Some years ago the BBC screened, a programme called “confessions”

• people were asked to confess to things they had kept secret in front of a TV audience. Some of it was funny, some of it was crass and some of it was criminal.
• the show was criticised by the Broadcasting Standards Authority and promptly taken off the air

We have a perverse fascination with people’s confessions of what goes on in private.

We are not talking today about recovery from trauma, or recovery from grieving or any of the other hassles from without that we need to

• I’m talking about recovery from sin and the effects of our wrong-doing.

We don’t like the word sin –

it carries the idea of something dire and heinous.

Someone who murders, someone who peddles child pornography, someone is aggressive with his wife – they’re all sinners – but me? Well I’m not that bad.

I’ve got the odd fault or two, but nothing that will cause too many problems to me in my relationship with God.

Actually the Bible has a very wide view of sin. Anything that is outside God’s will for his people comes into that category. Even envy and covetousness are things we need to beware of.

We tend to grade sins,

with some being worse than others

• If I cheat on my wife or my husband, that’s much worse that if I walk off with a brio from work.
• There has got to be a difference between walking off with a biro from work or church (usually by accident) and taking a life, or stealing someone else’s husband or wife.

we tend to grade sins – and we can be very inventive in our grading system!

• we grade sins by consequences – does anyone get hurt?

• or by losses – who loses out and how intensely does that person feel they’re losing out?
• or by value – how much is missing?
• by intentionality – was it deliberate or an accident? and we tend to be kinder on ourselves if it’s accidental!
• we even grade sins by observation – will anyone even notice?

does the biro really matter?

Actually yes. Because if we learn how to act in repentance and restitution (where that’s possible) in the small things in life, we will know what to do when the really important moments come along.

• we will know how to do the spiritual heavy lifting that’s needed when the weighty acts of recovery from sin stare me in the face.
• We will already have the ability to act wisely in the big things of life.
• This is costly lesson, a costly skill to develop!

Confession together

In the days before hymns and worship songs, and light rock bands in church the service would have a very different spiritual trajectory. The journey of recovery would start right at the outset of Sunday worship

Almost the first words we would use would be words of confession.

“If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If, however, we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1John 1:8-9

or

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart , O God, you will not despise” Psalm 51:

I must say that I am bothered that in the contemporary church confession, penitence and repentance is taken too lightly in our corporate worship.

We need to give one another the space to confess, repent and seek the Lord’s renewal in our lives.

• In the OT there is an account of Achan (he stole some goods and hid them) – and that hidden sin prevented God from working. Had that hidden sin been forgiven history may have been very different.
• I believe we need to give one another lots of opportunities to seek. and find, recovery from our wrong-doing!

The big message of the gospel – Jesus Christ paid our price

It was Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection that Jesus paved the way for forgiveness to take place – so that in our praying can walk a journey of recovery.

Let me illustrate it like this:

Suppose I came to your house with a sledge hammer and smashed up your TV,

• You would probably feel offended and abused. But you may (at some point) tell me that you forgive me.

• but by forgiving me you’ve had to absorb the cost of replacement TV. Someone has to pay for the breakage!
• Even thought I am forgiven, the cost does not just disappear.
• In the same way God does not wave his hands over sin when He forgave it, He must Himself absorb the full cost of the injustice done.

And that’s what happened when Jesus died for us. The necessary price was paid.

• Now this is a very unpopular doctrine for some people.
• It’s called the theory of “penal substitution.”
• Christ’s death was “penal” in that he bore a penalty when he died.
• His death was also a “substitution” in that he substituted for us when he died.

This has been the orthodox understanding of the atonement held by evangelical Bible scholars for centuries

• (It’s in contrast to other views that attempt to explain the atonement part from the idea of the wrath of God or payment of the penalty for sin.)

This view of the atonement is sometimes called the theory of vicarious atonement. A “vicar” is someone who stands in the place of someone else or who represents another person.

• Christ’s death was therefore “vicarious” because he stood in our place and represented us. As our representative, he took the penalty that we deserve. (see Wayne Grudem: Systematic Theology )

Psalm 51

Back story

• David, King of Israel – should have been leading his troops in warfare – instead he delegated the task
• wandering on the parapet of his palace and spots a woman bathing
• lusts after her, gets her into the palace and sleeps with her
• She discovers she’s pregnant so David calls her husband, Uriah, back from the battlefront for some well-earned rest. But on principle he refuses to go home to sleep with his wife
• David sends him back to the battlefront and also sends a secret letter to the commander to say that he’s to be exposed to the toughest part of the field.
• He is killed and David heaves a sigh of relief.
• Until, that is, a prophet reveals his plan. David realises his cover has been blown by God
• This Psalm is him repenting of his sin.

What does David’s journey of recovery look like? and how can we recover?

• there are several steps in the process

First step – realise how broad sin is

Understand the wide range of sin

David saw the wide range of his sin

The different words he uses here tell us about how wide=ranging his sin was

blot out my transgressions v1

Word describes definite rebellion, disobedience

• carries idea of wilful disobedience
• I choose to do wrong
• leads to guilt

Psychiatrist “If I could solve the problem of guilt I would lose about 70% of my case load”

wash away my iniquity v2

Word ‘iniquity’ carries idea of perversion, distortion

• missing the mark, not being up to scratch

E.g. piece of equipment that doesn’t function properly

• we say ‘It’s not up to spec’
• there’s a standard – but it doesn’t reach it

David was deeply aware he’d missed God’s standard

cleanse me from my sin v2

The word translated ‘Sin’ implies the committing of wrong deeds themselves

I do wrong deeds because I am sinful (by nature)

• not the other way round

Second step: Understand how personal sin is

Like a spiral

You may be saying ‘this doesn’t apply to me’

I’ve never murdered, committed adultery, defrauded anyone

• … or maybe you have and the Holy Spirit is alerting you to it now
• don’t push him away! >>>

This particular spiral has three revolutions

revolution one: ‘All have sinned’

yes, I know that

• it’s all fairly general
• and that somehow makes it safe
• We have all sinned, I too have sinned, that makes me like everyone else.
• I’m not exceptional and therefore my sin can’t really be that serious.

revolution two: ‘I have sinned’ v3

I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me

Have you ever had a tune that you just can’t get out of your brain an ‘ear worm’ >>>

• that’s what David’s sin was like >>>

revolution three: ‘I have sinned against you’ v4

Against you and you only have I sinned

But wait – weren’t there other people who were victims here?

• Hadn’t he sinned against Uriah? – having him killed – yes
• Hadn’t he sinned against Bathsheba? – by seducing her – yes
• Hadn’t he sinned against Joab, the military commander, whom he asked not to protect Uriah in the heat of battle? – yes
• Hadn’t he sinned against the nation? – by betraying their trust – yes

All this is true, but at heart he had sinned against God

• all of our sin is fundamentally rebellion against God who loves us dearly

He could have gone into blame mode

blame his circumstances

“Oh it’s such a demanding job, being a king” I’m dealing with affairs of state all the time – can’t I have a bit of ‘me’ time?

Blame Bathsheba

“What on earth was she doing having a bath in full view of the palace – surely she realised she could be seen – it’s her fault!”

Blame Uriah

He’s disobeyed the king by not going home to his wife – of course he deserves to be punished – it’s his fault

Blame his position

David could have said to himself “D’you know what, I never asked to be king! Long ago when I was a teenager a prophet I’d never seen before turned up in our house and anointed me as future King. It was bizarre! I never asked for it and I wish he’s never done it!”

 

It’s so easy to blame circumstances, people, situations and systems for failings that are, in truth, our own responsibility.

And Here David is acknowledging it’s his responsibility

 

Few things are more demoralising than a blame culture.

Third Step: Learn to recognise what guilt feels like

Then we can be alert to it.

the guises of guilt

What does guilt look and feel like?

David describes it graphically!

Now nothing his hidden from God

• God knows it all – he is omniscient
• now David gets down to the business of asking for forgiveness

how does he describe his guilt?

feeling contaminated v7

7 cleanse me with hyssop

Hyssop – bristly plant used in the ceremonial cleansing of a house or a person.

• children of Israel – hyssop used to daub the doorposts with blood of the sacrifice
• “When I see the blood I will pass over”

Maybe you’re here with a very real sense of being unclean before God

• you’ve tried to rid yourself of guilt but failed
• God is here – He can do what you can’t
• … cleanse you

7 “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow”

The same cleansing David experienced can be yours too.

sadness v8

8 “Let me hear joy and gladness”

David used to enjoy a glad walk with the Lord

• He led lively heartfelt exuberant worship in the temple
• now that had all gone
• (perhaps he still went through the motions)

crushing weight

8 … let the bones you have crushed rejoice

fourth step: take the way out

You may say ‘I know all this – painfully real

how do I get out?!

• public buildings are required to have ‘exit’ signs to be used in an emergency
• As a Christ-follower I want to have at my fingertips the attitudes of humility before the Lord and determination to please Him that will help me to exit from the crushing weight of guilt whenever it comes

David prayed in faith here – he was anticipating the Lord would act before it actually happened! That’s what faith looks like!

We can see this in the verses we’ve just looked at

Cleanse me, Lord and I will be clean!

wash me Lord – and I will be whiter than snow!

let the bones you have crushed rejoice!

David is walking a costly path of repentance and trusting that at the end of it the Lord will bring him recovery and restoration!

• He prayed for a sequence of deep things.
• … that’s the nature of recovery from sin (sexual or otherwise) repentance has to go deep .

Here are David’s ‘exit’ signs for us to follow. We can see them from the verbs he uses

create – create in me a pure heart v10

His heart has been polluted by his sin. By himself David could do nothing about it

• Only God could create in him a clean heart

God creates out of nothing >>>

Can I ask you if you need God to answer this prayer in you

• is there some pollution >>>

‘create in me a clean heart’

• it’s a prayer God delights to answer!

renew – renew in me a right spirit v10

Bible often speaks of ethical standards of write and wrong

• purity and impurity

David knew he couldn’t make himself right

• but God can!

accept – Don’t turn me away v11

When a person get embroiled in sex outside God’s ring fence they often do so in an attempt to feel wanted, or accepted or valued.

… and that may have been part of David’s motivation to sleep with Bathsheba

but being in her presence meant he was outside of the Lord’s presence.

His relationship with god had been broken so he pleads with the Lord not to reject him

Ps 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Literally – cast me from your ‘face’

• (the only way to see someone’s face was to be in their presence)

restore – restore in me your joy v12

When I’m right with God

• my wrong-doing confessed – and thus forgiven
• this is the inevitable consequence – joy!

You may be a new Christian

• you may be a Christian of many years standing –
• it doesn’t matter

The way to know freedom from sin and peace with God

• the joy of the Holy Spirit is just the same
• be honest with the Lord about your sin
• ask him to forgive you
• as best you can, turn away from it
• ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh

motivate – grant me a willing spirit v12

Ps 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David’s behaviour and choices had left him in a position where he wasn’t particularly willing to obey the Lord

• his motivation to act for god had been damaged

David knew that there needed to be a fundamental change in his heart at the deepest level

at the level of his motivation – what gives him a buzz to carry on.

Is it possible that some of us are praying this prayer “Lord, I want to have a willing spirit once again!

 

Fifth Step – help someone else v13

When forgiveness arrives, when liberation materialises there’s something we find we want to do – tell people so they can experience the same!

Ps 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

A forgiven sinner no longer needs to hide their sin

• David wants God to use even his tough experience to bring about the same spiritual change he experienced in the lives of people close to him.
• This is God’s extravagant grace!

 

Men – Are you man enough to face this? >>>

 

Stand to pray

If you’re aware of the crushing weight of sin that David knew

be honest with the Lord about your sin

ask him to forgive you

as best you can, turn away from it

ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh

(Ministry team + music)

Here is love, vast as the ocean >>>