THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
He told me he hadn’t sinned in seven years. While sharing the gospel, I asked a man the simple question, “Have you ever committed a sin?” I’ve asked that question hundreds of times. Almost everyone readily admits they have. But I didn’t expect this man’s answer: “Yes, I have sinned, but not in seven years.”
Culture likes to rank sins and continually redefines what is a sin—and what is not. On an individual level, we do this too. Many of us even try to rationalize away our sin, coming up with a way to justify what we do as if to say it’s okay.
The fact is all of us have sinned, and we all need forgiveness. More than anyone who has ever lived, Jesus understands the depth of our sins. He willingly died to set us free from those very sins. In the Model Prayer Jesus taught us, He gave us the privilege of praying a prayer of confession. Jesus let His followers know we can come to Him anytime for forgiveness and renewal.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 6:12-13
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
We should not be surprised to learn confession of sin is a part of the Model Prayer; but we might be surprised it’s not the first thing on the list! The psalmist acknowledged that, if he held on to unconfessed sin, all his other prayers would be invalidated. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Ps. 66:18).
As we’ve already seen, the Model Prayer begins with a focus on God and a desire to honor Him and live in line with His lordship and kingdom. (See Matt. 6:9-10.) When we focus on God, any unconfessed sin can also come into focus. As we turn to His lordship over us, we also turn from our sin. Prayer without regular confession could barely be considered true prayer.
Jesus never implied the act of prayer alone could atone for our sin. Our confession is not in any way comparable to Jesus’ death on the cross where He paid our penalty for sin once and for all. Confession is coming in repentance to the One who can atone for our sins.
The prayer of confession means we accept personal accountability for what we have done. When we come to God in prayer we’re not attempting to hide behind “fig leaves” (Gen. 3:7) as Adam and Eve did when they realized they’d done wrong and tried to cover themselves. Instead, we pray transparently, admitting our need for forgiveness.
In the original language, the form of the verb translated forgive urges immediate action. It’s as if Jesus was urging us to pray, “Forgive us now!” We have a need to confess our sins without delay. The verb also indicates a completed action, which communicates that we desire forgiveness that is thorough. We never need to deal with the sin again because God’s forgiveness is final and complete.
Thankfully, God does forgive us in Christ once and for all, but we still face temptation and struggle with sin. Therefore, Jesus called us not just to pray for forgiveness, but also to pray: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” We should ask God to help us avoid future sins by keeping us away from the areas of our most persistent temptations. We should ask God to lead us away from the things and places that tempt us. For sure, that does not imply God would ever lead us into temptation in the first place. Instead, we are honest in prayer by admitting we need God’s help to avoid the circumstances where we could be most compromised.
“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor. 10:12-13).
Psalm 51:1-7
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
God described David as “a man after my own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14); yet, a dark period in David’s life would be described today as a major scandal. (See 2 Sam. 11–12.) A reporter might present this as a story of a bored king who summoned one of his female citizens, engaged in an adulterous one-night stand, and then sent her home.
In due time Bathsheba sent word to the king she was pregnant with his child. What began as a private indiscretion escalated quickly into a much bigger problem. David’s sin would lead to a string of others, ultimately ending in murder. David then married the widow Bathsheba, convinced he had concealed the matter.
But God knew—and David knew. David had covered his sin from everyone but God and his own conscience. As he tried to suppress his guilt, his spiritual life dried up. When Nathan the prophet confronted David, the king responded by confessing, “I have sinned against the LORD” (2 Sam. 12:13).
David documented his confession in Psalm 51. It’s been said that “sin thrills and then it kills”—even if the only victim is the conscience of the sinner. If you extend the feeling of a dead conscience out across an entire culture, everyone becomes far from God and indifferent toward each other. Victimless sins do not exist.
Jesus called us to do what David did: confess. To remedy the guilt and that feeling of always being unclean, Jesus told us to cry out to God in prayer, “Forgive us” (Luke 11:4). God wants us to acknowledge sin, confess it, turn from it, and be forgiven!
Psalm 51:10-12
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
When King David committed adultery and murder, his life certainly went off course spiritually—and we can veer off God’s path for us in much the same way. Though we may not be guilty of the same sins as David, all of us have strayed from the path. The good news is God allows us to start over. We can begin again. That’s what happened for King David. He sought the Lord in prayer to find restoration.
David had a guilty conscience and he wanted a clean heart. He recognized the core of his problem was his heart. A new spiritual beginning always starts with an inward change.
David knew the change he needed was beyond his ability. Notice in verses 10-12 that all the things David mentioned are actions only God can do. Time with God in prayer teaches us to rely on Him for what He alone can do. Only God can cleanse and restore. In fact, nothing in the Christian life is done through “self-help.” We are to be faithful and obedient, but we are not to rely upon our own strength.
David also prayed for the Spirit’s continued ministry and presence in his life. He knew he would readily fail again without the Holy Spirit’s ongoing help. David was a leader, and perhaps his moral failure was magnified by the sense that he “should have known better.” Leaders need the Holy Spirit’s help just as much as everyone else. All of us are subject to temptation, and if we do not seek God and His supernatural help, we will fall.
So what made David a man after God’s own heart? It certainly wasn’t his sins and failures. It was his spirit and desire afterwards. David turned back to God wholeheartedly. He sought more than freedom from sin; he sought the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in his life. David desired a heart like God’s.
A heart like God’s can also be ours as we pray, “Forgive us our debts” (Matt. 6:12a).
LIVE IT OUT
Confession and repentance are needed steps to maintain our fellowship with God. Choose one of the following applications:
- Confess sin. Each time you pray, ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin. As God reveals things to you, turn from them, seek His forgiveness, and thank Him for His cleansing.
- Read. Read and pray through Psalm 51. Ask God to give you a renewed dependence upon Him.
- Seek forgiveness. If others have been hurt by some sin you’ve committed, confess that sin to him and/or her and ask for forgiveness.
Prayer is the natural path to travel as we confess, repent, and seek God’s renewal. Let God’s forgiveness lead you to be a person after His own heart.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Teacher Notes:
HOW TO PRAY
A Prayer of Confession
Jesus taught His disciples how to pray using what we call the Model Prayer. He instructed them how to ask the Father to forgive and protect them. Psalm 51 serves as a fitting example of a prayer for forgiveness and restoration. King David wrote the psalm after Nathan confronted him about his sin. (See 2 Sam. 11–12.) In the psalm, David described his willingness to confess his sin and seek God’s forgiveness. He also prayed for spiritual renewal and restoration.
Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven
Hallowed be Your name
Your Kingdom Come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Why is forgiveness so important to us?
- Our greatest need is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Sin is what keeps us from that relationship. Even for the believer who has stepped into a relationship with Christ, sin can become a barrier in growing that relationship.
King David – who was called a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) – sinned. However, he also modeled for us what it means to come to God in confession and repentance.
Psalm 51
I. Confess sin and ask for God’s forgiveness.
Psalm 51:1-7
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
II. Seek restoration and renewal.
Psalm 51:10-12
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
The NY Times reported something unusual that happened at 112 West 44th Street in Manhattan last year. Two women, Laura Barnett and Sandra Spannan, dressed in white, beckoned people to unburden their souls. Mrs. Barnett would silently flag the attention of someone passing by, and point them to words which had been stenciled on the glass, “Air Your Dirty Laundry. 100% Confidential. Anonymous. Free!”
She would extend a clipboard with a blank sheet of paper and an envelope stamped with the word “secret” to any takers. Hundreds took that clipboard. Executives and street people; couriers and secretaries; shoppers and joggers would pause to write down their sins and secrets, seal it in the envelope, and hand it to Laura Barnett. Meanwhile Mrs. Spannan would quietly paint the portraits of those who stop to divulge their inner secrets.
Once the person is well out of sight, the envelope is opened and the message taped to the glass for all to see. The portraits are posted as well. Those who come by read the confessions of strangers before adding their own. Some of them are silly; some of them are terrible.
“The hermit crab was still alive when I threw it down the trash shoot,” said one. “I want to see SUVS explode. Those people are so selfish,” wrote another. As the day progresses, the once empty glass of the store front is papered like a wall of guilt. “I am dating a married man and getting financial compensation in exchange for the guilt. I’m 25 and he’s a millionaire.” Or another that simply says, “I have AIDS.” (Kathryn Shattuck, "Artists Display Confessions of Passers-By on a 44th Street Storefront," The New York Times (May 6, 2006)
This little storefront experiment revealed many things, but the inescapable fact that surfaced across all generations, income levels, and social standings was that a lot of people are hiding. They are hiding from the police or parents. They are hiding from coaches and teachers. Some are hiding things from bosses, and others are hiding things from spouses. And many people today are hiding from God.
Tell me, am I talking about you? Sitting quietly, all is well on the outside; yet the words I am speaking are opening closets within. Some of us may be hiding something desperately shameful in our past. An abortion. A shady deal. That thing you stole. The adult theater you visited. The impure thoughts that are taking on more strength and are threatening to be played out. No one knows about the scheming, the lying, or the cheating. You cover isn’t blown. You haven’t been caught. But you know it’s there, and my friend, so does God.
There once was a man who blew it big time. He was an ancient king, super-rich and incredibly powerful. He was a smart leader, wise, and as godly as they come. His name is David. In a weak moment, King David of Israel was basically channel surfing on his palace roof on a hot spring night. He saw a woman named Bathsheba taking a bath.
Just like pornography draws people in today, David was drawn in. It was Job who wisely said, I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then can I look lustfully upon a young maiden? (Job. 31:1) But David was not thinking about God or purity in that moment. He foolishly lingered and looked.
What he imagined, he demanded. He sent for her and committed adultery with her, even though he knows her husband was one of his loyal soldiers, on a military mission on behalf of David’s kingdom. A little while later, David received a message: “I’m pregnant.” Signed “B.” David immediately set to work hiding. He tried to cover his sin by getting her husband, Uriah, to take a leave from battle and come home to his wife. A few days at home between a loving couple and Uriah would conclude that the child was his.
The plot didn’t work. Uriah’s sense of duty was too strong. So, in a desperate maneuver David ordered Uriah’s murder, carefully designed to look like a battlefield tragedy. It was the perfect plan. Uriah would receive a hero’s funeral. David would look sympathetic in marrying the grieving widow. No one would question David’s actions. No one pried into his business. He got away with it. “Whew that was a close one!”
Several months later, a prophet named Nathan came to visit David and told him a carefully constructed story of treachery and theft. It’s recorded in 2 Sam. 12:1-6. Listen, I will retell it.
In one of the most stunning moments in Scripture, Nathan then says to David, "You are the man!”
What happened next doesn’t happen in the chambers of kings and presidents. Plausible deniability, displacement of blame, attacking the critic, or some other tactic is the common method of operation when you’re caught. David did none of that. 2 Sam. 12:13 records that the king, in a moment of brokenness, simply said, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Did David deserve to die for what he did?
He had sex with another man’s wife, lied, betrayed, and murdered. David himself answers after Nathan’s story: As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die. Heart wrenching consequences would follow, striking not only David and Bathsheba, but innocent people as well who knew nothing of David’s sin.
This slice out of David’s life teaches us something very important: the very best of us fail. Like David, we all have something that we deeply regret, are ashamed of, are embarrassed about, something that has changed us.
Maybe you are wondering in a moment like this: How can I ever recover? How can I erase the guilt? How do I find courage and strength to deal with the consequences? Has God written me off? Well, now I want to take you to the rest of the story. David’s example is here to remind us that we’re all caught red-handed, no matter how well we camouflaged our sin. But he also shows us what happens after he blew it.
If you look at the heading of Psalm 51, you’ll see that it was written after Nathan confronted David with his sin. Like the people in Manhattan, David writes out his private confession down. But unlike those confessions offered to the people of New York, David offers his to God. And get this: His confessional prayer marks out five steps toward spiritual recovery that we can take today. These steps will put you in the spiritual position for God to do His work in your life again. Walk with David the sinner and you will find that God is closer than you think when you’ve blown it big time.
I. Take responsibility for your sin - v. 1-5
Notice that David doesn’t fall into the self-justifying trap of shifting the blame. He doesn’t say, “The devil made me do it,” or “I was just having a bad day.” He doesn’t point to Bathsheba for bathing on her rooftop or his general for obeying an order he knew was a bad one. He faces the music: it is my iniquity, my sin, my transgressions. David said, “I have twisted and perverted something good into something evil; I have taken aim at a false target; I have trespassed where I am not allowed.” Down in v. 5 he adds, “Indeed, I was guilty [when I] was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” David believed in that he, like every human being, is born with a bent to sin. This isn’t just an external issue of bad behavior; it’s an internal issue of a nature that pushes for autonomy from God and craves sin. David believed he was bad to the bone. But he still doesn’t blame his choices on his mother, his heritage, or anyone else. He owns his own choices. He doesn’t try to cut a deal with God or negotiate with his consequences. He comes clean without conditions. In fact, he closes v. 4 by acknowledging to God, You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge. This is the first step toward breaking free of the past and renewing your walk with God. You can forget moving forward until this happens.
II. Come clean - v. 1-4
Don’t rationalize, minimize, excuse, or spin what you’ve done. Get real. David lived in denial for a while before he reached this point. Once he realized he hadn’t fooled God, he stopped playing games. These words we just read are desperate, gut-wrenching, offered by a man who seriously misses what he once knew with God.
What happens if you don’t do that - if you just stuff it down, lock it away, and pretend it never happened?
Let David will tell you from personal experience. In Ps. 32:2-4, he writes, How happy is the man the LORD does not charge with sin, and in whose spirit is no deceit! When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer's heat. David said, “I was a desert. I was all torn up. I was depressed, ached as though dying inside. The weight of my secret was killing me.” Steve Arterburn, a Christian psychologist and pastor, writes that there are really only three reason why you wouldn’t do this first step: a) You’re afraid of losing your reputation; b) You’re afraid of losing your favorite sin; or c) You’re afraid that it might cost you financially, emotionally, or relationally. I don’t know which excuse will keep you in your seat later when we call for honest confession, but if you’re counting the cost of staying silent properly, you’ll follow David’s example.
III: Ask for and receive God’s forgiveness - vv. 1-4, 6-9
Tucked into the first expressions of David’s confession we read, Be gracious to me, O God… blot out my rebellion…Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. When David cries out for mercy, he is appealing to God’s willingness. When he asks to be for sins to be erased and that he be washed and cleansed, he cries out for God’s work in him to be done. He wants what only God can accomplish - to be totally forgiven. This is amplified in v. 6-9, where David says, “Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn Your face away [a] from my sins and blot out all my guilt.
Hyssop was a little herb that the Jews would dip in blood for use in ritual cleansing. Sin cannot be forgiven without the shedding of blood. Right here, centuries before the cross, we find a veiled reference to Christ crucified. “God an innocent must shed blood for You to forgive me. I don’t understand all that means, but make me clean, whiter than new snow. That brings us to…
IV. Request a fresh work of God’s grace - vv. 10-12
Now clean, David wants to sense again what has not been there for a long time: the presence of God in his life. In v. 10-12, he prays, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast [b] spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit.”
This is a prayer for gladness and freedom to be experienced. When you’re burning up time and energy covering sin, all joy is gone. God seems to be a million miles away. Your prayers don’t work. The Bible seems boring. Church feels dull. But once renewed, David pleads for God to flood him with joy and restore that eager obedience that once marked his motives.
Don’t be worried about v. 11. In the OT, the Holy Spirit did not permanently indwell believers. He came upon them for specific works that fit God’s purposes. David knew what happened to King Saul because of his sin and so wanted to be of use to God again. Pray w/ David, “Father, I want to fellowship with You again. Change me, renew me, transform me, make me willing again.” Spiritual recovery requires you to come clean, to take responsibility for your sin, to ask and receive God’s forgiveness, and pray for His presence and power to once more flow through your life. That brings us to the last step:
V. Resolve to use past failure for future ministry - vv. 13-15
Look at v. 13-15: “Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” This was David saying, “God I want to get back in the game. I want this to be useful for Your purposes so that I can say to someone thinking like I was thinking, ‘Man, it’s not worth it. I’ve been there and have the scars to prove it. There is a better way.”
A Psalm of Repentance: Biblical concept of Repentance.
The whole idea of repentance is at the center of the NT message.
- John the Baptist: Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.
- Jesus’s ministry began with the same call to repentance.
- The Church: Faith and Repentance
Today, repentance has been all but lost in many evangelical circles of the gospel. We want to make it easy to come to Jesus. We underplay or all but hide the biblical mandate to repent.
In theology we make a distinction between – FAITH / REPENTANCE
In that effort to distinguish we sometimes go to the extreme and actually DIVORCE them all together. In biblical categories, even though they are distinguished they remain closely connected even inseparable.
True FAITH always involves REPENTANCE & True REPENTANCE always involves FAITH.
Radio broadcast of a minister in Florida tell about a local church that was fast growing with a tremendous outreach program for teenagers.
- Their youth leaders not married but living together.
- Their answer: “We are Christians but we didn’t say we were disciples.” (Not Followers)
Inconsistencies to lifestyle to professed faith. Evangelical Fruit Counts!
All you have to do: Raise your hands / Come forward and make a profession / Say the sinner’s prayer / Ask Jesus to come into your life
We’re not telling them the truth.
They never experienced authentic FAITH and they never REPENTED of their sin. So, they are not at all converted. Evangelists are fooled into thinking 50 people came forward tonight and were converted. When really only 50 people came forward.
Johnathan Edwards’ Sermon: A Warning to Professors
- Not teachers but those who had made a profession of FAITH.
- Difference between making a profession of FAITH and possessing that FAITH you profess.
- People who make outward professions of FAITH who get involved in the church but whose lifestyle remains unchanged.
Most frightening verse: Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount gives a sobering Warning to the Professor.
- Lord, Lord – Away from Me, I never knew you!
- I went to church, preached, did missions…Jesus will say, “Who are you?”
- People claim to be Christians but really aren’t not.
What does this word REPENT mean?
- To change your mind. Original Greek same.
All you have to do: Change your mind about Jesus. Not a mere changing of your mind. Something has to happen at the very core of your being. You are turned upside down. Before you did this – and now you do this. Old ways are gone and New ways are now in Christ.
Can’t be a real conversion without a TURNING!
We live in a day where people are burdened with GUILT – we try everything to alleviate it but there is ONLY ONE CURE FOR GUILT – FORGIVENESS!
Before you can have forgiveness, you must have REPENTANCE.
