As we continue looking at Psalm 51, some of you
will probably notice a pattern as we continue
to examine it, as we continue to exposit it.
You might see this pattern that there's this
divide as it's presented. The realities that
David is experiencing within him. There's this
distinct aspect of the psalm which you see it
and you're like, I don't really know what that's
like to experience those realities in my heart.
That seems so far and so distant. I've never
experienced anguish over my sins. I've never
experienced sorrow that has driven me to repentance
and faith. There's a separation, this divide
that we see within the psalm. And that's what
it's doing. This psalm is separating naturally
the sheep from the goats. It's separating the
regenerate heart from the unregenerate heart.
It's separating those with faith from those who
have no true saving faith. Now why does the psalm
do this? It does this to show you the reality
that you need saving faith. To show you the reality
that outward and external religion is no use
before a holy and a righteous God. To show you
that simply trembling beneath the weight of the
law and the threatenings of the law and conviction
and shame, it's to show you that that is no good
unless it actually drives you to true faith and
repentance. So it's creating a divide naturally
and it ought to. Because it's meant to drive
those who know Christ closer to him. But it's
meant to drive those who don't know Christ to
their knees and humility and contrition that
they might see their desperate need for the Lord
Jesus Christ, his death and his resurrection.
So this message is for both of those groups today.
Those who know Christ and those who don't know
Christ. It's for those who have no true faith
and it is for those who have saving faith. It's
meant and it's intended for both. The message
is very simple today. There's two things that
we have to examine and consider. The first is
the heart. behind this appeal, which we see in
verse 9, where David appeals to God and he says,
hide your face from my sins and blot out all
my iniquities. And the second thing we have to
consider today in our time is the appeal that
he's driven to. We'll look at the aspects and
the fact that it's repeated. Verse 1, we'll look
at the reality that it's true. It's an act of
faith and an act of repentance. We'll also look
at the aim of this appeal. Let's begin with the
first item for consideration, the heart behind
the appeal. When we read the words and we hear
the words, hide your face from my sins and blot
out all. my iniquities. We have to ask ourselves,
what's taking place in David's heart that would
cause him to make this appeal? What are the desires
and the longings beneath the request, beneath
the statement? What's taking place? Behind the
scenes of this appeal. That drive him. That motivate
him. To compel him. To make this appeal. To God.
That he would hide his face. And that he would
blot out all his iniquities. What's his heart
like? What's his inner man like? What's the inner
life of David have going on in it? That he would
make such a. An appeal to God. Well, he has shame
before God. This is why he wants God to hide
his face from his sins. Because he knows, his
awakened conscience is telling him, is screaming
to him, that his sin is grotesque. That his sin
is wicked. It is evil. He understands the true
nature of his sin and he does not desire for
God to look at it, to have a view of it. He doesn't
want God to see his sin. So he says, hide your
face from my sins. He doesn't want God to have
fellowship with it. He doesn't want God to look
upon it. Because he understands the nature of
his sin. He sees it as he ought to. He's ashamed
that God would see his sin. Brothers and sisters,
have you ever been ashamed of your sin before
a holy God? Have you ever experienced deep sorrow,
deep down within your soul, for your actions
and for your thoughts and for your intentions,
for your motives, for your longings, for your
dispositions, before a holy and a righteous God?
Has it ever sent you down to your knees because
you've seen your sin as you ought to? In its
grotesque, horrendous form? That's what's happening
to David. Brothers and sisters, friends, I can
tell you this. If you have never experienced
any shame before God for your sin, you are not
a Christian. If you have never experienced sorrow
over your sin, period, you cannot. Be a believer
in Jesus Christ. It's impossible. If you have
never experienced conviction within your soul
over the wickedness that put Jesus Christ on
the cross, you don't know that Christ. Because
when the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, indwells
a believer and effectually calls them unto Christ,
conviction enters in to the life, Of that person.
Have you experienced. Conviction of your sin.
Before. A holy and a righteous God. If you have
not. You do not know God through Christ. A help.
In times of need. With regards to actions and
thoughts. And behaviors. To judge. Whether or
not. It is sinful or not sinful. Maybe it's not
as clear in the Word of God as you would like
it to be. Ask yourself this question. Is this
thought? Is this behavior? Is this action? Is
this desire? Is this longing? Is this what I
would want to be visible and manifested and present
when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory?
What would that induce in your heart? Would it
induce shame? Would it humble you and throw you
to the dust? Or would the Lord Jesus return and
say, well done, good and faithful servant, and
look to you and say, you are being faithful.
You are honoring my name. Brothers and sisters,
this is the heart. That drives a man, woman,
a young person to true repentance and faith.
So there was shame in David and his heart. And
it drove him to make this appeal to God. But
there was also helplessness in David. Why do
we say that there is helplessness in David? Because
in verse 9. David's not saying anything about
what he needs to do or what he wants to do. He
wants God to act. Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities. He wants God
to act in turning away from his sins and he wants
God to act in blotting out his sins. So David
has come completely to the end of himself. He's
come to a point, a place in his life where he
knows his righteousness is no good whatsoever.
He's come to a point in time in his life, he's
come to a place in his heart where he knows he
has nothing good to offer to God. He's desperate.
He's helpless. He has nothing within himself.
his own mind, his own thoughts, his own actions,
his own life, in which he can offer God something
good that's going to restore him. He's driven
outside of himself to the work of God on his
behalf. David is desperately helpless. He knows
he's a sinner, doesn't he, brothers and sisters?
He knows that he's sick. He knows that he has
this disease. He knows that he needs a doctor.
He knows he needs a physician. But he can't fix
it. He can't heal himself. He's driven outside
of himself to the work of God on his behalf.
He's helpless. He can't do anything. But brothers
and sisters, this is the place. This is the heart.
These are the motives that drive him. To make
his appeal isn't it? Helplessness. Is the perfect
place. For true faith. We're driven. To absolute.
Dependence. On God's work. And not our own. Have
you ever considered. What you're trusting in.
What you're looking to. To make you right with
God? Have you ever considered the reality that
maybe you haven't come to the end of yourself?
That you're actually trusting and relying and
depending on your own self -goodness? Your own
supposed self -righteousness? You haven't come
to the end of yourself. You aren't driven to
God by faith and His work on your behalf. David
has. He's been emptied of his own merit because
of his sin. He's crushed. And he knows that his
only help, his only hope, his only chance is
God. It's God's work, God's forgiveness, God's
pardon, God's turning, and God's blotting out
his iniquities. His help is not found in himself,
is it, brothers and sisters? Where do you find
your help before God? Do you find it in Christ?
Do you even think about Christ? Are you driven
to Christ? Or do you think about yourself and
what you do and what you haven't done and everything
you need to do? That's not faith. That's merit.
You're saying, I'll do this and I'll merit and
that will restore me with God. Or that will bring
me to God. Brothers and sisters, that's not faith.
That's self -dependence. That's self... Reliance,
that's self -righteousness. And it's no good
before a holy and a righteous God. We are driven
outside of ourselves because of our sin to God,
and we must look to Christ, His death, His work,
His righteousness, His goodness, His forgiveness,
His cross, His resurrection, and His life. And
look to it by faith. David is full of shame and
he is full of helplessness before God. But he
also has a desire within his heart to be rid
of his sin. How do we know that? How do we know
that David has a desire to be rid of his heart
and that this desire drives him To make this
appeal. Because he asked God to blot it out.
Blot out all my iniquities. It's not just that
he's ashamed of his sin. It's not just that he
feels helpless before God. But he has indignation
within him. Because of his iniquity. He doesn't
want his sin. He doesn't want his corruption.
He doesn't want. the transgression. He doesn't
want his iniquity. He wants God to do away with
it. He wants God to blot it out, to erase it,
to wipe it away because he despises the very
thing within himself. David, in his heart, relates
to his sin in such a way that there's hostility
toward that sin. There's antipathy between David
and his sin within himself. He wants it to be
done away with. Now these inner workings of David's
heart, they don't just sit there and stew. These
things actually drive him to make this appeal
in verse 9. Hide your face. Hide your face from
my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Why did
he say that? Because of the inner workings of
his heart and the experience of his heart. Because
of the realities taking place within his heart.
These motives, these longings, these desires,
these affections, these experiences within his
very soul are what motivate him and compel him
to go to God in repentance and faith. There's
a big difference between the regenerate heart
experiencing conviction and the unregenerate
heart which experiences conviction. The regenerate
heart experiences the weight of the conviction,
the sorrow, the anguish. The regenerate heart
trembles under the law of God, but... It doesn't
just tremble. It's driven to the appeal. It's
driven to true faith and repentance. It doesn't
just stew. Now, the unregenerate man or woman
can certainly experience shame in their conscience.
The unregenerate man or woman can certainly experience
Conviction of their sin and conviction from the
law of God and its threatenings and damnation
and hell and the wrath of God. The unregenerate,
unconverted man can certainly experience a conviction,
a fear, a dread because of that. But the unregenerate
man does not necessarily get driven to the appeal.
Because if he did, he would be regenerate. Brothers
and sisters, if you've sat here for weeks on
end, and you have heard Psalm 51, and you have
had experience of conviction, sorrow, anguish,
if you have been disturbed in your soul, but
it has never driven you to faith and repentance,
consider the character. Of your heart. Have you
been convicted of sin. In the preaching of God's
word. Has it driven you. To the cross. Has it
driven you to the Lord Jesus Christ. His life.
His death. And his resurrection. His righteousness.
And his work on your behalf. Have you turned
from your sin. Have you repented of it. Have
you endeavored. To honor God with all your being
because you've been convicted of sin. Or if you've
been here today and you've not experienced any
conviction at all. Now that's a frightful thing,
brothers and sisters. The regenerate heart trembles.
The regenerate heart hears the word of God. It
is convicted. It goes into anguish. But it's
driven. to Christ in faith. It repents of its
sin. It's stirred up, but it goes somewhere.
The unregenerate heart does not. It just fears.
And eventually it subsides and goes away. The
unregenerate, it trembles, yes, for a time, just
like Felix under the preaching of Paul. But then
it dissipates and they do away with that which
is bothering it. And they remain in their sins
and condemned in their sins. They have no faith.
This is the heart behind the appeal. Now let's
look at the appeal itself that he's driven to.
The appeal that David is driven to. Hide your
face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
When we consider this appeal, there's several
different parts that we have to examine within
it. The most immediate and the most obvious is
the negative aspect of this appeal. David says,
hide your face from my sins. Now, when I say
negative, I mean that he's asking God not to
do something. He's saying, don't do this, God.
Don't look at me. Turn your face. Hide your face
from my sins. Withhold from looking at my face.
Refuse to look at my sins. Turn away from it.
David is asking God not to do something. He's
asking to be treated in a way that he doesn't
deserve. What does David deserve for his adultery,
his sexual immorality? What does David deserve
with regards to his deceit, his manipulation,
his murder, the hatred in his heart? He deserves
for God to look on those sins and to punish those
sins and David. But somehow David can ask God,
hide your face from my sins. Is he asking God
to do something unjust? Can God just simply look
away from sin? Can God simply turn away from
sin and ignore it? How is it that David can say
this? It's as though he wants God to treat his
sin separate from himself. Hide your face from
my sins. Any other time this language is used,
it's an expression of God's disfavor or his lack
of favor, his unhappiness, his wrath, his anger.
Typically in the Old Testament, if God turns
his face away from the nation or from sin or
from a person or their actions, it's because
he's angry with them. What he is seeing, what
is within his sight, within his view, is causing
him to be angry with the sinner. Yet here, David
says, hide your face from my sins. Turn your
face away from me. And this would be an act of
what? Favor. Of blessing. Of blessedness. Don't
treat me as I deserve. How can God do this and
remain just? How can God do this and remain holy?
How can God not punish David's sins? Well, this
brings us to the next aspect of it, the positive
aspect of this appeal that David makes. What
does he say? He asks God to positively do something.
Blot out all my iniquities. This word blot out
has to do with erasing completely. It carries
the idea of this illustration is used in Isaiah
44. A dark thick cloud that's dusty covering
somebody. They're covered in dark mud and dust
and muck, and God completely and totally wiping
them perfectly clean. All that thick, dirty dust
and dirt is gone. All the dirtiness is gone.
It's wiped away. It's blotted out. Again, is
this an unjust request? Does God simply just
blot out people's sins? Does God simply freely
forgive sins? Does he pardon sins and not punish
the sin? How is it possible that David can ask
such a request? The Bible says that God will
by no means clear. The guilty. How is it that
God is going to punish David's sin? How is it
that God can freely forgive David's sin? There's
another aspect to this verse. That's the implicit
aspect of this verse. The text is implying to
the reader that there's something else taking
place. The text is implying that David David's
sins are forgiven, but that God remains just.
That he remains holy. That somehow, separate
from David, his sins are dealt with. His sins
are, in fact, punished. There's more taking place.
Somehow, God can be just and still justify David.
How? Turn with me to Psalm 32. We're given some
insight and help into this. In Psalm 32, which
is the sister psalm of Psalm 51, contains much
of the similar material, similar petitions and
similar appeals. We read in verse 1 of Psalm
32, How blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sins are blotted out, whose sin
is covered. Now that's helpful. So we find out
that David's sins are covered. And the idea of
atonement, of covering with blood. Verse 2, how
blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not
impute iniquity. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord does not reckon, account, consider iniquity.
So it carries this idea of imputation. Turn with
me to Romans chapter 4. So David's telling us
in Psalm 32 that his sins are dealt with in some
way, shape, or form by imputation. His sin. His
wickedness, his iniquity is imputed somewhere.
And because of this imputation, God can turn
his face away from David's sins and God can blot
out his sins. But there's still more to be discovered.
We read in Romans chapter 4. What shall we say
then, starting in verse 1? That Abraham, our
forefather, according to the flesh, is found.
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has
something to boast about, but not before God.
For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed
God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Imputed as righteousness. Reckoned, considered,
accounted as righteousness. Same as Psalm 32.
So somehow, David's sins are imputed elsewhere
so that they can be punished and they can be
dealt with, and somehow righteousness is imputed,
is reckoned, is accounted to David. Where does
this foreign righteousness on his account come
from? Verse 4, Now to the one who works his works,
his wage is not credited as a favor, but is what
is due. But the one who does not work but believes
in him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith
is credited as righteousness. So righteousness
is laid hold of by faith. Then in verse 7, Psalm
32 is quoted. Blessed are those whose lawless
deeds have been forgiven. And whose sins have
been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the
Lord will not take into account. We read a little
bit later in Romans chapter 4. In verse 22. Therefore
it was also credited to him as righteousness.
Now not for his sake only. This is speaking of
Abraham. Not for his sake only was it written.
But it was credited to him. but for our sake
also, to whom it will be credited, as those who
believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from
the dead, he who was delivered over because of
our transgressions and was raised because of
our justification. Here we find our answer, don't
we, brothers and sisters? How can God turn his
face away from David's sins? How can God hide
his face from them? How can God blot out David's
sins and remain just and the justifier of David?
Because David's sins were dealt with in Jesus
Christ on the cross. David's sin, David's wickedness,
his iniquity was imputed to Christ. And whose
righteousness was imputed to David? Christ. Now
God can act favorably. He can look away from
David's sins in favor because of the blessed
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters,
this is the only way your sins can be forgiven.
This is the only way that you can have righteousness
and good standing and justification from God.
That is to trust in Christ by faith. Without
faith, it is impossible to please God. Without
faith, you have no righteousness but your own
to stand before a holy God. And a righteous God.
This is why Romans chapter 3. Says being justified
as a gift by his grace. Through the redemption
which is in Christ Jesus. Whom God displayed
publicly as a propitiation. In his blood through
faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness.
Because in the forbearance of God he passed over
the sins. previously committed, he passed over
David's sins. For the demonstration, I say, of
his righteousness at the present time, so that
he would be just and the justifier of the one
who has faith in Jesus. So God remains just in
hiding his face from David's sins. And God remains
just in blotting out David's iniquities. Why?
Because his sin was dealt with in the person
and the work of Jesus Christ in his life and
his death and in his resurrection. Your only
hope for justification and righteousness and
good standing before God, friends, is to believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ this minute on this
day. It's to be born again and receive a new
heart that's driven to God by faith when it comes
under conviction. This appeal that David makes
in Psalm 51, it's a repetition. We see this in
the text. When we consider the fact that David
is saying these words, we have to recognize that
he's already said something very similar to this
in verse 1. In verse 1, he says, be gracious
to me, O God. According to your loving kindness,
according to the greatness of your compassion,
blot out my transgressions. Now, why in the world
would David or any of us repeat this appeal?
Why would we cry out to God again? for the forgiveness
of sins, and for our sins to be blotted out.
I believe it's because of the prolonged sense
of corruption within his own heart. He was in
a sin for a long time, wasn't he, brothers and
sisters? And when a person's in sin a long time,
It wells up a lot of corruption within our natures.
And at times it takes a long time for the sense,
the awareness, the reality of that corruption
within us to go away, to be removed. So David
is repeating this prayer. What does that encourage
us to do when we consider the reality that he's
repeating this petition, this appeal to God?
It encourages us to quick repentance, to consistent
and ongoing repentance in our life, to dealing
immediately and readily with sin in our hearts
and in our lives. The sooner we deal with the
sin, the sooner the corruption and the sense
of corruption can be dealt with. He repeats this
sin. But I think one of the most amazing realities...
within this whole text, is the fact that David
is believing and repenting. According to Romans
4, this was an act of faith, that he had faith
at this time. In the context of Psalm 51, we
have to recognize this as a genuine expression
Of repentance. So what is David in possession
of at this moment? True repentance and true faith.
Now consider the magnitude of that. Consider
the depth of sin that he has been in. Yet faith
remains. Consider the reality of the depths of
sorrow and anguish and shame his heart has been
in. Yet, repentance comes forth as a manifestation
of his faith. The reality that he is in possession
of true faith is marvelous, brothers and sisters.
It's remarkable. His faith was not obliterated
within his period of unrepentant sin. And repentance
does come forth. We learn several things about
the nature of true repentance and true faith
from the reality that David is in possession
of them at this time. in this psalm. And these
are some of the most encouraging realities, I
think, that we've encountered within Psalm 51,
brothers and sisters. The first is that true
repentance is not always simply a one -time deal.
It's not a one -size -fits -all grace. There
will be various and varied degrees of repentance
within our life. It may look different for you
than it does for me. But you might have to repent
more than once. You may have to. Continue persisting
in repentance. But also, brothers and sisters,
it should encourage us to continue and keep repenting
in our lives. You are not abnormal in your life
if you are continuing to repent of sin, brothers
and sisters. It is not simply you and you alone.
It ought to be every believer in Jesus Christ
who's continually repenting. Isn't this why Jesus
told us in the Lord's Prayer to ask for forgiveness?
What does forgiveness necessarily include? Repentance
and confession, a recognition of our need to
be forgiven. Not only should we pray daily, but
we should repent daily, and it ought to be a
universal Christian activity. Because there's
not a day that goes by, brothers and sisters,
that I do not sin. There's not a day that goes
by that you do not break God's law. It's amazing
at times when I pray, and I think to myself,
I haven't done anything. Think about that. Repent
of the corruption that is within you. It's not
just what we've done. Brothers and sisters, it's
who you are. There is evil within your heart.
Repent of the evil within your heart. Repent
of the pride and the arrogance of thinking you
haven't done anything to offend God. Repentance
ought to be a universal Christian activity. You
are not the oddball out if you are dealing with
sin in the Christian life. You ought to be the
oddball out if you're not dealing with sin in
the Christian life. There's always sin to repent
of in your life. And you are not alone in that,
brothers and sisters. But we also ought to be
encouraged by the reality that true faith is
never, ever obliterated by the depth of our sin.
David had faith when he was justified, and David
had faith at the moment, right now, when he's
being sanctified and renewed. But here's the
thing we have to understand. David didn't wake
up one day in his sin and say, I'm going to get
out of this, and by faith I'm going to lay hold
of Christ. No. That would be a testimony of David's
faithfulness and David's goodness in the midst
of his iniquity. Now, what it was is that by
David's feeble, weak, little faith in the midst
of his sin, the risen Lord Jesus Christ, out
of his faithfulness and his goodness and his
ministry, reached down through that little, itty
-bitty, tiny faith that David had and lifted
him up. and upheld him, and renewed his conscience.
But the reality is this, faith remained. The
same faith which justified David is the same
faith which sanctified David, which Christ brought
about sanctification and renewal in his life.
Now here's the encouraging reality, brothers
and sisters. If you are a justified sinner, If
you are declared to be righteous before God,
then your faith, which God has graciously given
you, will sanctify you. Because it's through
that faith that the risen Lord Jesus Christ will
minister to your soul. And it's through that
faith that the risen Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen
you and undergird you. and work in you, and progressively
make you holier and godlier, and sanctify you
throughout the whole of your life. Your faith
does not have to be grand. It doesn't have to
be ginormous. Why? Because true faith regardless
of the size of it, lays hold of the same great,
mighty, good, powerful Lord and Savior. This
isn't just a testimony of faith and repentance,
is it? It's also a testimony concerning the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ to his people in the
midst of their sin. It's a testimony of the reality
of the utter and absolute sufficiency of his
work to cover any of our sins, to bring us out
of and to renew our repentance from any of our
sins. When we think about David and the fact
that Christ's righteousness was sufficient to
cover his adultery. Christ's righteousness was
sufficient to cover his hate -filled, murdering
heart. It was utterly sufficient, brothers and
sisters. Is it not sufficient to cover your sin
as well? Is it not utterly and absolutely sufficient
to cover your thoughts, your hearts? your transgressions,
your dispositions. It's a testimony concerning
the sufficiency of Christ to justify and sanctify
his people. So we've seen the heart behind this
appeal. But we've also examined and we've considered
thoroughly the appeal. So what do you do with
all this information, brothers and sisters and
friends? You take a good, long, hard look at
your own heart and your own life. And you ask
yourself, is my conviction driving me to Christ?
Is there true saving and sanctifying? Faith in
my life. Do I have a regenerate heart or an unregenerate
heart? Consider these realities. There's no more
important question, brothers and sisters. The
eternal destiny of your soul depends on this.
Take time. Think and pray about it. Ask the Lord
to help you, to open your eyes, to manifest to
your wickedness and your sin. Pray to him, spend
time with him. Ask him to strengthen you in the
midst of whatever struggle you have and know
that he will be faithful.