WEBVTT 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:13.439 Psalm 51, we're going to read the first four 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:19.059 verses. Be gracious to me, O God, according to 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.339 your lovingkindness. According to the greatness 00:00:22.339 --> 00:00:25.339 of your compassion, blot out my transgressions. 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:29.179 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse 00:00:29.179 --> 00:00:34.280 me from my sin. For I know my transgressions 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:40.420 and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you 00:00:40.420 --> 00:00:45.479 only, I have sinned and done what is evil in 00:00:45.479 --> 00:00:48.640 your sight so that you are justified when you 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:57.560 speak and blameless when you judge. As we continue 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:04.239 with our exposition of Psalm 51, we're going 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:10.170 to spend our time focusing on verse 4 today. 00:01:11.129 --> 00:01:17.989 Against you, you only, I have sinned and done 00:01:17.989 --> 00:01:22.870 what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified 00:01:22.870 --> 00:01:30.049 when you speak and blameless when you judge. 00:01:30.930 --> 00:01:35.170 As we come to this verse and we come to consider 00:01:35.170 --> 00:01:39.349 it, We have to understand that as believers, 00:01:39.510 --> 00:01:44.049 as those who know the Lord Jesus Christ, our 00:01:44.049 --> 00:01:53.230 sin still has effects upon how we relate to God 00:01:53.230 --> 00:01:59.349 in our fellowship and our communion with Him. 00:02:00.409 --> 00:02:04.349 It's important for us to understand that which... 00:02:04.750 --> 00:02:09.710 pulls us away from Christ. It's important for 00:02:09.710 --> 00:02:15.710 us to understand the enemy within us, that which 00:02:15.710 --> 00:02:20.870 causes our hearts to be wayward. It's important 00:02:20.870 --> 00:02:25.129 for us to understand how it impacts, how it influences, 00:02:25.210 --> 00:02:29.789 and how it affects our relation to the Lord in 00:02:29.789 --> 00:02:34.000 fellowship and communion. with him as a holy 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:42.900 and a righteous God. So as we come to look at 00:02:42.900 --> 00:02:49.039 verse 4, we have to examine four things. The 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:57.599 first of which is sin is against God. It is against 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:06.569 God. David says, against you. You only I have 00:03:06.569 --> 00:03:10.689 sinned. When we consider David's sin, his iniquity, 00:03:10.689 --> 00:03:15.409 his transgression, oftentimes we think of the 00:03:15.409 --> 00:03:19.930 people that were intimately connected with that 00:03:19.930 --> 00:03:23.830 sin and that transgression, that iniquity, such 00:03:23.830 --> 00:03:30.430 as Bathsheba, or Uriah, or David's child, or 00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:36.080 The nation that David was king over. When we 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:39.060 consider David's transgression, our mind goes 00:03:39.060 --> 00:03:46.219 horizontal. Among the world of men. When we think 00:03:46.219 --> 00:03:50.759 of sin, oftentimes we think of other men. It's 00:03:50.759 --> 00:03:56.199 effect upon them. It's relation to them. But 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:01.139 David here says against you. You only. I have 00:04:01.139 --> 00:04:09.199 sinned. David recognizes the Godwardness of his 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:15.680 transgression. He recognizes that his sin and 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:21.500 its ultimate offense, that sin and its ultimate 00:04:21.500 --> 00:04:28.740 nature is always transgression of God and his 00:04:28.740 --> 00:04:34.470 person. God in his law that ultimately all our 00:04:34.470 --> 00:04:38.910 iniquity, all our wickedness, ultimately all 00:04:38.910 --> 00:04:45.269 our sin is against the lawgiver, against God 00:04:45.269 --> 00:04:50.089 himself. So David says against you and you only, 00:04:50.129 --> 00:04:56.550 I have sinned. Now how is it that our sin is 00:04:56.550 --> 00:05:02.529 against God? It's against his person and his 00:05:02.529 --> 00:05:08.189 character. When we consider the Lord throughout 00:05:08.189 --> 00:05:12.990 Scripture, we consider him as creator, we consider 00:05:12.990 --> 00:05:18.649 him as redeemer and savior. We have to recognize 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:25.850 that he is holy. That God is perfectly righteous. 00:05:29.480 --> 00:05:36.139 That he is perfectly faithful. And that we have 00:05:36.139 --> 00:05:39.120 been made in his image. We have been made as 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:43.160 those who image, who reflect him in this world. 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:48.199 Therefore, when his creatures who are made in 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:52.439 his image act in a way that is inconsistent with 00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:56.240 his person, his character, and his being, we 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:01.899 image him. Incorrectly. We reflect his character 00:06:01.899 --> 00:06:05.680 and his glory in a way that perverts who he is. 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:15.399 We act and we work in such a way that we mar 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:23.199 his perfect person. His perfect character. Sin 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:28.769 is always against God himself. He is always the 00:06:28.769 --> 00:06:32.350 object of our transgression. When we're unfaithful, 00:06:32.350 --> 00:06:36.250 when we're unholy, when we're impure, we're saying 00:06:36.250 --> 00:06:40.649 that God is impure. We're saying that God is 00:06:40.649 --> 00:06:44.069 unholy. When we're unrighteous and unfaithful, 00:06:44.110 --> 00:06:47.389 we're telling the world that God who made us 00:06:47.389 --> 00:06:53.250 in His image is unfaithful and unrighteous. It's 00:06:53.250 --> 00:06:57.529 always against... His person. It's always against 00:06:57.529 --> 00:07:04.050 his character. It's in opposition to who he is. 00:07:04.610 --> 00:07:11.189 Sin is against his law. It's against the express 00:07:11.189 --> 00:07:15.209 and manifest will that he has made known in the 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:21.290 moral law of God. 1 John 3 .4 says everyone who 00:07:21.290 --> 00:07:26.949 practices sin. Also practices lawlessness. And 00:07:26.949 --> 00:07:35.709 sin is lawlessness. Sin. The lack of conformity 00:07:35.709 --> 00:07:42.569 to his law. Or the positive transgression of 00:07:42.569 --> 00:07:47.269 his law. Or lacking or withholding that which 00:07:47.269 --> 00:07:51.350 is obligated and due to God or our fellow men. 00:07:52.139 --> 00:07:56.879 as given in his law. The law is an expression 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.699 of his holy and his righteous and his perfect 00:07:59.699 --> 00:08:03.720 nature. He's given it to us externally in his 00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:06.339 word, and he's given it to us internally within 00:08:06.339 --> 00:08:09.839 our hearts. And as believers, we've had the law 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.319 written afresh on our hearts as members of the 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:19.100 new covenant. So when we sin, it's always a transgression 00:08:19.100 --> 00:08:23.769 of his law. It's a refusal, it's a denial of 00:08:23.769 --> 00:08:28.730 his authority and his commands in our life. So 00:08:28.730 --> 00:08:31.329 it's against that which he has told us to do 00:08:31.329 --> 00:08:36.350 or he's required us to perform in the moral law 00:08:36.350 --> 00:08:43.370 of God. It's against him. It's against his law 00:08:43.370 --> 00:08:47.389 that is in the word and that is in our hearts 00:08:47.389 --> 00:08:52.809 as nature. As natural beings and having it in 00:08:52.809 --> 00:08:57.009 our hearts naturally. As those born with it. 00:08:57.429 --> 00:09:02.370 It's against his word. It's against his will. 00:09:04.009 --> 00:09:11.710 David knew the law of God. And we read in 2 Samuel. 00:09:12.210 --> 00:09:17.009 That when Nathan comes to him. Nathan says to 00:09:17.009 --> 00:09:23.120 him. You are the man. Thus says the Lord God 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:26.019 of Israel, it is I who anointed you as king over 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:28.879 Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:32.039 hand of Saul. I also gave you your master's house 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:34.500 and your master's wives into your care, and I 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:37.539 gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if 00:09:37.539 --> 00:09:40.320 that had not been too little, I would have added 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:43.940 these to you many more things like these. And 00:09:43.940 --> 00:09:49.639 here it is. Why have you despised the word? Of 00:09:49.639 --> 00:10:00.720 the Lord. David. As it were. Spat. On. The word 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:06.860 of God. When he. Willingly chose. To remain. 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:14.460 In his sin. He did not want. God's will. For 00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:17.940 his life. In that moment. And throughout that 00:10:17.940 --> 00:10:22.450 time. What did David want in his life? He wanted 00:10:22.450 --> 00:10:26.830 his will. He did not want the purposes of God. 00:10:26.929 --> 00:10:30.470 He wanted his own purposes. He did not want to 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:33.090 please the Lord. He wanted to please himself. 00:10:35.710 --> 00:10:38.590 Sin is against God in his express and manifest 00:10:38.590 --> 00:10:42.070 perceptive will that he's made known in his holy 00:10:42.070 --> 00:10:47.559 word and his prophetic word. So when you willingly 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:50.840 sin, brothers and sisters, you are casting off 00:10:50.840 --> 00:10:54.179 God's purposes and God's will for your life, 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:57.440 and you are exalting your own will and your own 00:10:57.440 --> 00:11:02.460 purposes in your own life. That's what sin does. 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:06.799 It sets us in opposition and against God himself, 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:14.440 his word, his law, his will in our lives. It's 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:22.059 against the blood of Jesus Christ. As those who 00:11:22.059 --> 00:11:25.320 know the Lord Jesus Christ, as those who are 00:11:25.320 --> 00:11:31.779 justified as David was justified, when we sin, 00:11:31.879 --> 00:11:36.039 we sin against the blessed blood of the Lord 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:40.299 Jesus. For if we go on sinning willfully after 00:11:40.299 --> 00:11:43.009 receiving the knowledge of the truth, There no 00:11:43.009 --> 00:11:47.450 longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying 00:11:47.450 --> 00:11:52.029 expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire 00:11:52.029 --> 00:11:56.590 which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who 00:11:56.590 --> 00:12:01.210 sets aside the law of Moses dies without mercy 00:12:01.210 --> 00:12:04.549 on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How 00:12:04.549 --> 00:12:08.950 much more severe punishment do you think he will 00:12:08.950 --> 00:12:15.120 deserve? who has trampled underfoot the Son of 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:19.039 God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:22.600 the covenant by which he was sanctified and has 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:29.379 insulted the spirit of grace. It's a serious 00:12:29.379 --> 00:12:32.679 thing, brothers and sisters, to go on in our 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:39.240 sin willfully. Because when the saint continues 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:42.600 in sin, they're not sinning against God who is 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:49.320 judge. You're sinning against grace. You're sinning 00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:51.980 against Christ. You're sinning against the blood 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.860 of the Lord Jesus Christ who spilt it that you 00:12:54.860 --> 00:12:57.399 might be atoned for, your sins might be atoned 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.759 for, and that you might be purified and cleansed. 00:13:03.139 --> 00:13:08.039 It's a serious thing. To sin against the living 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:11.360 God who has sent Christ into the world to shed 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:14.500 his blood on behalf of sinners for their sin. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:21.399 Sin is always against God himself. Sin is always 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:24.379 against his law. It is always against his word 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.259 and his will. And it is always against the blood 00:13:27.259 --> 00:13:34.360 of Jesus Christ. This is why sin is evil. In 00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:41.120 God's sight. David says. That he has done. What 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:47.720 is evil. In your sight. He doesn't say it's bad. 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:59.860 He says it's evil. Evil. Moral evil. Is that 00:13:59.860 --> 00:14:08.309 which. God hates. That which God despises. It 00:14:08.309 --> 00:14:14.169 is that which God does not delight in. And it's 00:14:14.169 --> 00:14:17.230 because it is against him. And when a person 00:14:17.230 --> 00:14:22.649 sins willfully, they are putting themselves in 00:14:22.649 --> 00:14:25.269 a place where it's not just them against God, 00:14:25.490 --> 00:14:31.169 it's God against them. You're putting yourself 00:14:31.169 --> 00:14:34.110 in a place where not only do you oppose God, 00:14:34.250 --> 00:14:39.909 but God himself opposes you in your willful sin. 00:14:41.970 --> 00:14:49.309 Sin is evil in his sight. And it's because it 00:14:49.309 --> 00:14:56.169 is in opposition to these things. Because it's 00:14:56.169 --> 00:15:00.549 that which he hates. It's participation. It's 00:15:00.549 --> 00:15:03.590 acting, thinking, doing, having dispositions 00:15:03.590 --> 00:15:09.330 that are in things which he hates, which he does 00:15:09.330 --> 00:15:18.909 not delight in. Sin is evil when it is acted 00:15:18.909 --> 00:15:24.490 upon, when it is participated in, when the thoughts 00:15:24.490 --> 00:15:28.080 dwell on it. When it's the disposition of the 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.600 heart, when it's natural corruption because we're 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:35.899 born with a sin nature. And when a person comes 00:15:35.899 --> 00:15:40.100 to know the Lord Jesus Christ, when a person 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:42.340 believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and they come 00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:45.039 into union with Christ by faith and repentance, 00:15:45.220 --> 00:15:54.700 that sin does not cease being evil. That sin. 00:15:55.950 --> 00:16:04.429 does not stop in how wicked it is. I think we 00:16:04.429 --> 00:16:06.330 have a hard time understanding that, brothers 00:16:06.330 --> 00:16:11.110 and sisters. We think, well, I'm a Christian. 00:16:11.190 --> 00:16:14.230 My sin's dealt with. God doesn't see my sin that 00:16:14.230 --> 00:16:19.909 way anymore. It's not evil to God anymore. It's 00:16:19.909 --> 00:16:25.309 just little mess -ups. When a person believes 00:16:25.309 --> 00:16:29.750 on Jesus Christ, their sin, which they participate 00:16:29.750 --> 00:16:33.309 in, they act upon, they think upon, they speak 00:16:33.309 --> 00:16:36.529 and they talk about, it is still evil in the 00:16:36.529 --> 00:16:40.549 sight of God, brothers and sisters. It is still 00:16:40.549 --> 00:16:43.350 wicked and there are still ramifications with 00:16:43.350 --> 00:16:45.990 regards to your fellowship and your communion 00:16:45.990 --> 00:16:53.240 with God. Consider that for a moment. This is 00:16:53.240 --> 00:17:00.019 why David needs to be restored. This is why David 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:03.419 needs to confess his sins to God. This is why 00:17:03.419 --> 00:17:06.559 David needs to repent of his sins because he 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:10.059 has done as a saint, as a justified man, that 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:16.460 which is evil in the very sight of God. When 00:17:16.460 --> 00:17:18.339 was the last time you considered the fact that 00:17:18.339 --> 00:17:26.059 you commit evil in God's sight? When was the 00:17:26.059 --> 00:17:28.359 last time you considered the reality that you 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.099 have thought evil things and they have transgressed 00:17:31.099 --> 00:17:35.299 God's holiness? When was the last time that you 00:17:35.299 --> 00:17:38.039 considered that you have evil that dwells within 00:17:38.039 --> 00:17:46.319 you? Brothers and sisters, sin is serious. And 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:48.339 when a person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, 00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:52.549 the nature... does not change within them. The 00:17:52.549 --> 00:17:56.029 nature of their external transgressions, the 00:17:56.029 --> 00:17:58.589 nature of their original corruption does not 00:17:58.589 --> 00:18:03.890 change. Sin's nature does not change when you 00:18:03.890 --> 00:18:09.910 become a believer. It continues. And it remains. 00:18:10.029 --> 00:18:13.730 It's serious. So that means we need to take sin 00:18:13.730 --> 00:18:19.970 seriously in our lives, doesn't it? If God takes 00:18:19.970 --> 00:18:24.970 it seriously, we need to take it seriously. And 00:18:24.970 --> 00:18:31.069 that means we must always consider our sin with 00:18:31.069 --> 00:18:37.910 regards to its relation to God himself. We must 00:18:37.910 --> 00:18:44.769 think of our sin in relation to God primarily 00:18:44.769 --> 00:18:52.779 and ultimately. not before men. When you consider 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:58.059 your actions, your deeds, and your words, are 00:18:58.059 --> 00:19:05.180 you considering how it relates to God? Are you 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:10.450 considering how your thoughts Your actions, your 00:19:10.450 --> 00:19:14.069 dispositions, your longings, your desires, your 00:19:14.069 --> 00:19:16.829 sin, your transgression, your iniquity. And are 00:19:16.829 --> 00:19:22.690 you considering how that relates to the Lord 00:19:22.690 --> 00:19:26.890 of glory and the Savior who died on the cross 00:19:26.890 --> 00:19:32.190 for those very sins? Brothers and sisters, the 00:19:32.190 --> 00:19:36.309 most grievous, most injurious sin can be committed 00:19:36.309 --> 00:19:41.069 in this world. Against another man. Another person. 00:19:43.269 --> 00:19:50.789 And ultimately. That sin. Is against God. John 00:19:50.789 --> 00:19:57.410 Piper said. That sin. Is uniquely. A vertical 00:19:57.410 --> 00:20:03.430 phenomenon. And it's very true. We offend our 00:20:03.430 --> 00:20:05.269 brothers, and the Bible uses the language of 00:20:05.269 --> 00:20:07.009 sinning against our brothers and sisters, and 00:20:07.009 --> 00:20:10.869 there's no doubt we can. But that is only a manifestation 00:20:10.869 --> 00:20:15.549 and an expression of transgression and iniquity 00:20:15.549 --> 00:20:21.849 and sin against God himself. So we must consider 00:20:21.849 --> 00:20:30.049 our sin's relation to God. And we must take it 00:20:30.049 --> 00:20:36.369 seriously. We must look at it seriously. We must 00:20:36.369 --> 00:20:39.910 pray about it seriously. We must talk to God 00:20:39.910 --> 00:20:44.009 about it seriously because it's a serious thing. 00:20:46.849 --> 00:20:51.470 Sin is against God. We also see, secondly, that 00:20:51.470 --> 00:20:57.890 sin is seen by God. The text says, against you, 00:20:57.930 --> 00:21:02.680 you only I've sinned. and done what is evil in 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:09.319 your sight. When we consider David's transgression, 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:19.640 David wasn't alone in his iniquity, was he? David 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:25.119 thought he could cover it up. He thought he could 00:21:25.119 --> 00:21:31.339 conceal it. He thought... He could hide it from 00:21:31.339 --> 00:21:41.180 view. But the Lord had perfect knowledge of his 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:46.839 iniquity. The Lord had perfect understanding 00:21:46.839 --> 00:21:52.859 and knowledge of his heart motives in the incident. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:22:00.599 The Lord knew the details. The intricacies. The 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:03.420 root problems. The Lord knew all the outward 00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:06.900 transgressions and all the acts. He knew all 00:22:06.900 --> 00:22:09.579 of David's sin. And the text says that David 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:11.799 committed this sin and it's as though he did 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:16.559 it right in front of the face of God. All the 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:19.000 while thinking he could conceal it and he could 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:23.740 hide it and he could cover it up. God sees all 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:30.049 sin. He knows all the intimate details of every 00:22:30.049 --> 00:22:36.269 sin, of every sinner. Genesis chapter 6, verse 00:22:36.269 --> 00:22:40.730 5 says, Then the Lord saw that the wickedness 00:22:40.730 --> 00:22:43.269 of man was great on the earth, and that every 00:22:43.269 --> 00:22:49.210 intent of the thoughts of his heart was only 00:22:49.210 --> 00:22:57.180 evil continually. Isaiah. Chapter 65, verse 3 00:22:57.180 --> 00:23:01.480 reads, A people who continually provoke me to 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:18.660 my face. Sin is known and seen by God. It cannot 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:22.880 be hidden, removed, or covered up. That means 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:30.410 that the sin of all men, Is seen by God. Everybody 00:23:30.410 --> 00:23:35.890 in this room. Your sin and your sinfulness. Is 00:23:35.890 --> 00:23:41.670 exposed to the sight of a holy God. But that 00:23:41.670 --> 00:23:45.910 also means. That every other person in Illinois. 00:23:46.789 --> 00:23:50.009 Every other person in a seat of power. Every 00:23:50.009 --> 00:23:52.730 other person in a seat of authority. Every other 00:23:52.730 --> 00:23:55.690 person who serves in office. Every other person. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:03.500 In this county, their sin is seen by God. Brothers 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:05.339 and sisters, it doesn't matter if you're white 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:09.019 -collar or if you're blue -collar. It doesn't 00:24:09.019 --> 00:24:11.960 matter if you're in a combine or in church. It 00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:14.599 doesn't matter if you're driving to Olney or 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:16.380 if you're coming back from Olney. It doesn't 00:24:16.380 --> 00:24:18.299 matter if you're driving to Evansville or you're 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:23.819 coming back to Evansville. Your sin is seen by 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:34.869 the living God. All men sin is in clear view 00:24:34.869 --> 00:24:39.890 of the Lord. But that also means that every type 00:24:39.890 --> 00:24:45.250 of sin is seen by God. It's not just that all 00:24:45.250 --> 00:24:48.089 men are seen, all men's sins are known, but it's 00:24:48.089 --> 00:24:54.009 that every type of iniquity, every type of wickedness 00:24:54.009 --> 00:24:59.400 is known and seen by God himself. The big ones 00:24:59.400 --> 00:25:04.940 and the little ones. The horrendous ones, the 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:10.660 gruesome ones, and the seemingly acceptable ones. 00:25:11.339 --> 00:25:14.859 The self -righteous ones and the unrighteous 00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:20.240 ones. They're all known, they're all seen by 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:25.890 God every time. Every... Manifestation of sin, 00:25:25.970 --> 00:25:31.029 whether it be a disposition of our heart, our 00:25:31.029 --> 00:25:37.049 attitude, whether it be our thoughts and our 00:25:37.049 --> 00:25:41.569 thought life, whether it be our words or our 00:25:41.569 --> 00:25:46.230 motives, whether it be our actions and our behavior, 00:25:46.470 --> 00:25:53.750 all of it is known to God. It doesn't matter 00:25:53.750 --> 00:25:56.789 if we meant to do it or we didn't mean to do 00:25:56.789 --> 00:26:00.910 it. Whether we're conscious of it or we're unconscious 00:26:00.910 --> 00:26:07.549 of it, our sin is seen by God. He has an omniscient 00:26:07.549 --> 00:26:19.789 knowledge of every iniquity in our lives, including 00:26:19.789 --> 00:26:27.170 the saint's sin. Including that of the Christian. 00:26:28.990 --> 00:26:36.450 Consider that. The Lord knows all of your sin. 00:26:38.009 --> 00:26:41.250 The Lord is well aware of the motives of your 00:26:41.250 --> 00:26:44.029 heart. The Lord is well aware of your thoughts 00:26:44.029 --> 00:26:49.250 and your mind. He witnesses everything. He sees 00:26:49.250 --> 00:26:59.009 it all. He takes into account everything. This 00:26:59.009 --> 00:27:02.509 leads us to the third thing. Not only is sin 00:27:02.509 --> 00:27:06.230 against God, not only is sin seen by God, but 00:27:06.230 --> 00:27:11.690 sin is judged by God. We read in the second half 00:27:11.690 --> 00:27:16.210 of verse 4, So that you are justified when you 00:27:16.210 --> 00:27:23.569 speak, and blameless when you judge. What is 00:27:23.569 --> 00:27:27.390 David talking about there? He's talking about 00:27:27.390 --> 00:27:32.069 the reality that sin is against God and that 00:27:32.069 --> 00:27:39.089 God is witness of all sin. That the Lord needs 00:27:39.089 --> 00:27:44.369 no corroboration with regards to the wickedness 00:27:44.369 --> 00:27:49.789 of people. That he knows perfectly well the fault 00:27:49.789 --> 00:27:54.470 and the responsibility for sins. In such a way, 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:59.920 That he is perfectly justified and he is perfectly 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:06.859 blameless when he brings justice. When he judges, 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:13.519 when he condemns. His perfect judgment is seen 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:18.259 in the reality that David himself confesses it. 00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:22.799 David says, you are blameless in your judgment 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:28.670 upon me. You are righteous. David knows that 00:28:28.670 --> 00:28:31.930 there's no room for him to blame God for a false 00:28:31.930 --> 00:28:35.950 or to blame him or an unjustified accusation 00:28:35.950 --> 00:28:40.910 against him. He knows that God is perfectly in 00:28:40.910 --> 00:28:44.069 the right and that God is perfectly clear with 00:28:44.069 --> 00:28:46.930 regards to his accusations, his judgment, his 00:28:46.930 --> 00:28:50.230 discipline, and his condemnation he has experienced 00:28:50.230 --> 00:28:55.000 in his soul and on his conscience. This perfect 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:03.200 judgment teaches us that everything God condemns, 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:10.799 he is just and blameless in condemning. That 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:15.400 means that everything God requires, he expects 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:20.299 and he demands, he's blameless and he's just. 00:29:21.259 --> 00:29:25.039 In requiring and demanding. Every commandment. 00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:28.640 That is given in the law of God. And in the word 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:31.900 of God. And by our Lord Jesus Christ. Is blameless 00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:40.160 and just. But it also means. That all those he 00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:47.700 judges. Are justly judged. That all of those. 00:29:48.200 --> 00:29:50.500 who are judged on the great day of power when 00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:53.920 the Lord Jesus Christ returns, they will be judged 00:29:53.920 --> 00:29:59.599 with a blamelessness in the judgment. Meaning 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:02.319 there's no room for accusation. He's witnessed 00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:05.460 it. He's seen it. He knows the transgression 00:30:05.460 --> 00:30:11.720 and the iniquity. And it's the sinner that is 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:14.900 judged. We get this idea, and there's been this 00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:18.299 idea in evangelicalism, in Christianity for many 00:30:18.299 --> 00:30:23.279 years, that you can somehow condemn and judge 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:27.799 sin apart from the sinner. That is completely 00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:32.220 and absolutely foreign to the Bible. You cannot 00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:38.579 separate sin from the one who has committed the 00:30:38.579 --> 00:30:43.619 act. David is being condemned in his conscience. 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:49.000 David. It's filling the weight and the burden 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:51.799 of this judgment in the disciplinary hand of 00:30:51.799 --> 00:30:57.160 God. It's not some mystical concept that's separated 00:30:57.160 --> 00:31:02.059 from David. But it's something he's done. It's 00:31:02.059 --> 00:31:04.640 something he's acted upon. It's something he 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:07.140 has carried out. It's something that has flowed 00:31:07.140 --> 00:31:10.819 from the very epicenter of who he is. From the 00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:17.589 very core of his being. It also means that the 00:31:17.589 --> 00:31:22.990 Lord is just and he's blameless. In all the discipline 00:31:22.990 --> 00:31:32.109 he brings upon his children. There's no way for 00:31:32.109 --> 00:31:35.190 the child of God to say, remove your hand, Lord. 00:31:35.990 --> 00:31:41.869 This is unjust. You're not blameless in this. 00:31:43.150 --> 00:31:47.490 He knows our hearts, brothers and sisters. He 00:31:47.490 --> 00:31:55.549 knows the iniquity. He knows the sin. We find 00:31:55.549 --> 00:31:57.869 that discipline comes perfectly, blamelessly, 00:31:57.869 --> 00:32:00.829 in a justified manner to the people of God, to 00:32:00.829 --> 00:32:05.970 the child of God, from the hand of God. This 00:32:05.970 --> 00:32:09.670 leads us lastly to the reality that sin is forgiven 00:32:09.670 --> 00:32:16.319 by God. God, out of his mercy and out of his 00:32:16.319 --> 00:32:21.279 compassion, has in fact made a way for himself 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:28.359 to forgive sin. And it's in the person and the 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:31.400 work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:32.920 considered the reality, and this is one of the 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:36.380 most amazing things about Psalm 51. Here we have 00:32:36.380 --> 00:32:40.059 David, who's committed this heinous, evil, wicked 00:32:40.059 --> 00:32:47.289 act. Yet, we find David being restored, brothers 00:32:47.289 --> 00:32:52.170 and sisters. We find David being renewed. We 00:32:52.170 --> 00:32:55.670 find David finding the forgiveness of sins again. 00:32:57.710 --> 00:33:02.049 The reality that David's sins are not held against 00:33:02.049 --> 00:33:05.690 him, that he remains a justified man with imputed 00:33:05.690 --> 00:33:08.809 righteousness from Jesus Christ, is incredible. 00:33:10.349 --> 00:33:14.549 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, 00:33:14.789 --> 00:33:18.349 whose sin is covered, says David in Psalm 32. 00:33:18.589 --> 00:33:21.609 How blessed is the man whom the Lord does not 00:33:21.609 --> 00:33:27.730 impute iniquity. The Lord has made a way for 00:33:27.730 --> 00:33:35.269 his people to be forgiven of their sins. He overlooked 00:33:35.269 --> 00:33:40.019 David's sins that he might demonstrate. The righteousness 00:33:40.019 --> 00:33:45.019 of Christ Jesus in propitiating the wrath of 00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:48.539 God. That's how David can come to the throne. 00:33:49.859 --> 00:33:53.140 This is how David can be restored. This is how 00:33:53.140 --> 00:33:56.599 David is to be renewed because Christ's sacrifice 00:33:56.599 --> 00:34:02.000 was sufficient and adequate for him. For all 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:04.180 have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:08.980 Being justified as a gift by his grace through 00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:11.860 the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom 00:34:11.860 --> 00:34:16.139 God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his 00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:19.219 blood through faith. This was to demonstrate 00:34:19.219 --> 00:34:23.579 his righteousness. Because in the forbearance 00:34:23.579 --> 00:34:29.500 of God, he passed over the sins previously committed. 00:34:30.510 --> 00:34:33.929 For the demonstration, I say, of his righteousness 00:34:33.929 --> 00:34:39.190 at the present time. So that he would be just 00:34:39.190 --> 00:34:44.130 and the justifier of the one who has faith in 00:34:44.130 --> 00:34:50.630 Jesus Christ. David could come to the throne. 00:34:54.230 --> 00:34:58.730 Because. He was resting in a righteousness that 00:34:58.730 --> 00:35:04.329 was not his own. He could be forgiven of the 00:35:04.329 --> 00:35:07.130 evil he's committed in the sight of God. Why? 00:35:09.090 --> 00:35:12.369 Because his standing before that holy and that 00:35:12.369 --> 00:35:15.289 righteous God was outside of himself. It was 00:35:15.289 --> 00:35:21.130 found in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God continues. 00:35:22.380 --> 00:35:26.019 to forgive the sins of his people when they continue 00:35:26.019 --> 00:35:32.119 to commit evil acts in his sight. But it's only 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:36.579 in the Lord Jesus Christ that sins are forgiven. 00:35:38.659 --> 00:35:42.320 So in the midst of God's omniscient knowledge 00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:45.219 and understanding of all iniquity, all sin, and 00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:48.260 all transgression, and the reality that he judges 00:35:48.260 --> 00:35:52.000 perfectly, God has made a way for the forgiveness 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:55.119 of sins, but it's only in the person of the Lord 00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:59.820 Jesus Christ. He does not overlook or blot out 00:35:59.820 --> 00:36:04.079 sins unless a person is in Christ by faith and 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:08.179 repentance. That's the only place that you can 00:36:08.179 --> 00:36:11.079 find safety, that you can find shelter from the 00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:17.300 wrath of God. In the person of the Lord Jesus 00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:21.599 Christ. He always continues and he always does 00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:24.719 and he always continues and he does forgive the 00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:29.719 sins of his people. He always will. We consider 00:36:29.719 --> 00:36:39.000 the reality that God knows all of your sin. Brothers 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:41.900 and sisters, you do commit evil acts in the sight 00:36:41.900 --> 00:36:48.329 of God and he knows it. Yet, his love remains 00:36:48.329 --> 00:36:53.849 on your life. Do you understand that? He knows 00:36:53.849 --> 00:36:57.730 who you are. He knows what your heart is like. 00:36:57.849 --> 00:37:00.710 He knows your thoughts, yet his grace remains, 00:37:01.010 --> 00:37:05.030 his love remains on your life because of the 00:37:05.030 --> 00:37:08.659 person and the work of Jesus Christ. There is 00:37:08.659 --> 00:37:11.039 and there always will be forgiveness available 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:15.059 for the believer because you're resting in the 00:37:15.059 --> 00:37:22.559 finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. His 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:30.320 love is not based on the evil acts you commit 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:36.820 in this life. His love is not based on whether 00:37:36.820 --> 00:37:39.739 or not you confess your sins or you don't confess 00:37:39.739 --> 00:37:44.280 your sins. His love is based on the fact that 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:50.139 Jesus Christ came to this earth and lived a perfect 00:37:50.139 --> 00:37:53.360 life, keeping the law on behalf of the elect. 00:37:53.619 --> 00:37:55.739 And at the end of his life, he went to the cross 00:37:55.739 --> 00:37:58.420 and he suffered the punishment that was due to 00:37:58.420 --> 00:38:04.440 them. His love is based on the reality that he 00:38:04.440 --> 00:38:08.510 rose. from the dead on the third day and the 00:38:08.510 --> 00:38:12.670 father was pleased with his sacrifice. His love 00:38:12.670 --> 00:38:18.750 is based purely and singularly on the loveliness 00:38:18.750 --> 00:38:23.570 of the Lord Jesus Christ. His love is based purely 00:38:23.570 --> 00:38:29.429 and singularly on his person, not your person. 00:38:31.429 --> 00:38:36.510 This means That when he does discipline us, brothers 00:38:36.510 --> 00:38:40.889 and sisters, that when he does discipline us 00:38:40.889 --> 00:38:43.369 in our lives and he does discipline our souls 00:38:43.369 --> 00:38:46.869 and he opposes us, it's always from the loving 00:38:46.869 --> 00:38:50.829 hand of a father and never from the wrathful 00:38:50.829 --> 00:38:57.889 hand of a judge. All discipline from the Lord 00:38:57.889 --> 00:39:04.519 is loving discipline. Discipline which God ordained 00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:07.760 for his people. Whether it be the discipline 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:13.579 required of parents with their children. Whether 00:39:13.579 --> 00:39:16.519 it be the discipline that Christ has given to 00:39:16.519 --> 00:39:19.880 the church for its members. Or whether it be 00:39:19.880 --> 00:39:22.739 the discipline of the father to his children. 00:39:22.860 --> 00:39:28.579 It is discipline of love. It's discipline for 00:39:28.579 --> 00:39:33.159 the good of God. His people. It's for the good. 00:39:33.159 --> 00:39:37.940 Of his children. It's meant. And it's always 00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:47.400 meant. To restore. It's meant. To revive. To 00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:52.159 bring them back. To return. To show them their 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:55.659 sin. And to show them the loveliness. Of the 00:39:55.659 --> 00:40:04.400 Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is forgiven by God in 00:40:04.400 --> 00:40:13.940 Christ. And we can trust and have hope and confidence 00:40:13.940 --> 00:40:18.860 that his discipline in our lives meant to bring 00:40:18.860 --> 00:40:23.860 us to restoration is done with blamelessness 00:40:23.860 --> 00:40:29.070 and justification. That it's done with... The 00:40:29.070 --> 00:40:34.070 reason that we need. For the reason that we need 00:40:34.070 --> 00:40:37.809 it. He does it ultimately for the good of his 00:40:37.809 --> 00:40:41.949 people. That means, brothers and sisters, that 00:40:41.949 --> 00:40:44.829 as a believer, yes, you commit evil deeds, you 00:40:44.829 --> 00:40:47.510 commit evil acts, you have evil thoughts, but 00:40:47.510 --> 00:40:53.150 God uses those very things for the good of the 00:40:53.150 --> 00:40:56.449 Christian. They don't work for your condemnation. 00:40:57.389 --> 00:40:59.809 They don't work for your judgment. They don't 00:40:59.809 --> 00:41:02.570 work towards your punishment. They work for your 00:41:02.570 --> 00:41:05.789 good because God is disciplining you for your 00:41:05.789 --> 00:41:12.769 good in those things. Our sin is against God. 00:41:13.590 --> 00:41:17.130 It's seen by God. It's judged by God. And it 00:41:17.130 --> 00:41:22.230 must be forgiven by God. Let me offer you several 00:41:22.230 --> 00:41:32.869 applications. this text. You have to do with 00:41:32.869 --> 00:41:39.630 God. Meaning, you have to live unto the Lord. 00:41:40.730 --> 00:41:46.429 Our lives are meant to be lives that are lived 00:41:46.429 --> 00:41:54.349 unto our Maker and our Savior. Unto our Lord, 00:41:54.449 --> 00:41:57.590 unto our King. We do not first and foremost, 00:41:57.710 --> 00:42:03.630 brothers and sisters, live unto men. We can't. 00:42:05.570 --> 00:42:11.909 If we live unto men, it will lead to displeasing 00:42:11.909 --> 00:42:16.769 our Father. But if we live unto the glory of 00:42:16.769 --> 00:42:20.449 His name, if we live unto the Lord with reference 00:42:20.449 --> 00:42:23.940 to Him, before him and his sight for his smile, 00:42:24.039 --> 00:42:30.260 for his pleasure, then we will relate to men 00:42:30.260 --> 00:42:35.860 as we ought to. We will deal with men as we have 00:42:35.860 --> 00:42:38.679 dealt with God, but we must deal with him first. 00:42:40.159 --> 00:42:44.820 David knew he had to do with God. And this is 00:42:44.820 --> 00:42:48.699 why he recognized that his sin was against God. 00:42:49.610 --> 00:42:56.309 The same is true of us. We also need to understand 00:42:56.309 --> 00:43:00.329 that you can only understand sin when it's viewed 00:43:00.329 --> 00:43:03.210 in relation to God. Let me put it negatively. 00:43:04.449 --> 00:43:10.809 You cannot understand sin unless it's with reference 00:43:10.809 --> 00:43:18.139 to God. This helps us understand The world around 00:43:18.139 --> 00:43:22.340 us a great deal, doesn't it? This helps us understand 00:43:22.340 --> 00:43:27.179 why there's so many false and erroneous views 00:43:27.179 --> 00:43:33.820 of man, of sin, of their actions, because you 00:43:33.820 --> 00:43:38.719 can't understand man or his sin unless it's in 00:43:38.719 --> 00:43:45.500 relation to God himself. The world cannot understand. 00:43:46.440 --> 00:43:53.019 and his great dilemma. They are not capable of 00:43:53.019 --> 00:44:01.219 understanding sin because it rejects God. But 00:44:01.219 --> 00:44:03.199 brothers and sisters, it's not just the world. 00:44:06.679 --> 00:44:11.239 Christians have inadequate and harmful views 00:44:11.239 --> 00:44:16.110 of man and his sin. Because they have inadequate 00:44:16.110 --> 00:44:22.829 and deficient views of God himself. So if we 00:44:22.829 --> 00:44:26.449 want to understand sin, if we want to understand 00:44:26.449 --> 00:44:32.289 man, then where do we need to look to? If we 00:44:32.289 --> 00:44:34.210 want to understand our own actions and our own 00:44:34.210 --> 00:44:37.590 behavior, our own ethics in life, how we are 00:44:37.590 --> 00:44:40.510 to make decisions, what do we need to be looking 00:44:40.510 --> 00:44:47.369 to? God. It's a wrong question to ask. It's the 00:44:47.369 --> 00:44:51.150 wrong question to ask. What do I need? What does 00:44:51.150 --> 00:44:55.010 this person need? It's a wrong question to ask. 00:44:55.190 --> 00:45:01.670 What is best for us in this situation? How should 00:45:01.670 --> 00:45:05.389 I act with reference to this situation, this 00:45:05.389 --> 00:45:10.409 life? We must ask the question of how does it 00:45:10.409 --> 00:45:16.719 relate to God? What is God's view of it? What 00:45:16.719 --> 00:45:19.280 is God's attitude and disposition towards this? 00:45:19.340 --> 00:45:22.760 What does his law say with regards to my actions? 00:45:24.019 --> 00:45:27.599 What is his law and his word and his will? What 00:45:27.599 --> 00:45:32.780 does Christ say with regards to the dispositions 00:45:32.780 --> 00:45:36.340 of my heart? With regards to my longings and 00:45:36.340 --> 00:45:39.519 my desires, my wants and my hopes and my dreams 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:47.579 in this life? We must view ourselves, our actions, 00:45:47.619 --> 00:45:52.440 our attitudes, our whole lives with reference 00:45:52.440 --> 00:46:03.500 to God himself. Also, we see that it's useless 00:46:03.500 --> 00:46:10.219 and vain to strive and to seek to conceal sin 00:46:10.219 --> 00:46:19.250 before God. It's a vain and useless pursuit to 00:46:19.250 --> 00:46:24.369 try and cover your iniquity with a sovereign, 00:46:24.590 --> 00:46:32.210 all -knowing God. For the believer, this is why 00:46:32.210 --> 00:46:36.610 it's necessary that we expose it, that we confess 00:46:36.610 --> 00:46:40.769 it, that we forsake it, that we bring it to him 00:46:40.769 --> 00:46:48.000 and we turn from it. For the unbeliever, your 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:56.219 sin will be exposed on the day when Christ judges 00:46:56.219 --> 00:47:04.059 all men. You cannot hide it from him. You cannot 00:47:04.059 --> 00:47:07.519 cover it up. He already knows it and he knows 00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:09.679 everything you'll do and everything you've done. 00:47:11.920 --> 00:47:14.639 And there's only hope, there's only safety, there's 00:47:14.639 --> 00:47:26.980 only refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every person 00:47:26.980 --> 00:47:32.699 will either be judged because of their sins with 00:47:32.699 --> 00:47:38.250 a blameless and justified judgment or you will 00:47:38.250 --> 00:47:41.230 be acquitted in the person and the work of Jesus 00:47:41.230 --> 00:47:48.989 Christ. You either rest in his work and his sacrifice, 00:47:49.190 --> 00:47:54.929 his life, his death, his resurrection, or you 00:47:54.929 --> 00:47:59.829 rest and you hope in your own supposed good deeds 00:47:59.829 --> 00:48:07.719 and your own supposed self -righteousness. Those 00:48:07.719 --> 00:48:12.639 are the only two options. Every person in humanity 00:48:12.639 --> 00:48:17.780 will be divided as sheep and goats. You're either 00:48:17.780 --> 00:48:22.340 in Christ or you're not in Christ. You either 00:48:22.340 --> 00:48:25.239 have faith or you don't have faith. You trust 00:48:25.239 --> 00:48:28.440 or you don't trust. You'll answer for your own 00:48:28.440 --> 00:48:32.920 sins or Christ will answer for your sins. Turn 00:48:32.920 --> 00:48:37.760 from your sin. And trust in the Lord Jesus Christ 00:48:37.760 --> 00:48:41.500 for those of you who don't know him. Christian, 00:48:41.500 --> 00:48:48.119 brother and sister, turn from your sin. Cast 00:48:48.119 --> 00:48:53.579 yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus. Realize 00:48:53.579 --> 00:48:57.000 that there is forgiveness that continues. There's 00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:01.179 righteousness that continues because of his work. 00:49:02.079 --> 00:49:05.679 Look to the Lord Jesus. Believe in him.