David: Overcoming Grievous Sin

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David: Overcoming Grievous Sin

Introduction:

• What is the “tragedy of sin” in your life? What sin haunts you? You know what it is. It keeps showing up in your mind time and again. Even if you are older and it happened 50 years ago, there it is again reminding you of what you did. You say to yourself, “Who was that person?” You look in the mirror and you force yourself to admit, “It is the person looking back at me.” And you point your finger at that person and say, “I hate you!” And you cry all over again, just like you have cried so many times before. But maybe this time you cry even more. You crumple to your knees and shake your head wondering, “How in the world can God save me now?” Yes, I know, you push it back into the depths of your mind and try to forget, in hope that it will go away. But it never goes away.
• My mother spent her life teaching people the gospel. She taught neighbors, long time friends, and strangers. She taught nephews and nieces who had been raised by her worldly sister. Even in her late 80’s, she still was teaching, especially young people in their late teens. She taught her four children, all of whom still serve the Lord. But as she neared death, she became frightened. She repeatedly told me and my siblings that she didn’t know if God would save her. That “SIN” somewhere back in her life was haunting her like the ghost of Christmas past, and she was terrified.
• While I am confident that her fear is not what God desires of us, there is one thing I appreciate about her. She didn’t just bury the sin as if it was no big deal. She didn’t pretend her sins weren’t “that bad.” She wasn’t like a Pharisee, or even as many today who pretend that their sins are minor. She took the full weight and blame on herself. As we would say today, “She owned it.”

What is the answer to this? How do we recover from grievous sins, and even the cumulative sins over a lifetime? There is no doubt we could note any number of Bible characters and highlight their sins, their repentance, and their forgiveness. From Joshua through Kings, the thematic emphasis is upon the failure of man, and every leader that God appointed. The words of Paul ring in our ears, “There is none righteous, no not one.” But it is David that God especially highlights, because David, “the sweet psalmist of Israel” wrote for us the prescription for overcoming grievous sin.

1. Psalm 38:1-11 – Recognizing the Seriousness of Our Sin
   1. After reading these verses, I hope you relate. If you don’t, you should be concerned. Do you remember Luke’s story of Jesus in Simon the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:36-51)? Simon was disgusted with the presence of the town’s SINNER in his house and Jesus allowing her to touch him. Jesus told a parable: a man who owed 50 denarii and another who owed 500. When neither could repay, he forgave their debts. Which will love him more? 
   2. Which are you? A 500 debtor or a 50? Simon gave the correct answer, and Jesus gave the application: “I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:44-48).
   3. First, and foremost, we cannot be like Simon. Look at Simon. He is a faithful churchgoer. He carefully tithes. He is a meticulous Bible student. He prays three times a day and fasts twice a week. He knows all the commandments and the rules of worship, and is quick to point out those who are “liberal” in their interpretation of scripture. But what is most notable is, he could not pay his sin debt and he did not receive forgiveness; there was no forgiveness for him.
   4. Therefore, overcoming grievous sin begins by not justifying or minimizing the gravity of our sin or thinking it is less than others. Until we come to grips with the greatness of our sin, we will never have mercy, we will never have relief, and we will never overcome what we have done. Read David carefully, and own your sin. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
2. Psalm 32 – True Acknowledgment of Our Sin
   1. Let me call your attention especially to verses 3-5. Notice the contrast between keep “silent” and when David “acknowledged my sin to you.” There is no forgiveness without confession. There is always that tendency to keep silent, isn’t there? For David, I think of the nearly one year that went by before God sent Nathan the prophet to expose his sin. For nearly one year, David was in “cover-up” mode, hiding his sin and hoping no one would find out. And all the while, David is in agony. Psalm 6:6-7 states, “I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.” 
   2. What healed David? What brought the pain to an end? It was acknowledging his sin to God. What is your confession to God like? “Lord I have sinned. Please forgive me?” What kind of prayer is it if we ask for forgiveness as if what we did is no different than a daily falling short of his glory? No, confess your sin. Confront it before God. Tell him what you did and how sorry you are. He already knows. God asked Adam and Eve to come clean with him. That is what it takes to repair a relationship.
   3. You may think that the worst thing that can happen to you is for people to find out your sin. As in the case of David, there may be only a few who know, and you are hoping that somehow it won’t go further. The problem is, you still have to live with yourself and you still have to live before God. God told Israel in Numbers, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” (Num. 32:23)
   4. In that same vein, look at 32:6, “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach them.” When we sin, time is of the essence to turn in confession. “While he may be found” indicates that it is possible to lose the opportunity to find God’s grace because of our own hardness. The longer we avoid repentance, the more callous our conscience becomes and the more accustomed we come to living with and justifying our sins. 
   5. The godly do not wait because they cannot tolerate being out of favor with the Lord. The key to king David was how deeply and passionately he loved the Lord. Therefore when he sinned, he felt the “heavy hand” of the Lord upon him. To have our relationship with the Lord broken should be intolerable to us.
   6. One other point: look at 32:9. When we fall into sin or when someone exposes our sin, don’t be a mule. When King Saul was confronted by Samuel, he was a mule. Saul repeatedly blamed others and would not admit his error. When he finally did, his only concern was to look good in front of the people. As verse 10 states, the one who acts like a mule is the definition of the wicked, and many are their sorrows.
3. Psalm 51: Appealing to God on the Basis of His Righteousness
   1. The third way we overcome grievous sin is by our appeal to God. It is amazing how our natural inclination is to be stubborn like King Saul and to pretend that somehow our feeble attempt to solve this ourselves will work. But it won’t, and we will destroy ourselves without an appeal to God in the fashion of David. Please consider, there are two types of repentance: King Saul and King David. King Saul’s repentance is that of “saving face,” admitting only as much as he needs to, and rationalizing disobedience. Notice the words David uses:
      1. Verse 3: “For I know my transgressions [rebellions], and my sin is ever before me.” David acknowledges his sin and gives no excuse.
      2. Verse 4: “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” Certainly the sin was against others, but the true offense is against God himself. It is because of God that it is sin.
      3. Verse 6: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being…”
      4. Verse 10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” 
      5. Verses 16-17: “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Never believe you can simply go on with “acts of worship” and that somehow that will appease God. It may satisfy people with an appearance of righteousness, but no God.
   2. Now we must look at the basis for our appeal. It is difficult to imagine that God would even bother when we have sinned so terribly. This is our greatest challenge. Therefore, notice the words in 51:1. David’s appeal for mercy in based on God’s steadfast love.
      1. When Moses became an intercessor for the people at the golden calf incident, he asked that God would show him his glory so that he could find favor in his sight. In response, the Lord passed before him and said,“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will be no means clear the guilty…” (Ex. 34:6-7).
      2. Adding to this is God’s promise to David: Psalm 89:20-37. God’s steadfast love is his covenantal love based on his promises and his oath. He made this oath to Abraham and his descendants. He made it to Moses. And he made it to David and to all in his kingdom through the Messiah. Notice that even in spite of sin, God’s promise is, “I will never remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.”  
   3. Psalm 51:12-13 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinner will return to you.”

Conclusion: Is there a grievous sin in your life that has never been resolved with God? Maybe it happened a long time ago, but you never took it seriously and never truly humbled yourself before God. It is past time to resolve this. Turn to God while he can be found and while your heart is still soft enough to repent.