Forgiveness and Cleansing for the Guilty

Wednesday 5-6-15  (Gobernador Costas, Argentina)

Scripture reading:     2 Sam 11-12     Ps 51     Matt 23

S.  2 Sam 12:13  Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." NLT

Ps 51:2-4  Wash me clean from my guilt.  Purify me from my sin.  For I recognize my shameful deeds — they haunt me day and night.  Against you, and you alone, have I sinned. 

O.  David took a long lustful look from the housetop.  Then overcome by his lust, he had taken Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and had gotten her pregnant.  Then he tried to hide his sin, but could not… so he ordered the general of his army to deliberately get Uriah, one of his most loyal soldiers, killed in battle.  It was adultery and now murder.  One sin generated another. 

A.  So who did David sin against?  Had he not sinned against Uriah and Bathsheba?  Had he not broken up a happy marriage and then killed one of his most faithful soldiers?  Now David was tormented by his sin… for he recognized that his sin was not only against Uriah and Bathsheba, but against God.  He cries out to the God he loved… the God he used to sing psalms to on the hills as a shepherd boy.  Now in the darkness of anguish he cries, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned.” 

P.  Oh God, my Creator and Master… help me to recognize the seriousness of sin.  Every sin, every lie, every lustful look… I am not only sinning against myself and others, I am sinning against my loving, faithful God. How lightly we treat sin today!  We tend to see it as grey, not black.  We tend to justify ourselves with “everybody is doing it.”  Open our eyes to see the ugliness and seriousness of sin.  Help us to recognize that every sin injures ourselves and others… and most of all, it hurts You!  May every sinner among us pray David’s entire 51^st Psalm and find total forgiveness and cleansing.*  You sent Your Son to take the full consequences of our sin.  Although we are all unworthy, You paved the way to heaven for every believer!  Thank You, Lord.  My hope is not in my goodness.  My hope is in the indescribable gift of Your Only Begotten Son.  I love You… Oh how I love You!  Amen

Ralph

*1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” KJV