WEBVTT 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:14.519 Psalm 51, we're going to read its entirety, verses 00:00:14.519 --> 00:00:19.500 1 through 19. Be gracious to me, O God, according 00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:23.179 to your loving kindness. According to the greatness 00:00:23.179 --> 00:00:26.179 of your compassion, blot out my transgressions. 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:30.699 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse 00:00:30.699 --> 00:00:36.039 me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, 00:00:36.140 --> 00:00:41.700 and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you 00:00:41.700 --> 00:00:45.640 only, I have sinned and done what is evil in 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.799 your sight, so that you are justified when you 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:55.100 speak and blameless when you judge. Behold, I 00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:58.700 was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:03.079 conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:06.780 innermost being, and in the hidden part you will 00:01:06.780 --> 00:01:11.420 make me no wisdom. Purify me with hyssop and 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:16.299 I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter 00:01:16.299 --> 00:01:20.239 than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. 00:01:20.299 --> 00:01:22.819 Let the bones which you have broken rejoice. 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:28.260 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:32.760 my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O 00:01:32.760 --> 00:01:36.680 God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 00:01:37.450 --> 00:01:40.890 Do not cast me away from your presence and do 00:01:40.890 --> 00:01:46.049 not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to 00:01:46.049 --> 00:01:50.969 me the joy of your salvation and sustain me with 00:01:50.969 --> 00:01:54.989 a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors 00:01:54.989 --> 00:01:58.469 your ways and sinners will be converted to you. 00:01:59.189 --> 00:02:01.969 Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the 00:02:01.969 --> 00:02:06.430 God of my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully 00:02:06.430 --> 00:02:11.530 sing. of your righteousness. O Lord, open my 00:02:11.530 --> 00:02:17.069 lips that my mouth may declare your praise. For 00:02:17.069 --> 00:02:20.189 you do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I 00:02:20.189 --> 00:02:23.069 would give it. You are not pleased with burnt 00:02:23.069 --> 00:02:27.930 offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken 00:02:27.930 --> 00:02:32.129 spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, 00:02:32.289 --> 00:02:38.300 you will not despise. By your favor. Do good 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:42.539 to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then you 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:46.759 will delight in righteous sacrifices and burnt 00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:49.879 offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then young 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:55.280 bulls will be offered on your altar. As we come 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.460 to Psalm 51, we approach it for the last and 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:05.060 final time as we've been studying this psalm. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:11.080 Lord willing, It's been as edifying to everyone 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:14.680 as it has been to my soul to work through this 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:21.960 and to study this psalm. So I appeal to you to 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:28.520 listen and hear the psalm one last time. Don't 00:03:28.520 --> 00:03:38.030 let up on repentance just yet. Relax in your 00:03:38.030 --> 00:03:41.710 hearing at this time as we conclude this study 00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:48.710 of God's holy word in Psalm 51. So today as we 00:03:48.710 --> 00:03:51.669 come to this, we're going to spend our time and 00:03:51.669 --> 00:03:56.409 we're going to look at defining and explaining 00:03:56.409 --> 00:04:01.469 what repentance is. We've seen clearly in Psalm 00:04:01.469 --> 00:04:05.789 51 what repentance is. What it's made up of. 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:10.080 It's composed of. We're going to look in Psalm 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:12.520 51 and we're going to see what it says about 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.719 the fruit of repentance, what comes from repentance, 00:04:15.979 --> 00:04:18.540 what the result of repentance is. We see this 00:04:18.540 --> 00:04:23.519 in Psalm 51. But we're also going to see that 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:26.459 there's a confidence and a certainty that David 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:29.339 is in possession of, even in the midst of his 00:04:29.339 --> 00:04:32.759 anguish and his brokenness in Psalm 51. We've 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:37.170 seen that. over and over and over in this psalm. 00:04:37.370 --> 00:04:40.009 It's almost like these parallel realities are 00:04:40.009 --> 00:04:42.870 taking place in David. Mourning and brokenness, 00:04:42.889 --> 00:04:46.790 but also certainty and confidence. So we're going 00:04:46.790 --> 00:04:49.810 to look at this, and we're going to see it in 00:04:49.810 --> 00:04:53.910 Psalm 51. And finally, we're going to look at 00:04:53.910 --> 00:04:58.490 the relevance and the need of repentance from 00:04:58.490 --> 00:05:02.569 Psalm 51. What makes repentance and Psalm 51? 00:05:04.199 --> 00:05:09.240 So utterly relevant for our lives as believers, 00:05:09.379 --> 00:05:15.000 but also for the church as a whole. Beginning 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:20.300 with the first item we must consider, the elements 00:05:20.300 --> 00:05:24.199 of repentance. Repentance is always composed 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:28.240 of different elements or different components. 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:33.500 We've seen this in Psalm 51. True repentance 00:05:33.500 --> 00:05:40.399 is always composed of recognition of sin. David 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:46.800 recognizes his sin as sin in Psalm 51. He says, 00:05:46.860 --> 00:05:50.980 my sin in verse 2, my transgressions in verse 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:55.079 1. He says, against you, you only, I have sinned. 00:05:55.120 --> 00:05:58.399 And then he says at the end of verse 4, we're 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:01.300 in the middle of verse 4, and done what is evil. 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:09.339 And your sight. He recognizes his actions. He 00:06:09.339 --> 00:06:13.779 recognizes his wickedness as evil. In the sight 00:06:13.779 --> 00:06:16.959 of God. He takes ownership of his sin. He says 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:23.399 my sin. My transgression. My iniquity. He's owning 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:26.759 up to his own culpability in this matter, and 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:29.360 he's recognizing his sin as sin. But we also 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:32.000 see that true repentance is always composed of 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:35.680 brokenness and contrition over that sin which 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:39.220 we've committed. Isn't that the reality we see 00:06:39.220 --> 00:06:42.620 of David? Isn't that why he says the sacrifices 00:06:42.620 --> 00:06:47.480 of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:53.439 heart? True repentance always involves brokenness 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:58.600 and contrition over what we've done to a person 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:03.720 in the sight of God. It always involves a shattering 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:08.220 of the spirit, anguish and mourning and grief 00:07:08.220 --> 00:07:14.660 from our hearts over the sin we have committed. 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:20.120 But we also see, That there's shame and guilt 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:24.560 involved in true repentance. True repentance 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:29.220 is not devoid or not without guilt over that 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:34.379 sin. True repentance always involves guilt over 00:07:34.379 --> 00:07:37.639 sin. We see this when David says, Against you 00:07:37.639 --> 00:07:39.740 and you only I have sinned and done what is evil 00:07:39.740 --> 00:07:42.420 in your sight, so that you are justified when 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:45.699 you speak and blameless when you judge. He's 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:49.620 guilty. And his conscience is condemning him 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:53.620 of his sin. His conscience is pricking him. Why? 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:59.000 Because he's done that which is worthy of condemnation 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:03.259 in the sight of God. There's actual guilt and 00:08:03.259 --> 00:08:06.819 actual shame on his conscience that needs cleansed, 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:10.220 that needs washed away as a result of his sin 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:13.709 and his life. True repentance always involves 00:08:13.709 --> 00:08:16.730 shame and guilt because of sin. But it always 00:08:16.730 --> 00:08:23.009 involves confession of that sin as well. It's 00:08:23.009 --> 00:08:26.189 not just enough to recognize sin as sin. It's 00:08:26.189 --> 00:08:29.189 not just enough to be broken over sin and to 00:08:29.189 --> 00:08:33.549 have an emotional repentance. It's not just enough 00:08:33.549 --> 00:08:36.529 to have guilt over sin. We must be driven to 00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:39.710 verbally and to confess that sin to God himself 00:08:39.710 --> 00:08:44.379 in prayer. Repentance involves confession of 00:08:44.379 --> 00:08:48.120 sin to God. We've referenced this multiple times 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:55.480 in our study of Psalm 51, Proverbs 28, 13. He 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:58.659 who conceals his transgressions will not prosper. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:05.460 But he who confesses and forsakes them will find 00:09:05.460 --> 00:09:11.970 compassion. True repentance. Always involves, 00:09:12.610 --> 00:09:18.049 always consists of, is always composed of confession 00:09:18.049 --> 00:09:23.769 of sin to God in prayer. It's not mere thinking 00:09:23.769 --> 00:09:28.470 about it. It's confessing of it to God himself. 00:09:28.509 --> 00:09:31.049 But then there's a final component that we see 00:09:31.049 --> 00:09:38.419 in Psalm 51. That's the forsaking of sin. We 00:09:38.419 --> 00:09:41.120 can't merely recognize it, be broken over it, 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:43.840 have shame and guilt from it, and confess it. 00:09:43.899 --> 00:09:48.299 We must actually exercise and use our will to 00:09:48.299 --> 00:09:52.100 forsake that sin in our life, to give it up, 00:09:52.220 --> 00:09:58.620 to turn our back to it, to face a different direction, 00:09:58.659 --> 00:10:02.679 to will that we are going to change and to actually 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:06.360 change. It's the actual forsaking and giving 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:13.309 up of. The sin. So these are the elements that 00:10:13.309 --> 00:10:19.149 compose and make up and compile true repentance. 00:10:20.250 --> 00:10:23.490 Now, what if someone says, well, I'm broken over 00:10:23.490 --> 00:10:29.929 my sin. But I don't have any guilt or shame for 00:10:29.929 --> 00:10:35.820 what I've done. I feel sad about it. Well, I'm 00:10:35.820 --> 00:10:38.960 emotionally in turmoil over it, but it doesn't 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.519 drive me to do anything about it. It doesn't 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:44.620 bring about anything in my life. It doesn't drive 00:10:44.620 --> 00:10:50.059 me to confess it or to forsake it. I'm just sad 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:53.399 about it. That's partial, incomplete, superficial 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:58.460 repentance. True repentance is always composed 00:10:58.460 --> 00:11:02.860 of all of these elements. It's not a compartmentalized, 00:11:02.860 --> 00:11:08.000 partial, incomplete repentance. That's superficial 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.139 and false repentance. Psalm 51 clearly tells 00:11:12.139 --> 00:11:16.600 us that every one of these elements is what makes 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:21.740 up repentance in the life of the sinner. They 00:11:21.740 --> 00:11:26.039 all must be present. They all must always be 00:11:26.039 --> 00:11:31.110 present to some degree or another. For it to 00:11:31.110 --> 00:11:37.850 be true repentance. True repentance is well -rounded, 00:11:38.029 --> 00:11:45.450 complete, and whole person repentance. It's not 00:11:45.450 --> 00:11:50.029 just repentance in our mind and our head. But 00:11:50.029 --> 00:11:52.289 it's also repentance that involves our heart. 00:11:52.539 --> 00:11:55.899 in our emotions, in our affections, in our longings, 00:11:55.899 --> 00:11:58.460 in our desires. It's not just repentance that 00:11:58.460 --> 00:12:00.899 involves our will. It's repentance that involves 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:05.120 our affections as well. It's a whole person, 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:08.639 well -rounded, complete, and total repentance 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:14.600 that is true repentance. This is important because 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:21.159 it helps us to identify and distinguish True 00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:26.000 repentance in our lives from superficial repentance 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:32.440 in our lives. If it's merely emotional or intellectual 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:39.539 repentance with no heart and no will, then it's 00:12:39.539 --> 00:12:42.879 not true repentance. If there's no confession 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:47.659 and no forsaking, it's not true repentance. All 00:12:47.659 --> 00:12:53.259 of this encourages us. and exhorts us to take 00:12:53.259 --> 00:13:00.539 stock of the repentance in our lives, to consider 00:13:00.539 --> 00:13:04.440 it, to examine it, to think about our repentance, 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:09.480 to not simply say, I'm sorry, but to think about 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:12.080 the reality that we have, in fact, sinned against 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:17.159 a holy God. Am I truly repenting before the Lord? 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.460 Is my heart really in this or am I just going 00:13:22.460 --> 00:13:26.200 through the motions in my mind? It encourages 00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:30.080 us to take stock, to consider and examine, to 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:34.840 take inventory of our repentance in our lives. 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:41.320 We must also see, secondly, the fruit of repentance 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:48.450 in Psalm 51. Repentance always... produces certain 00:13:48.450 --> 00:13:52.389 realities in the life of the penitent. Always. 00:13:52.509 --> 00:13:56.210 It always brings about certain things in the 00:13:56.210 --> 00:14:00.409 life of that sinner. We saw, particularly in 00:14:00.409 --> 00:14:04.090 Psalm 51, that David made this endeavor in verse 00:14:04.090 --> 00:14:09.470 13. He says, then I will teach transgressors 00:14:09.470 --> 00:14:13.649 your ways and sinners will be converted to you. 00:14:14.350 --> 00:14:17.889 David was determined to undertake this endeavor 00:14:17.889 --> 00:14:23.669 to witness, to minister, to serve men, unconverted 00:14:23.669 --> 00:14:29.169 sinners, but only when he had been restored following 00:14:29.169 --> 00:14:36.309 his repentance. So that is David's fruit that 00:14:36.309 --> 00:14:40.029 comes from his repentance. It's that which his 00:14:40.029 --> 00:14:42.769 repentance produces. They're not one and the 00:14:42.769 --> 00:14:47.019 same. David's endeavor, his ministry of service, 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.200 his usefulness he's going to undertake is not 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:55.000 the same thing as his repentance. His repentance 00:14:55.000 --> 00:15:01.220 precedes and takes place before the fruit. This 00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:05.039 is important because it shows a connection. And 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:08.620 it shows a relationship between repentance in 00:15:08.620 --> 00:15:12.330 the life of the saint And the usefulness in the 00:15:12.330 --> 00:15:17.889 life of the saint. The fruit in the life of the 00:15:17.889 --> 00:15:22.809 saint. John the Baptist actually gives us a great 00:15:22.809 --> 00:15:28.070 illustration of this. In Luke chapter 3. Starting 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:32.629 in verse 7. We read. So he began saying to the 00:15:32.629 --> 00:15:35.809 crowds. Who were going out to be baptized by 00:15:35.809 --> 00:15:40.669 him. He said you brood of vipers. Who warned 00:15:40.669 --> 00:15:45.070 you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, 00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:51.049 bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do 00:15:51.049 --> 00:15:54.090 not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham 00:15:54.090 --> 00:15:57.789 for our father. For I say to you, that from these 00:15:57.789 --> 00:16:00.909 stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 00:16:01.490 --> 00:16:05.850 Indeed, the axe is already laid at the root of 00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:10.059 the trees. So every tree, that does not bear 00:16:10.059 --> 00:16:14.220 good fruit, is cut down and thrown into the fire. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:17.360 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:22.139 Then what shall we do? And he would answer and 00:16:22.139 --> 00:16:26.279 say to them, The man who has two tunics is to 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:30.059 share with him who has none. And he who has food 00:16:30.059 --> 00:16:37.200 is to do likewise. What is John the Baptist preaching 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:44.100 on here? True repentance. He's preaching on the 00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:48.720 reality that a good tree produces good fruit 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:54.480 and that a bad tree produces bad fruit and that 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:57.340 bad tree is going to be cut down with an ax at 00:16:57.340 --> 00:17:01.639 its roots. So what is the fruit that John the 00:17:01.639 --> 00:17:05.660 Baptist explains to the crowds that they should 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:08.620 pursue, that they should seek to endeavor? The 00:17:08.620 --> 00:17:11.339 endeavor, the fruit that they should look to, 00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:14.359 they should look for, they should seek to undertake. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.920 He says to them, the man who has two tunics is 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:23.460 to share with him who has none. And he who has 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:29.299 food is to do likewise. The fruit that John the 00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:34.960 Baptist is talking about is service and man work. 00:17:36.009 --> 00:17:39.789 It's ministry and service unto others. It's good 00:17:39.789 --> 00:17:43.950 works, brothers and sisters. True repentance 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:50.450 brings about true fruit in the life of God's 00:17:50.450 --> 00:17:54.089 people. So there's a connection between repentance 00:17:54.089 --> 00:17:57.890 and usefulness, repentance and service in the 00:17:57.890 --> 00:18:00.089 life of the believer, in the life of the church. 00:18:01.049 --> 00:18:05.299 It's important for us as a congregation. to understand 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:09.480 this. It's important for you as a believer in 00:18:09.480 --> 00:18:12.480 Jesus Christ to understand this. What is the 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.700 foundation of usefulness, the foundation of ministry 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:23.619 and service towards men? Our dealing with God 00:18:23.619 --> 00:18:27.259 and repentance, our dealing with sin in our own 00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:32.200 lives. If we truly want to be useful to those 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:36.390 around us, As a church body, if we truly want 00:18:36.390 --> 00:18:40.309 to be useful to those lost sinners around us 00:18:40.309 --> 00:18:42.829 and we want to see people come to Christ, what 00:18:42.829 --> 00:18:44.589 does that mean that we have to give ourselves 00:18:44.589 --> 00:18:47.130 to? What does the focus of the life of our church 00:18:47.130 --> 00:18:50.970 have to be on? What does the focus of your life 00:18:50.970 --> 00:18:53.250 as an individual have to be on if you want to 00:18:53.250 --> 00:18:57.329 be useful to the Lord in your life? Dealing with 00:18:57.329 --> 00:19:02.019 your sin. Dealing with God. The pursuit of holiness 00:19:02.019 --> 00:19:07.359 and godliness in your own life. Vital piety and 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:10.039 godliness and being in possession of godly realities 00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:15.119 in your own soul. Knowing Christ yourself. Knowing 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:20.660 the God of the Word. Personally. Not theoretically 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:24.380 or conceptually, but actually spending time with 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:29.450 Him. Studying him in his word. Talking to him 00:19:29.450 --> 00:19:35.849 in prayer through his word. There's a connection 00:19:35.849 --> 00:19:41.670 between repentance and the usefulness of a church 00:19:41.670 --> 00:19:46.490 and the usefulness of a Christian. True repentance 00:19:46.490 --> 00:19:53.230 always produces fruit in the life of the believer. 00:19:53.549 --> 00:19:58.480 So if we want... To be consistently useful to 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:04.039 the Lord. If we want to be consistently serving 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:09.279 those around us, what does that mean? We must 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.980 consistently be dealing with our own sin and 00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:17.900 God in prayer. We have to be taking care of our 00:20:17.900 --> 00:20:20.619 own souls before we can be taking care of the 00:20:20.619 --> 00:20:25.859 souls of others. That's why the fruit of Psalm 00:20:25.859 --> 00:20:30.460 51 is important. Because it teaches us that there's 00:20:30.460 --> 00:20:34.619 a connection between the condition of our hearts 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:39.299 and the usefulness of our lives. We see this 00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:43.440 fruit. There's other fruit in Psalm 51, but this 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:46.599 is the primary one that we spend our time focusing 00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:52.079 on. Now lastly, or thirdly, we see the promise. 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:57.420 Of repentance as well. In Psalm 51. We see this 00:20:57.420 --> 00:21:01.859 incredible reality. We see this incredible reality. 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:08.480 That here we have David. Who's in deep. Dark 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.220 anguish. Because of his sin. And his transgressions. 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:16.740 Because of what he's done. As king of Israel. 00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:19.980 And as a saint. In the sight of a holy and righteous 00:21:19.980 --> 00:21:24.680 God. Here we have David who's broken and full 00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:27.400 of contrition, who's full of grief and mourning 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.200 over his sin and what he's done and breaking 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:34.039 the law of God. Yet here we have David also who 00:21:34.039 --> 00:21:41.740 has confidence and hope and certainty alongside 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:44.900 of that brokenness and that anguish in Psalm 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:51.930 51. He's not in the pits of despair. He's not 00:21:51.930 --> 00:21:54.269 thinking he's never going to get out of the pit. 00:21:54.390 --> 00:21:57.809 We see this strain of hope and confidence and 00:21:57.809 --> 00:22:01.849 certainty in Psalm 51 we read. In the second 00:22:01.849 --> 00:22:04.410 part of verse 6, and in the hidden part, you 00:22:04.410 --> 00:22:09.309 will make me know wisdom. David is confident 00:22:09.309 --> 00:22:13.710 of God's work in his soul. How in the world is 00:22:13.710 --> 00:22:18.339 this broken, contrite, Man, full of anguish, 00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:21.839 having confidence in that reality. Where does 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:25.680 that come from? He says, purify me with hyssop 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:28.539 and I shall be clean. And then he even says, 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:33.339 wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Where 00:22:33.339 --> 00:22:36.720 does David get this confidence that he's going 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:39.720 to be whiter than snow, that he will be clean? 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:45.720 We see later. that a broken and a contrite heart, 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:51.539 God, you will not despise. David has a hope, 00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:56.960 a certainty, a confidence that God will accept 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:01.579 his repentance. He has a confidence, a hope, 00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:05.740 a certainty that God will be pleased with his 00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:12.039 genuine repentance and that he will not be despised. 00:23:13.450 --> 00:23:18.910 Where in the world does David get this hope in 00:23:18.910 --> 00:23:25.029 this dark place in his life? What's the promise? 00:23:26.269 --> 00:23:30.809 It's the promise of repentance. The promise of 00:23:30.809 --> 00:23:35.410 repentance is this, that true repentance, true 00:23:35.410 --> 00:23:41.920 repentance, always leads to... the pardon of 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:52.160 your sins. True repentance always leads to renewal 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:58.839 in your life. True repentance always leads to 00:23:58.839 --> 00:24:02.839 the restoration of joy in the soul of the saint. 00:24:03.099 --> 00:24:11.569 David knows this. He knows The power and the 00:24:11.569 --> 00:24:15.349 effectiveness of true repentance in his life. 00:24:15.710 --> 00:24:19.970 But there's got to be some basis for this promise. 00:24:20.750 --> 00:24:25.109 What is the basis for David's hope and certainty? 00:24:25.589 --> 00:24:29.769 Well, the basis is the reality that true repentance 00:24:29.769 --> 00:24:35.230 is always paired with something else. True repentance 00:24:35.230 --> 00:24:40.109 is always bound. as we've seen in Psalm 51, to 00:24:40.109 --> 00:24:46.750 something else. True repentance is bound to true 00:24:46.750 --> 00:24:52.690 faith. And true faith is always bound to Jesus 00:24:52.690 --> 00:24:56.950 Christ and all his work. This is the foundation 00:24:56.950 --> 00:25:00.809 of David's confidence, his certainty, and his 00:25:00.809 --> 00:25:03.890 hope. It's the gospel, brothers and sisters. 00:25:05.640 --> 00:25:15.819 The gospel is David's confidence. The work of 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:21.480 Christ is David's confidence. His death, his 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:24.500 sacrificial death on the cross, his resurrection, 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:29.220 the work of God and the redemption of his people 00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:32.640 is David's confidence, brothers and sisters. 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:38.839 We have to remember. That repentance is given 00:25:38.839 --> 00:25:45.900 because of the gospel. Did you know that? True 00:25:45.900 --> 00:25:50.460 repentance is always a provision of the gospel. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:56.079 God gives true repentance because of the gospel, 00:25:56.259 --> 00:26:00.599 not because of the law. Think about that. True 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:02.420 repentance doesn't have anything to do with the 00:26:02.420 --> 00:26:05.710 law. Your ability... To deal with sin in your 00:26:05.710 --> 00:26:08.190 life does not come from the law of God. It does 00:26:08.190 --> 00:26:10.710 not have anything to do with any legal aspect 00:26:10.710 --> 00:26:14.029 of the moral law. It has everything to do with 00:26:14.029 --> 00:26:17.630 the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where do you get 00:26:17.630 --> 00:26:21.609 your true repentance from? Where does the believer 00:26:21.609 --> 00:26:25.150 receive the ability to exercise repentance? How 00:26:25.150 --> 00:26:28.650 do you, as a sinner, come into possession of 00:26:28.650 --> 00:26:33.289 true repentance in your life? It's because God 00:26:33.289 --> 00:26:36.630 gives you true repentance because of the gospel 00:26:36.630 --> 00:26:41.509 of Jesus Christ. It's because it's a grace. True 00:26:41.509 --> 00:26:45.609 repentance is given as a grace of God's new covenant 00:26:45.609 --> 00:26:51.730 with Christ. He provides it. He gives it to you 00:26:51.730 --> 00:26:55.509 and to me, to sinners. So true repentance is 00:26:55.509 --> 00:26:59.309 given because of the gospel. So if you're in 00:26:59.309 --> 00:27:02.160 possession, Of true repentance in your life, 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:05.380 brothers and sisters? The only reason you're 00:27:05.380 --> 00:27:08.799 in possession of it is because God has given 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:14.240 it to you out of his gracious mercy in the gospel 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:17.500 of Jesus Christ. But it's not just that he gives 00:27:17.500 --> 00:27:22.440 us repentance because of the gospel. God is faithful 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:27.940 to receive true repentance always because of 00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:31.960 the gospel as well. Why is it that God always 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:36.519 receives and always restores and always renews 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:40.299 and always cleanses and always pardons the sinner 00:27:40.299 --> 00:27:42.759 in possession of true repentance? Why is it that 00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:45.619 he does that, brothers and sisters? It's because 00:27:45.619 --> 00:27:50.000 of Christ. Just as our faith binds us to Christ, 00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:53.640 God is bound to Christ in faithfulness because 00:27:53.640 --> 00:27:58.619 of the new covenant. Did you know that? Just 00:27:58.619 --> 00:28:01.779 as faithful as God is to forgive the sins of 00:28:01.779 --> 00:28:04.880 his people in justification by faith, God is 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:07.680 faithful to forgive and pardon and cleanse and 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:11.220 renew his people in sanctification following 00:28:11.220 --> 00:28:15.279 justification by faith because of Christ himself 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:20.180 as well. So he gives repentance because of the 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:23.240 gospel and then he receives that very repentance 00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:28.920 that he's given to sinners because of? The gospel. 00:28:29.619 --> 00:28:35.299 So don't despise preaching and teaching and talk 00:28:35.299 --> 00:28:40.420 of repentance. It has everything to do with the 00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:44.420 gospel of Christ and the provisions that he has 00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:50.920 made in that glorious gospel. I want us to hear 00:28:50.920 --> 00:28:55.079 this. This is important for every single person 00:28:55.079 --> 00:29:06.630 here. If a person is truly penitent, if you are 00:29:06.630 --> 00:29:13.509 truly repentant in your life, you can have absolute, 00:29:13.730 --> 00:29:21.009 complete, and total certainty that you will be 00:29:21.009 --> 00:29:24.410 forgiven of your sins and that you will be cleansed 00:29:24.410 --> 00:29:28.609 of your corruption and your guilt. Not because 00:29:28.609 --> 00:29:34.809 you're great. Not because you repented. But because 00:29:34.809 --> 00:29:38.710 you're in possession of true repentance. And 00:29:38.710 --> 00:29:42.210 because God forgives those in possession of true 00:29:42.210 --> 00:29:47.549 repentance. Because he's given it. He will always 00:29:47.549 --> 00:29:53.470 forgive those who truly repent. That means if 00:29:53.470 --> 00:29:56.990 you're here today and you know Christ. and you 00:29:56.990 --> 00:30:03.430 repent, truly, you will be pardoned and you will 00:30:03.430 --> 00:30:06.750 be cleansed. Your conscience will be wiped away. 00:30:06.789 --> 00:30:09.130 Your conscience will be cleansed and washed by 00:30:09.130 --> 00:30:12.950 the blood of Christ. The actual pollution and 00:30:12.950 --> 00:30:16.670 corruption as a result of that sin will be cleansed 00:30:16.670 --> 00:30:20.190 and pardoned, will be removed. That means that 00:30:20.190 --> 00:30:22.269 if you're here today and you don't know Jesus 00:30:22.269 --> 00:30:27.369 Christ as Savior, but if you truly repent, if 00:30:27.369 --> 00:30:32.730 you're in possession of repentance, then you 00:30:32.730 --> 00:30:36.670 will have your sins pardoned. How can I say that? 00:30:37.789 --> 00:30:42.930 Because if you are able to repent truly, then 00:30:42.930 --> 00:30:47.609 God has given you a new heart. If you're able 00:30:47.609 --> 00:30:53.470 to repent as defined in Psalm 51, God has regenerated 00:30:53.470 --> 00:30:55.630 you and he's already forgiven your sins. Therefore, 00:30:55.789 --> 00:31:01.410 you're already one of the child of God. So if 00:31:01.410 --> 00:31:03.829 you're here today and you truly repent according 00:31:03.829 --> 00:31:08.869 to Psalm 51, period. Your sins are forgiven. 00:31:09.670 --> 00:31:13.710 And they will be forgiven. And you can have confidence 00:31:13.710 --> 00:31:19.789 and certainty. of that reality. This is only 00:31:19.789 --> 00:31:28.170 true of genuine repentance. Remember that. This 00:31:28.170 --> 00:31:30.250 promise is not a promise for that superficial, 00:31:30.410 --> 00:31:35.349 partial, or incomplete repentance. This promise 00:31:35.349 --> 00:31:40.390 of repentance is only true for those in possession 00:31:40.390 --> 00:31:45.789 of genuine, true repentance according to Psalm 00:31:45.789 --> 00:31:53.470 51. This leads us lastly to the need of repentance. 00:31:54.750 --> 00:31:57.970 We see this in Psalm 51, I think almost more 00:31:57.970 --> 00:32:02.869 clearly than anything else. We look at this psalm 00:32:02.869 --> 00:32:07.390 and we hear the story of David and we know why 00:32:07.390 --> 00:32:12.049 David needs repentance. We all understand this 00:32:12.049 --> 00:32:15.430 part. We all understand this part of the sermon, 00:32:15.470 --> 00:32:18.730 brothers and sisters. If you're here today, you 00:32:18.730 --> 00:32:23.549 know why we need repentance. You understand why 00:32:23.549 --> 00:32:26.849 you need repentance in your life. You understand 00:32:26.849 --> 00:32:29.309 why the person next to you needs repentance in 00:32:29.309 --> 00:32:31.630 your life. You know why I need repentance in 00:32:31.630 --> 00:32:36.210 my life. How many times does David say over and 00:32:36.210 --> 00:32:45.829 over, my sin, my transgression. My iniquity. 00:32:47.569 --> 00:32:52.410 It's the reality that God is holy and that we 00:32:52.410 --> 00:32:59.849 are sinners. Repentance is needed because sin 00:32:59.849 --> 00:33:06.490 is a very present reality in our lives. And it 00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:09.930 remains a reality in our lives as long as we 00:33:09.930 --> 00:33:15.940 walk the face of this earth. Because God remains 00:33:15.940 --> 00:33:23.059 holy and just and righteous. Because God commands 00:33:23.059 --> 00:33:26.480 that all men everywhere repent. He commands that 00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:31.160 his people repent. So as long as there is sin 00:33:31.160 --> 00:33:36.460 in our lives, there is a need for repentance 00:33:36.460 --> 00:33:40.859 in our lives. This need is heightened by the 00:33:40.859 --> 00:33:48.069 reality. That God has given us Psalm 51. What 00:33:48.069 --> 00:33:52.890 is Psalm 51? It's a portrait of true repentance 00:33:52.890 --> 00:33:56.970 for the life of God's people throughout the ages. 00:33:57.849 --> 00:34:01.930 Why would God give his people a portrait of true 00:34:01.930 --> 00:34:06.309 repentance for the ages? Because they need to 00:34:06.309 --> 00:34:09.369 know what it looks like. Because they need to 00:34:09.369 --> 00:34:12.110 know and understand what it means to truly repent. 00:34:13.130 --> 00:34:17.530 Because they need to learn from David's repentance. 00:34:18.070 --> 00:34:23.230 The Spirit of God gave us Psalm 51 in the Holy 00:34:23.230 --> 00:34:26.849 Scriptures because we need repentance in our 00:34:26.849 --> 00:34:29.230 lives, brothers and sisters. And praise God he 00:34:29.230 --> 00:34:35.590 gave it to us. Sin is a familiar reality to each 00:34:35.590 --> 00:34:39.590 and every one of us. And because we know sin 00:34:39.590 --> 00:34:43.789 is a reality in all of our lives, there are certain 00:34:43.789 --> 00:34:48.489 implications for repentance in our lives. Sin 00:34:48.489 --> 00:34:53.929 is universal, is it not? Are you the exception? 00:34:56.030 --> 00:35:00.030 Are you here today? Are you the exception to 00:35:00.030 --> 00:35:04.849 sin? Have you come into this building and gathered 00:35:04.849 --> 00:35:08.750 to worship God today? And not sinned against 00:35:08.750 --> 00:35:13.929 him? Who knows all things? Who knows your thoughts? 00:35:14.449 --> 00:35:17.949 Who knows the intent of your heart? Who knows 00:35:17.949 --> 00:35:22.349 the secret things of your soul? Are you here 00:35:22.349 --> 00:35:24.349 today and are you the exception? Are you the 00:35:24.349 --> 00:35:26.309 one that doesn't fit into this universal scope 00:35:26.309 --> 00:35:33.710 of sin? You're not. I'm not. None of us are, 00:35:33.769 --> 00:35:37.079 brothers and sisters. Every single person here 00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:41.980 has sinned against God and continue to sin against 00:35:41.980 --> 00:35:46.099 a holy God. Therefore, the need for repentance 00:35:46.099 --> 00:35:53.760 is what? Universal. You need it. I need it. We 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:58.000 all need it. If you're going to continue sinning, 00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:02.739 then you must continue repenting. If God is going 00:36:02.739 --> 00:36:06.719 to continue to be holy, and unchanging and immutable 00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:11.880 and righteous and just, then he still requires 00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:14.199 repentance of his people, brothers and sisters. 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:18.780 It's universal. None of us are the exception 00:36:18.780 --> 00:36:22.099 to this rule. Only the Lord Jesus Christ in his 00:36:22.099 --> 00:36:27.960 perfect life never had to repent of sin. And 00:36:27.960 --> 00:36:34.530 he went to the cross. Brothers and sisters, We 00:36:34.530 --> 00:36:38.969 all fit within this universal scope of sin. Therefore, 00:36:39.150 --> 00:36:43.570 we all fall under the umbrella of need for repentance 00:36:43.570 --> 00:36:52.969 in our lives. Sin manifests itself in a variety 00:36:52.969 --> 00:36:58.630 of ways. But it also varies in its heinousness 00:36:58.630 --> 00:37:03.539 and its grievousness. and the degrees to which 00:37:03.539 --> 00:37:09.260 it will be punished. If sin varies, and sin, 00:37:09.320 --> 00:37:13.159 there's a variety of manifestations of it, and 00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:17.159 its acts, and its positions, and its dispositions, 00:37:17.159 --> 00:37:21.219 and its desires, and its work, then what does 00:37:21.219 --> 00:37:24.639 that mean regarding repentance in our lives? 00:37:24.679 --> 00:37:28.059 What are the implications of that? Well, it means 00:37:28.059 --> 00:37:35.190 that repentance, will vary in its degree, and 00:37:35.190 --> 00:37:38.489 it will not necessarily always look the same 00:37:38.489 --> 00:37:41.369 for every single person, even though it will 00:37:41.369 --> 00:37:44.650 always consist of these components in Psalm 51. 00:37:45.630 --> 00:37:49.630 That means that we prescribe repentance for all 00:37:49.630 --> 00:37:55.469 men, but we don't prescribe the degree or the 00:37:55.469 --> 00:37:59.489 intensity of that repentance in the life of all 00:37:59.489 --> 00:38:02.369 men. Their repentance may look different than 00:38:02.369 --> 00:38:09.309 your repentance. You may need to repent a greater 00:38:09.309 --> 00:38:16.010 deal, with more sorrow, with more brokenness, 00:38:16.010 --> 00:38:18.849 because of the nature of your transgression and 00:38:18.849 --> 00:38:22.170 the nature of your sin. David needed big repentance, 00:38:22.289 --> 00:38:28.340 didn't he? Why? Because... He had a big sin. 00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:34.539 Repentance will vary in degree and intensity, 00:38:34.599 --> 00:38:40.000 but repentance must be present. We prescribe 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:47.179 repentance for all, but we don't prescribe the 00:38:47.179 --> 00:38:51.539 intensity or the degree of that repentance in 00:38:51.539 --> 00:38:56.750 the lives of sinners. Sin is constant in our 00:38:56.750 --> 00:39:05.110 life. Every hour, every day, we deal with sin. 00:39:06.090 --> 00:39:09.469 I know that we can add some nuance in here, and 00:39:09.469 --> 00:39:13.989 I'm working in generalizations to a degree, but 00:39:13.989 --> 00:39:16.429 the reality is sin is constant in all of our 00:39:16.429 --> 00:39:20.090 lives. It's a constant struggle. It's a constant 00:39:20.090 --> 00:39:26.969 battle. Is it not in your life? It's constant, 00:39:27.030 --> 00:39:31.809 brothers and sisters. It's a constant battle 00:39:31.809 --> 00:39:36.110 in our souls because there's remaining corruption 00:39:36.110 --> 00:39:43.869 within us because of our sin nature. If sin is 00:39:43.869 --> 00:39:50.750 constant, then what else must be constant? Repentance. 00:39:52.690 --> 00:39:56.860 The prevalence of our sin dictates the prevalence 00:39:56.860 --> 00:40:03.460 of our repentance. Don't let it compile and snowball 00:40:03.460 --> 00:40:08.360 and build, brothers and sisters. When you sin, 00:40:08.599 --> 00:40:12.719 repent of the sin. Move on. Pursue Christ. Love 00:40:12.719 --> 00:40:16.119 people. Love God. When you sin, repent of the 00:40:16.119 --> 00:40:18.940 sin. Move on. Be sanctified. Grow in godliness 00:40:18.940 --> 00:40:22.480 and holiness. I don't say that lackadaisically, 00:40:22.579 --> 00:40:24.920 but it's the reality. We are all going to deal 00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:27.440 with sin in this life. Repent of it and move 00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:34.420 on. But keep repenting of it. Don't give up on 00:40:34.420 --> 00:40:36.840 repentance because it's hard or it's difficult 00:40:36.840 --> 00:40:41.679 or it's monotonous. God requires it of us, and 00:40:41.679 --> 00:40:43.980 it's for our good. It's for the good of our sanctification. 00:40:44.460 --> 00:40:46.599 It's for the good of our holiness. It's for the 00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:48.980 good of our families, for the good of our church. 00:40:49.159 --> 00:40:53.659 It's for the good of your soul. Therefore, pursue 00:40:53.659 --> 00:40:59.260 it. Consider it. Don't let up on it. Give yourself 00:40:59.260 --> 00:41:03.719 to it. It's going to be part of your life. Unless 00:41:03.719 --> 00:41:05.659 you just throw your arms up and say, I'm done. 00:41:06.380 --> 00:41:08.960 I don't care about sin anymore. I am who I am. 00:41:12.880 --> 00:41:16.880 Brothers and sisters, repentance must be regular 00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:23.639 because our sin is regular. This is good for 00:41:23.639 --> 00:41:27.500 our lives. It's good for our godliness. It's 00:41:27.500 --> 00:41:30.300 good for your soul. The Lord Jesus Christ from 00:41:30.300 --> 00:41:35.800 heaven wants his people to be a repenting people 00:41:35.800 --> 00:41:40.840 because he wants what's best for you. And he 00:41:40.840 --> 00:41:44.679 wants what's best for his glory in this life. 00:41:45.659 --> 00:41:48.639 He wants his church to be full of life. He wants 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:50.860 his church to be full of power. He wants his 00:41:50.860 --> 00:41:53.420 church to be full of vitality and strength. And 00:41:53.420 --> 00:41:56.139 the way to do that is by dealing with our sin. 00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:01.760 The Lord Jesus Christ wants this for his people, 00:42:01.780 --> 00:42:04.199 for his bride. He doesn't want her to be weak. 00:42:05.340 --> 00:42:09.949 He doesn't want her to be dirty. He wants her 00:42:09.949 --> 00:42:14.650 to be a repenting bride. One who loves him and 00:42:14.650 --> 00:42:17.730 loves people and deals with her sin, brothers 00:42:17.730 --> 00:42:27.150 and sisters. Sin is constant. It's just a reality 00:42:27.150 --> 00:42:31.389 we deal with in this life. But we also see and 00:42:31.389 --> 00:42:37.369 we also know that sin is lifelong. It's a lifelong 00:42:37.369 --> 00:42:42.739 reality. From the time we're born, doesn't David 00:42:42.739 --> 00:42:47.639 say, I was brought forth in iniquity? And in 00:42:47.639 --> 00:42:51.280 sin my mother conceived me? From the time of 00:42:51.280 --> 00:42:57.000 our birth, we've been inclined to do that which 00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:01.719 is against God and his law. It starts when we're 00:43:01.719 --> 00:43:08.409 babies. It starts when we're conceived. And it 00:43:08.409 --> 00:43:14.170 grows as we grow. So it's not a phenomenon that's 00:43:14.170 --> 00:43:18.329 isolated to a certain period of years like 15 00:43:18.329 --> 00:43:22.789 to 18. It's not a phenomenon that's isolated 00:43:22.789 --> 00:43:25.610 to young children. It's not a phenomenon that's 00:43:25.610 --> 00:43:29.730 isolated to middle -aged individuals. It's not 00:43:29.730 --> 00:43:33.849 a phenomenon that's isolated to older Christians 00:43:33.849 --> 00:43:37.780 and older saints. It's something that is lifelong 00:43:37.780 --> 00:43:44.579 as long as we breathe in this world. That means 00:43:44.579 --> 00:43:48.440 that none, from the young to the old, are exempt 00:43:48.440 --> 00:43:51.960 from this call and this command and this duty, 00:43:52.019 --> 00:44:02.320 this gospel grace of repenting of our sin. Sin 00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:06.199 is the basis of our need. for repentance in our 00:44:06.199 --> 00:44:09.079 life. And we see that in the life of the individual 00:44:09.079 --> 00:44:11.400 Christian. It's good. God has given us Psalm 00:44:11.400 --> 00:44:16.079 51 because it's good for his people. But this 00:44:16.079 --> 00:44:18.179 is also important for the church as a whole. 00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:24.380 In a bigger picture application, the church as 00:44:24.380 --> 00:44:36.460 a whole needs repentance. The pulpits of the 00:44:36.460 --> 00:44:41.199 land, the pulpits of the churches in southeast 00:44:41.199 --> 00:44:45.639 Illinois, the pulpits of the churches in America 00:44:45.639 --> 00:44:53.559 need to be filled with what? Repentance and sin. 00:44:54.139 --> 00:45:02.960 And Christ and the gospel. God will not more 00:45:02.960 --> 00:45:09.920 largely bless his church until there is a return 00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:14.940 to the proclamation of repentance, sin, God in 00:45:14.940 --> 00:45:20.880 his holiness, grace in Christ. That means that 00:45:20.880 --> 00:45:26.059 the church needs to make sure that it does not 00:45:26.059 --> 00:45:34.099 move on from that it does not proceed forth onto 00:45:34.099 --> 00:45:37.380 greater, more important, more significant things 00:45:37.380 --> 00:45:42.179 than repentance in its life. Repentance must 00:45:42.179 --> 00:45:48.199 remain central. It must remain perpetual. The 00:45:48.199 --> 00:45:52.019 proclamation of repentance would be a good thing 00:45:52.019 --> 00:45:56.739 for the people of God if it were to resound in 00:45:56.739 --> 00:46:01.150 the pulpits throughout the land. It's interesting 00:46:01.150 --> 00:46:07.789 that we see in many churches, there's this commitment 00:46:07.789 --> 00:46:15.170 and dedication to reaching and doing and going, 00:46:15.269 --> 00:46:23.630 yet there's no focus on sin and repentance. What 00:46:23.630 --> 00:46:29.300 has supplanted repentance and sin? The holiness 00:46:29.300 --> 00:46:36.360 of God. Reaching the community. Reaching those 00:46:36.360 --> 00:46:39.280 around us. But what point is that, brothers and 00:46:39.280 --> 00:46:46.619 sisters, if there's no power and life and health 00:46:46.619 --> 00:46:50.079 and the Spirit of God does not reside in that 00:46:50.079 --> 00:46:56.460 congregation? There's no holiness and godliness 00:46:56.460 --> 00:47:00.519 in its people. Because there's no mention of 00:47:00.519 --> 00:47:05.380 repentance or sin from the pulpit of the churches. 00:47:06.699 --> 00:47:10.579 There must be a return to repentance, sin, holiness, 00:47:10.739 --> 00:47:13.980 and the gospel if there's to be larger blessing 00:47:13.980 --> 00:47:18.320 upon the people of God in this world. And oh, 00:47:18.340 --> 00:47:24.010 how we long for that. How we long for the Spirit 00:47:24.010 --> 00:47:26.829 of God to be given to the people of God in this 00:47:26.829 --> 00:47:30.469 day and in this age when we desperately need 00:47:30.469 --> 00:47:35.969 it. That hope is strengthened. That confidence 00:47:35.969 --> 00:47:39.489 in Christ and His promises is built up. And that 00:47:39.489 --> 00:47:42.469 faith is emboldened and enlivened and renewed. 00:47:43.710 --> 00:47:46.510 It's fairly simple, but it's more difficult. 00:47:46.769 --> 00:47:52.389 It's just returning to the holiness of God. repentance 00:47:52.389 --> 00:47:57.170 of sin, and the grace of Christ in the gospel. 00:47:59.289 --> 00:48:02.809 So we've seen in Psalm 51, generally speaking, 00:48:03.010 --> 00:48:06.030 the elements of repentance. We've seen the fruit 00:48:06.030 --> 00:48:09.869 of repentance. We've seen the promise, the blessed 00:48:09.869 --> 00:48:13.690 promise of repentance. And we've seen the need 00:48:13.690 --> 00:48:14.969 of repentance.