sinning against 00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:19.580 his God. Think about the repercussions on his 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:26.139 heart. Think about what this would do to this 00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:30.919 man's conscience. Think about what this would 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:33.759 do to the condition of his soul, brothers and 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.480 sisters. Think about what this would do to his 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:39.740 fellowship and his communion with God who justified 00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:46.120 him. Think about what this would do to his usefulness 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:48.279 in life. Think about what this would do to his 00:16:48.279 --> 00:16:54.929 joy, his confidence, his faith. He stayed in 00:16:54.929 --> 00:16:58.350 it for a year, and this leads us to the third 00:16:58.350 --> 00:17:03.529 thing this morning, David's rebuke. We read in 00:17:03.529 --> 00:17:08.430 2 Samuel chapter 12, Then the Lord sent Nathan 00:17:08.430 --> 00:17:12.890 to David, and he came to him and said, There 00:17:12.890 --> 00:17:15.710 were two men in the city, the one rich and the 00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:19.150 one poor. The rich man had a great many flocks 00:17:19.150 --> 00:17:23.240 and herds, but the poor man had nothing. except 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:27.539 the little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.440 And it grew up together with him and his children. 00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:33.259 It would drink of his bread and drink of his 00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:36.140 cup and lie in his bosom. It was like a daughter 00:17:36.140 --> 00:17:39.160 to him. What's Nathan saying? This man dearly 00:17:39.160 --> 00:17:44.619 loved that ewe lamb. That ewe lamb was close 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:49.160 to his heart. Now a traveler came to the rich 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:51.789 man. and he was unwilling to take it from his 00:17:51.789 --> 00:17:54.549 own flock or his own herd to prepare for the 00:17:54.549 --> 00:17:59.910 wayfarer who had come to him. Rather, he took 00:17:59.910 --> 00:18:03.529 the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the 00:18:03.529 --> 00:18:07.630 man who had come to him. Listen to David's response. 00:18:07.869 --> 00:18:14.710 Then David's anger burned. It burned greatly 00:18:14.710 --> 00:18:18.420 against the man, and he said to David, as the 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:22.920 Lord lives. Surely the man who has done this 00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:26.660 deserves to die. He must make restitution for 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:30.680 the lamb fourfold because he is this, because 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:37.059 he did this thing and had no compassion. David 00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:49.720 can clearly see the sin in this man's life. He 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:54.059 can clearly observe and see the sin and wickedness 00:18:54.059 --> 00:19:00.720 in somebody else's life. What's he missing? He 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:06.500 has an inability to see his own sin. He has an 00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:09.660 inability to see his own transgression. He's 00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:12.500 blinded to the reality of the iniquity in his 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:19.299 own life. There's an obvious need for this rebuke, 00:19:19.299 --> 00:19:23.000 isn't there? There's an obvious need for this 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:26.640 correction in his life. Why does he need rebuke? 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:33.619 Because of the results of his sin. His conscience 00:19:33.619 --> 00:19:40.019 had been dulled. His heart had become calloused 00:19:40.019 --> 00:19:47.490 and hard. He was no longer sensitive. to sin 00:19:47.490 --> 00:19:52.569 in his heart, his mind, and his conscience. Godly 00:19:52.569 --> 00:19:56.390 sorrow was sapped out of his mind, out of his 00:19:56.390 --> 00:20:04.549 life. And what were the consequences on his fellowship 00:20:04.549 --> 00:20:11.430 and communion with the living God? David, who 00:20:11.430 --> 00:20:17.289 once enjoyed sweet, intimate, Spiritual fellowship 00:20:17.289 --> 00:20:22.210 with God, where he could hear from God in his 00:20:22.210 --> 00:20:25.250 word, in his law, and David could pray freely, 00:20:25.549 --> 00:20:30.329 praising him with joy in his heart. Experienced 00:20:30.329 --> 00:20:32.490 the gracious influence of the work of the divine 00:20:32.490 --> 00:20:36.210 spirit in his life. His power, his influence, 00:20:36.390 --> 00:20:42.430 his manifest fruit. It was gone. It was withdrawn. 00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:50.480 He had grieved the Spirit of God. This is why 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.480 Paul tells the church at Thessalonica, do not 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:58.119 quench the Spirit. And earlier when he warns 00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:00.119 against immorality, he says, you sin against 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:03.279 the God who gives His Spirit. This is why Paul 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.339 tells the church at Ephesus, do not grieve the 00:21:06.339 --> 00:21:15.369 Spirit of God. Willing, and unrepentant and ongoing 00:21:15.369 --> 00:21:20.849 sin quenches and grieves God's Holy Spirit in 00:21:20.849 --> 00:21:26.190 your life. You do not lose your justification. 00:21:27.410 --> 00:21:32.950 You do not become unsaved. But the gracious influence 00:21:32.950 --> 00:21:37.930 of the Divine Spirit in your heart and soul is 00:21:37.930 --> 00:21:42.069 withdrawn. The Spirit of God dwells within you, 00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:45.750 but his felt presence is no more. His power, 00:21:45.789 --> 00:21:50.029 his influence, his holiness is no longer exerted 00:21:50.029 --> 00:21:57.789 in your life because of ongoing willful sin. 00:21:57.950 --> 00:22:01.210 The reality is this rebuke, incorrect, was very 00:22:01.210 --> 00:22:08.190 gracious. God sent Nathan. The Lord sent Nathan. 00:22:09.069 --> 00:22:12.809 It says that in 12 .1. Then the Lord sent Nathan 00:22:12.809 --> 00:22:18.009 to David. He needed to be rebuked. He needed 00:22:18.009 --> 00:22:21.890 to be corrected. Do you know why? To waken up 00:22:21.890 --> 00:22:26.670 his conscience. To rattle his heart. To show 00:22:26.670 --> 00:22:29.390 him his iniquity and his sin. He needed to be 00:22:29.390 --> 00:22:32.049 startled. He needed to be frightened. He needed 00:22:32.049 --> 00:22:39.109 to be shaken so that he'd wake up. after David's 00:22:39.109 --> 00:22:45.970 anger burns against the man, Nathan says to David, 00:22:46.069 --> 00:22:54.029 you are the man. David is the one who stole the 00:22:54.029 --> 00:23:04.990 ewe lamb. David's conscience wakes up. David's 00:23:04.990 --> 00:23:10.309 heart feels again. David says in verse 13, I 00:23:10.309 --> 00:23:15.430 have sinned against the Lord. This rebuke was 00:23:15.430 --> 00:23:19.710 very kind and very gracious and very merciful 00:23:19.710 --> 00:23:28.309 of the Lord. Because it brought about godly sorrow 00:23:28.309 --> 00:23:34.279 in this once faithful man's life. It showed him 00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:37.500 the weight and the burden of his sin. It gave 00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:41.940 him the sense of iniquity in his own life again. 00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:47.180 His conscience now felt the weight of the burden 00:23:47.180 --> 00:23:52.900 of the transgression he'd been committing. It 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:58.240 was a gracious rebuke. It was very necessary, 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:01.859 very needed. And it brought about godly sorrow 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:10.250 in his life. He now felt the impurity, the unholiness 00:24:10.250 --> 00:24:16.769 of what he had done. He now felt the judgment 00:24:16.769 --> 00:24:23.069 of God in his soul. He now sensed condemnation 00:24:23.069 --> 00:24:28.630 around him. He now realized the depth of what 00:24:28.630 --> 00:24:35.779 he had done. He was broken. He was shown his 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.960 sinfulness. He was shown the sinfulness of sin 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:45.799 in his life. And he knew it. He felt it. He sensed 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:50.579 it. He experienced it. But now the question comes. 00:24:52.400 --> 00:25:00.640 What would David do? How could David be restored 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:08.490 to fellowship with? How could David be restored 00:25:08.490 --> 00:25:14.869 to that once sweet, holy, intimate, loving communion 00:25:14.869 --> 00:25:19.769 and fellowship he enjoyed over a year before? 00:25:20.869 --> 00:25:24.509 How would he get back to that? How would he find 00:25:24.509 --> 00:25:31.789 relief from the weight and burden of such sorrow? 00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:39.619 Brothers and sisters, how would David go from 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:45.119 the impurity back to holiness? How would David 00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:48.359 make his way from being spiritually destitute 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:52.200 and impoverished back to spiritual poverty and 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:55.640 health and life and well -being and joy and hope 00:25:55.640 --> 00:26:04.970 and faith? This is where Psalm 51 Comes in. It's 00:26:04.970 --> 00:26:08.549 right around this time in David's life. That 00:26:08.549 --> 00:26:15.789 he pins. Psalm 51. Sometime after he'd been rebuked. 00:26:15.809 --> 00:26:19.970 His conscience had been enlivened. His heart 00:26:19.970 --> 00:26:24.109 had been shaken. It's sometime in here. That 00:26:24.109 --> 00:26:30.549 David writes Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is David's highway 00:26:30.549 --> 00:26:36.980 back. To holiness. Psalm 51. Is David's path. 00:26:37.359 --> 00:26:41.000 Back to restoration. And fellowship with God. 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:45.940 Psalm 51. Is the steps that David walks up. In 00:26:45.940 --> 00:26:48.980 order to find sanctification. And holiness in 00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:53.599 his life again. Brothers and sisters. This is 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:58.799 not a doorway. To justification. It's a doorway. 00:26:59.160 --> 00:27:07.220 To godliness. and joy and holiness of life. This 00:27:07.220 --> 00:27:13.160 is where Psalm 51 comes into the picture. David's 00:27:13.160 --> 00:27:16.519 restoration. This is the fourth thing we have 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:20.160 to consider this morning. Now, turn with me to 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:28.099 Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is as though the Lord gives 00:27:28.099 --> 00:27:32.799 us this blessed window. that we might look through 00:27:32.799 --> 00:27:40.339 it and observe David's cry before God after he 00:27:40.339 --> 00:27:45.119 has sinned as a justified man. It's as though 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:48.720 the Lord has graciously given us a window to 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:54.000 look in and see what takes place in David's prayer 00:27:54.000 --> 00:27:57.779 with God as he's restored and brought back into 00:27:57.779 --> 00:28:02.329 fellowship. This is why Psalm 51 is so important 00:28:02.329 --> 00:28:06.410 for us, brothers and sisters. What does the Christian 00:28:06.410 --> 00:28:11.990 do when they have willingly sinned against God? 00:28:14.390 --> 00:28:17.950 What does the Christian do when they've backslidden 00:28:17.950 --> 00:28:22.480 in their life? What does the Christian do? when 00:28:22.480 --> 00:28:24.819 they've grieved the Spirit of God in their life? 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:27.440 What does the Christian do when they've lived 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:30.799 and dwelled and breathed in unrepentant sin? 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:39.779 Psalm 51. Psalm 51 helps us understand the nature 00:28:39.779 --> 00:28:45.779 of restoration to fellowship with God. We see 00:28:45.779 --> 00:28:49.279 in verses 1 -2, Be gracious to me, O God, according 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:52.109 to your lovingkindness. according to the greatness 00:28:52.109 --> 00:28:55.430 of your compassion. Blot out my transgressions. 00:28:56.089 --> 00:28:59.230 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse 00:28:59.230 --> 00:29:04.869 me from my sin. David appeals to God. He does 00:29:04.869 --> 00:29:08.670 not demand or command that God be, but he appeals 00:29:08.670 --> 00:29:13.589 to God in his mercy to act according to himself 00:29:13.589 --> 00:29:18.049 and his own nature. He knows he doesn't deserve 00:29:18.049 --> 00:29:22.589 it. But he appeals to God that he would be faithful 00:29:22.589 --> 00:29:26.430 and true to his merciful and compassionate character. 00:29:27.309 --> 00:29:32.150 We read in verse 3, For I know my transgressions 00:29:32.150 --> 00:29:35.970 and my sin as ever before me. Against you, you 00:29:35.970 --> 00:29:39.410 only, I have sinned and done what is evil in 00:29:39.410 --> 00:29:42.170 your sight so that you are justified when you 00:29:42.170 --> 00:29:46.980 speak and blameless when you judge. Behold. I 00:29:46.980 --> 00:29:49.460 was brought forth in iniquity and in sin. My 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:54.839 mother conceived me. We see that it is a confession. 00:29:55.960 --> 00:30:01.099 An acknowledgement of his absolute responsibility 00:30:01.099 --> 00:30:07.259 in the matter. He frees God of all blame. And 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:12.420 he says, it was me. I sinned. I transgressed. 00:30:12.660 --> 00:30:18.539 I broke your law. He thoroughly acknowledges 00:30:18.539 --> 00:30:25.759 and confesses his part in the sin. We read in 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:29.579 verse 6, Behold, you desire truth and the innermost 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:32.740 being. And in the hidden part you will make me 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:36.420 know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop and I shall 00:30:36.420 --> 00:30:38.980 be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than 00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:43.150 snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the 00:30:43.150 --> 00:30:46.450 bones which you have broken rejoice. Hide your 00:30:46.450 --> 00:30:49.529 face from my sins and blot out my iniquities. 00:30:50.190 --> 00:30:54.970 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew 00:30:54.970 --> 00:30:58.789 a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me 00:30:58.789 --> 00:31:01.269 away from your presence and do not take your 00:31:01.269 --> 00:31:05.869 Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of 00:31:05.869 --> 00:31:09.950 your salvation and sustain me with a willing 00:31:09.950 --> 00:31:17.430 spirit. David makes a petition for deep, inward 00:31:17.430 --> 00:31:23.269 renewal in his life. He wants to experience joy 00:31:23.269 --> 00:31:26.130 again, and he knows the only way that will happen 00:31:26.130 --> 00:31:29.589 is if God, through his spirit, brings joy into 00:31:29.589 --> 00:31:37.609 his life. We read in verse 13, Then I will teach 00:31:37.609 --> 00:31:40.549 transgressors your ways, and sinners will be 00:31:40.549 --> 00:31:44.250 converted to you. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, 00:31:44.329 --> 00:31:48.210 O God, the God of my salvation. Then my tongue 00:31:48.210 --> 00:31:52.490 will joyfully sing of your righteousness. David 00:31:52.490 --> 00:31:57.730 dedicates himself to obedience and service to 00:31:57.730 --> 00:32:03.529 this great God. There's also a progression in 00:32:03.529 --> 00:32:10.049 this song. It would be foolish for David. to 00:32:10.049 --> 00:32:14.569 cry out and request joy and to sing with righteousness 00:32:14.569 --> 00:32:19.690 before he's made known and confessed his sin. 00:32:19.950 --> 00:32:26.750 And he's appealed to God. He knows that joy only 00:32:26.750 --> 00:32:32.990 comes after he's appealed to the mercy of God 00:32:32.990 --> 00:32:38.519 and he rests in that mercy. After he has... confessed 00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:44.500 his sin to this holy God. Verse 15, O Lord, open 00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:47.539 my lips, that my mouth may declare your praise. 00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:50.880 For you do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise 00:32:50.880 --> 00:32:54.359 I would give it. You are not pleased with burnt 00:32:54.359 --> 00:32:58.279 offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:02.180 spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, 00:33:02.299 --> 00:33:09.019 you will not despise. Consider, the year of David's 00:33:09.019 --> 00:33:15.799 sin. The ceremonial law did not cease, brothers 00:33:15.799 --> 00:33:20.740 and sisters. His responsibilities and his duties 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:26.079 to the ceremonial law and as king did not cease. 00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:33.079 He still did sacrifices, but it was only outward. 00:33:33.660 --> 00:33:39.200 It was only external. There was no true heart 00:33:39.200 --> 00:33:45.700 religion. David makes a commitment to true inward 00:33:45.700 --> 00:33:50.140 heart religion, not mere outward and external 00:33:50.140 --> 00:33:56.440 traditions. And he knows that that is what pleases 00:33:56.440 --> 00:34:01.059 God Almighty. Finally, we see in verse 18, by 00:34:01.059 --> 00:34:04.680 your favor, do good to Zion. Build the walls 00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:07.460 of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in righteous 00:34:07.460 --> 00:34:11.360 sacrifices and burnt offerings and whole burnt 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:14.840 offerings. Then the young bulls will be offered 00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:19.340 on your altar. The king is crying out as a restored 00:34:19.340 --> 00:34:23.559 man for the good of the people he's been lying 00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:32.219 to for a year. He longs for God to bless. Jerusalem 00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:40.380 and his people in spite of his wickedness. Brothers 00:34:40.380 --> 00:34:47.000 and sisters, Psalm 51 is for you. Psalm 51 is 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:51.820 for me. Psalm 51 is for all of God's people, 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:57.599 for all of time. Ultimately, it's a picture. 00:34:59.210 --> 00:35:05.590 Of man as a sinner. And God in his grace and 00:35:05.590 --> 00:35:10.570 mercy. Receiving back that sinner. When he's 00:35:10.570 --> 00:35:15.769 transgressed God's law. Do you need that? I need 00:35:15.769 --> 00:35:19.989 that. Brothers and sisters. Do you need to understand 00:35:19.989 --> 00:35:25.690 more about that? I do. I want to be restored 00:35:25.690 --> 00:35:28.880 to fellowship with God. when I've sinned against 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:33.659 him, don't you? Don't you want to experience 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:38.159 and know joy when sin has stripped it of your 00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:44.559 soul? That's why Psalm 51 is important. This 00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:50.079 leads us lastly to David's help for us. David's 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:53.719 whole situation that we've examined today offers 00:35:53.719 --> 00:35:57.280 a great deal of assistance for us. It offers 00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:01.260 a great deal of help in thinking about Psalm 00:36:01.260 --> 00:36:07.780 51. David helps us understand that even the best 00:36:07.780 --> 00:36:14.860 of saints can sin grievously against God. Many 00:36:14.860 --> 00:36:17.980 will say, well, he was an old covenant saint. 00:36:18.539 --> 00:36:21.679 I'm a new covenant saint. He was in Old Testament 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:25.179 times. I'm in New Testament times. Brothers and 00:36:25.179 --> 00:36:28.260 sisters, That's a misunderstanding regarding 00:36:28.260 --> 00:36:35.659 the nature of sin. We learn from this that it's 00:36:35.659 --> 00:36:42.320 not about the man. It's about the nature and 00:36:42.320 --> 00:36:49.300 the danger of sin and its subtlety. It warns 00:36:49.300 --> 00:36:56.650 us against being lax and casual. And letting 00:36:56.650 --> 00:37:00.730 sin creep into our life and build and progress 00:37:00.730 --> 00:37:06.949 and gradually grow and build. That's why this 00:37:06.949 --> 00:37:10.150 monster overcame David because he didn't kill 00:37:10.150 --> 00:37:15.550 it when it was a little baby. It grew and it 00:37:15.550 --> 00:37:20.969 grew and it grew until it bit his head off. That's 00:37:20.969 --> 00:37:25.619 what sin does. It's not about Old Testament, 00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:29.880 New Testament. It's about the nature of sin and 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:32.980 the danger that it presents to the saints of 00:37:32.980 --> 00:37:41.920 God in every single age. It warns us to be very 00:37:41.920 --> 00:37:45.300 cautious of letting up on the gas pedal with 00:37:45.300 --> 00:37:48.239 regards to holiness and godliness in our life. 00:37:48.599 --> 00:37:52.940 It warns us against being lackadaisical regarding... 00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:59.480 mortifying and killing sin. There is no cruise 00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:03.780 control with godliness and holiness in this life. 00:38:03.880 --> 00:38:06.679 It doesn't matter what your age is. It doesn't 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:10.019 matter what your occupation is. Sin doesn't care. 00:38:12.179 --> 00:38:22.860 It is gunning for you. It warns us. Be very cautious 00:38:22.860 --> 00:38:29.820 of it. Don't think lightly of wickedness. Don't 00:38:29.820 --> 00:38:34.119 think lightly of sin and iniquity, even if it's 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:41.780 a little thing. It was evil in God's sight. That's 00:38:41.780 --> 00:38:46.599 not just adultery, brothers and sisters. That's 00:38:46.599 --> 00:38:51.739 lying. That's deceit. Bearing false witness. 00:38:52.059 --> 00:38:55.519 That's discontentment. That's murder in your 00:38:55.519 --> 00:38:58.539 heart. It's not worshiping God in the right way. 00:38:58.619 --> 00:39:03.599 It's worshiping him in the incorrect way. It's 00:39:03.599 --> 00:39:10.559 taking his name in vain. Wickedness is evil in 00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:19.190 the sight of God. He sees it. He knows it. But 00:39:19.190 --> 00:39:23.409 it also exhorts us and encourages us to keep 00:39:23.409 --> 00:39:28.630 fanning the flames of love for God and love for 00:39:28.630 --> 00:39:31.730 our fellow brothers and sisters, for our neighbors, 00:39:31.869 --> 00:39:37.570 for all men. It encourages us to fan the flames 00:39:37.570 --> 00:39:42.889 of pursuing God in his word. It encourages us 00:39:42.889 --> 00:39:46.309 to seek the face of God through prayer regularly. 00:39:48.710 --> 00:39:51.769 to examine ourselves, to examine our hearts. 00:39:54.849 --> 00:40:01.769 It also helps us see our need for rebuke and 00:40:01.769 --> 00:40:09.389 correction in this life. Some of you here are 00:40:09.389 --> 00:40:15.869 probably thinking, Psalm 51. I'm not necessarily 00:40:15.869 --> 00:40:22.010 super excited about it. primarily because I don't 00:40:22.010 --> 00:40:26.969 feel bad about my sin a lot. I don't have a lot 00:40:26.969 --> 00:40:29.909 of conviction regarding sin and transgression. 00:40:29.929 --> 00:40:34.690 I think I do pretty good. Brothers and sisters, 00:40:34.869 --> 00:40:39.349 if that's you, do you know why that's you? It's 00:40:39.349 --> 00:40:44.130 because you have no godly sorrow. It's because 00:40:44.130 --> 00:40:49.079 you haven't received rebuke. and correction in 00:40:49.079 --> 00:40:56.039 your life, and your conscience is dull. It's 00:40:56.039 --> 00:40:59.219 because your heart is more callous than you think. 00:40:59.320 --> 00:41:04.079 It's because sin has a much deeper hold than 00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:15.980 you actually know. Psalm 51 is for you. You need 00:41:15.980 --> 00:41:21.300 to receive the rebuke of God, the correction 00:41:21.300 --> 00:41:27.320 of God from His Word. And allow your conscience 00:41:27.320 --> 00:41:31.039 to be stirred, your heart to be shaken, so that 00:41:31.039 --> 00:41:33.719 you wake up to the reality of sin in your life, 00:41:33.780 --> 00:41:42.280 and you sense it, and you feel it. Then you will 00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:46.119 appeal to the mercy. Of the living God. You will 00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:49.340 appeal. To the Lord Jesus Christ. And you will 00:41:49.340 --> 00:41:56.739 rest in. His atonement. And his work. But receive. 00:41:57.059 --> 00:42:06.300 The gracious. Rebuke of God. In your sin. We 00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:12.739 need. To be. Rebuked. that we might experience 00:42:12.739 --> 00:42:15.079 godly sorrow in our life and be driven to the 00:42:15.079 --> 00:42:20.800 throne of grace. It's a good thing. It's a healthy 00:42:20.800 --> 00:42:26.619 thing to receive it, to accept it, to embrace 00:42:26.619 --> 00:42:37.179 it. It helps us understand our desperate need 00:42:37.179 --> 00:42:42.400 for ongoing confession. and repentance in our 00:42:42.400 --> 00:42:52.079 life. Primarily because of our natures. A large 00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:57.599 portion of the Christian life ought to be confession 00:42:57.599 --> 00:43:04.420 and repentance. Something we repeat over and 00:43:04.420 --> 00:43:10.030 over and over. Why? Because we have remaining 00:43:10.030 --> 00:43:16.869 sin that dwells within us. David says, Behold, 00:43:16.869 --> 00:43:19.329 I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my 00:43:19.329 --> 00:43:24.750 mother conceived me. It's natural to him to sin. 00:43:26.050 --> 00:43:29.650 He's naturally inclined to it. He is a wellspring 00:43:29.650 --> 00:43:32.869 of iniquity. We all are because of the sin within 00:43:32.869 --> 00:43:39.730 us. Therefore, you need to confess sin. You need 00:43:39.730 --> 00:43:46.650 to repent of sin regularly. As often as we proclaim 00:43:46.650 --> 00:43:51.230 faith in Christ, we ought to be confessing sin 00:43:51.230 --> 00:43:59.289 and repenting of it. If you ask the Lord to help 00:43:59.289 --> 00:44:03.989 you see your sin in your life, He will be faithful 00:44:03.989 --> 00:44:08.440 to you, brothers and sisters. He will open your 00:44:08.440 --> 00:44:14.360 eyes to see your iniquity. He will open your 00:44:14.360 --> 00:44:20.420 hearts to understand and know just how sinful 00:44:20.420 --> 00:44:28.760 you are. It ought to be a significant part of 00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:38.659 the Christian life. What depends on it? Our usefulness. 00:44:40.619 --> 00:44:50.059 Our holiness. Our godliness. Our worship. Our 00:44:50.059 --> 00:44:54.780 brothers and sisters depend on it. Our fellowship 00:44:54.780 --> 00:44:58.739 with God who saved us and redeemed us depends 00:44:58.739 --> 00:45:01.900 on it. Do you want to know and experience his 00:45:01.900 --> 00:45:07.670 spirit in your life? Then don't live. and dwell 00:45:07.670 --> 00:45:13.150 in unrepentant sin. Confess it. Bring it to God 00:45:13.150 --> 00:45:16.030 and expose it to his presence. Abandon it and 00:45:16.030 --> 00:45:20.150 leave it there. Forsake it and trust in Christ 00:45:20.150 --> 00:45:25.909 and you will be restored. You will experience 00:45:25.909 --> 00:45:29.789 joy. You will praise him for his righteousness 00:45:29.789 --> 00:45:36.900 and recognize him for his goodness. We have this 00:45:36.900 --> 00:45:42.800 idea that little sins just need sorrows. But 00:45:42.800 --> 00:45:45.619 brothers and sisters, remember, the Lord sees 00:45:45.619 --> 00:45:51.099 it all. He knows it all. Sorry is not confession 00:45:51.099 --> 00:45:58.139 of sin. Sorry is not forsaking of sin. Sorry 00:45:58.139 --> 00:46:06.820 is not repenting of sin. Confess. your wickedness, 00:46:06.860 --> 00:46:11.019 your iniquity, your sin, your transgression to 00:46:11.019 --> 00:46:15.139 God and trust in the merciful provision of Jesus 00:46:15.139 --> 00:46:20.980 Christ. And you will be restored to sweet, intimate, 00:46:21.159 --> 00:46:26.360 warm, loving fellowship. And you will enjoy, 00:46:26.500 --> 00:46:30.820 brothers and sisters, the gracious influence 00:46:30.820 --> 00:46:35.989 of the Spirit of God in your soul. His manifest 00:46:35.989 --> 00:46:39.429 fruit in your life, the warmth and the light 00:46:39.429 --> 00:46:43.570 of the love of God at work in your heart. And 00:46:43.570 --> 00:46:46.130 you will experience an assurance where the Spirit 00:46:46.130 --> 00:46:48.829 of God testifies with your spirit that you're 00:46:48.829 --> 00:46:57.070 a child of God. Confess your sin. Repent of it. 00:46:59.210 --> 00:47:05.460 David helps us understand the real danger of 00:47:05.460 --> 00:47:18.860 sin. Sin in the moment, at the time, can be enjoyable. 00:47:21.340 --> 00:47:23.559 We don't tell this to our children often, do 00:47:23.559 --> 00:47:34.909 we? Sin can be fun. Sin can be pleasurable. There's 00:47:34.909 --> 00:47:42.889 a reason people transgress the law of God. But 00:47:42.889 --> 00:47:50.869 it's fleeting. It's partial. And it ultimately 00:47:50.869 --> 00:48:00.130 brings turmoil to your heart. Turmoil to your 00:48:00.130 --> 00:48:05.780 life. Turmoil to your relationships. Turmoil 00:48:05.780 --> 00:48:10.900 to your family. Turmoil to your fellowship with 00:48:10.900 --> 00:48:18.880 God. It may bring partial fulfillment, partial 00:48:18.880 --> 00:48:21.960 comfort in the moment. But brothers and sisters, 00:48:22.300 --> 00:48:28.500 the reach and the effect and the results of sin 00:48:31.440 --> 00:48:35.539 are detrimental to the soul of the saint, are 00:48:35.539 --> 00:48:40.059 detrimental to one's fellowship with God who 00:48:40.059 --> 00:48:44.159 saved them through the precious work of the Lord 00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:52.000 Jesus Christ. Sin is not a toy to be played with. 00:48:53.639 --> 00:49:00.380 It's a monster to be killed. It's very dangerous. 00:49:01.739 --> 00:49:05.599 It has long -term effects. And even if you're 00:49:05.599 --> 00:49:08.440 restored to fellowship with God, that does not 00:49:08.440 --> 00:49:13.760 mean you will be free of its consequences. We 00:49:13.760 --> 00:49:19.659 forget that. Sin has consequences in this life. 00:49:20.860 --> 00:49:27.440 David knew that. He lost his kingdom. He lost 00:49:27.440 --> 00:49:30.099 his empire that God had trusted to him, that 00:49:30.099 --> 00:49:33.239 God had given to him, his rule, his reign. His 00:49:33.239 --> 00:49:40.659 family fell apart. Some of those were covenantal, 00:49:40.659 --> 00:49:46.380 but it doesn't change the fact that sin has real 00:49:46.380 --> 00:49:50.920 consequences and effects that the Christian can 00:49:50.920 --> 00:49:56.760 still experience, even. When they're restored 00:49:56.760 --> 00:50:05.039 to sweet, loving, warm fellowship with God. Ultimately, 00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:10.360 David helps us understand the Lord's gracious 00:50:10.360 --> 00:50:21.760 and continual reception of his people. As grievously 00:50:21.760 --> 00:50:34.059 as David sinned. As wicked as he acted. The sacrifice 00:50:34.059 --> 00:50:38.400 of Jesus Christ was sufficient to restore him. 00:50:39.019 --> 00:50:47.760 And it always is. There is no sin. There is no 00:50:47.760 --> 00:50:53.800 wickedness. There is no evil. There is no iniquity. 00:50:54.699 --> 00:51:00.780 That the Christian can commit that the Lord will 00:51:00.780 --> 00:51:05.260 not restore them back and they'll trust in the 00:51:05.260 --> 00:51:10.019 Lord Jesus Christ. It's a story about, Psalm 00:51:10.019 --> 00:51:12.780 51 teaches us, and it's important for not just 00:51:12.780 --> 00:51:18.300 believers, but unbelievers as well. Because it 00:51:18.300 --> 00:51:23.980 teaches us that everybody with true faith and 00:51:23.980 --> 00:51:31.500 true repentance will be received by God. That 00:51:31.500 --> 00:51:37.159 anybody with true faith and true repentance can 00:51:37.159 --> 00:51:41.800 appeal to the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. Their 00:51:41.800 --> 00:51:46.000 sins will be atoned for and they will enjoy sweet, 00:51:46.039 --> 00:51:51.219 intimate, warm fellowship. with the living God 00:51:51.219 --> 00:51:54.000 who redeemed them through the blood of Jesus 00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:54.360 Christ.