#1
BLESSED IS THE MAN
WHOSE SIN IS FORGIVEN
Psalm 32:1-5
(First Baptist Revival 11/6/05)
Thanks to Ken Trivett
Outline
I. SIN THAT WAS COVERED
A) He Defined the Committing
of His Sin
B) He Described the
Consequences of His Sin
II. SIN THAT WAS CONFESSED
A) How Humble He Was Before God
B) How Honest He Was With God
III. SIN THAT WAS CLEANSED
A) Sin That Was Carried
B) Sin That Was Covered
C) Sin That Was Canceled
1) There’s one thing that’s true about every person gathered here and
that is the desire to be happy.
I can’t say that I’ve ever met anyone whose desire
was to be unhappy.
Now I’ve met some very unhappy people, but I don’t believe being
unhappy was the great ambition of their life.
2) One day a little girl asked her mother, “Mommy, why is some of your
hair white?” The mother replied, “Well, every time you do something
that makes me unhappy a hair turns white.” The little girl thought
about it for a moment and then said, “Mommy, how come all of grandma’s
hair is white?”
3) If white hair was an indication of unhappiness there’s a lot of
people that would be white headed.
The desire to be happy is
something we all pursue.
It’s what often drives our every action and deed.
Being happy is
what’s behind much, if not most,
of what we do.
4) However, happiness for some seems to be an elusive dream.
5) People try anything and everything to be happy. For many, they’d pay
anything to be happy.
6) People would buy it, beg it, and even steal it if possible.
Yet, happiness isn’t something you can buy, beg or
steal.
You ask, ......Pastor Tim, how can a person be happy?
For the first three messages, I want to try and answer that
question by drawing your attention to a phrase that’s found several
times in the Bible.
It’s the phrase found in verse 2 of our text,
“Blessed is the man.”
7) The word “blessed” means more than someone that’s a recipient of
blessings.
It speaks of “happiness.”
In fact, the word is translated “happy” 18 times in the Bible.
** For example, we read in Psalm 146:5, “Happy is he
that hath
the God of Jacob for his
help, whose hope is in the LORD his
God.”
The word “happy” is the same word translated “blessed” in Psalm 32:2.
It’s talking about a man that’s happy.
8) As we look at several of the occurrences of this phrase we’ll learn
the secrets of true and lasting happiness.
Today, I want us to see that a happy person is a person whose sins have
been forgiven.
A truly happy person is someone
who knows that their sins
have been forgiven by God.
9) The background to Psalm 32 is the sin of David with Bathsheba.
This was a time in David’s life when he was anything
but a happy
man.
However as you read the Psalm you see that David is declaring himself
to be a happy man.
10) Let’s look at the Psalm and learn about the happiness that comes
from being forgiven by God.
First, David speaks of:
I. SIN THAT WAS
COVERED
1) In verse 3 David speaks of, “When I kept silence.”
There’d been a time in his life when he had
attempted to cover his
sin.
He had said nothing about his sin
to either man or God.
Instead, he had tried to hide or cover his sin.
Let’s look closer at David’s covering of sin and notice how:
A) He Defined the Committing of His
Sin
1) David used three words to define his sin.
In verse 1 he used the word “transgression” and the word “sin.”
In verse 2 he used the word “iniquity.”
Each of these three words gives us a definition of
sin and the sin
David had committed.
2) First, notice the word “transgression” in verse one.
It speaks of a “revolt” or “rebellion.”
It speaks of rebelling against what God has expressly forbidden.
God in His Word has declared what’s right and wrong.
Transgression is when we know what’s wrong.
We know that God has said it’s wrong, yet we do it
anyway.
It’s rebelling against His laws and commands.
David is declaring, what I did was wrong and I knew
it was wrong,
but I did it anyway.
3) Secondly, notice the word “sin” in verse one.
It’s a word that means to “miss the mark.”
David was saying that God had set the target that he should be aiming
for, but he missed that mark.
He had fallen short of what God commanded and
desired.
4) Thirdly, there’s the word “iniquity” in verse two.
It’s a word that speaks of something “distorted or
crooked.”
The path he had chosen was morally and spiritual distorted.
5) David not only defines his sin, but also notice how:
B) He Described the Consequences of
His Sin
1) You’ll notice that David described the burden his sin brought.
In verse 2 he says “my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day
long.”
There was the constant haunting and hounding of his
sin.
All through the day, every waking minute, the knowledge of his sin was
ever in the back of his mind.
Like a stuck record, his sin kept playing over
and over in his mind.
2) He states in verse 4, “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon
me.”
Add to the haunting of his sin was the heaviness of
his sin.
God’s hand of chastisement was on him making the burden of his sin even
greater.
3) David also described the barrenness his sin brought.
He says in verse 4 “my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.”
His soul was like a dry and parched land.
At one time he had enjoyed the showers and rains of God’s blessings,
but now his soul was like a
desert; dry and barren.
4) David could have stamped the word “remorse” on all his days
and nights.
However, David did something that awakened the joy
bells in his
heart.
What did he do?
Secondly, notice not only the sin that was covered, but also:
II. THE SIN
THAT WAS CONFESSED
1) The Bible says in Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall
not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
David had covered his sins and hadn’t prospered.
The burden and barrenness in his life spoke to that.
Now David takes the steps that are needed and
confesses and
forsakes his sin.
In verse 5 David says, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine
iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto
the LORD.”
We see David confessing his sins.
2) As you look at his confession you see:
A) How Humble He Was Before God
1) He says, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I
not hid.”
There was no more rebellion
against God’s law.
There was no longer any attempt to hide or cover sin.
He’s coming to God in brokenness
and humility.
In Psalm 51, a twin to this Psalm, David says in verse 17, “The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, thou wilt not despise.”
David comes before God in brokenness and humility.
2) The word “acknowledged” means “to know.”
It has the same idea of the word “confess” in 1 John
1:9 where the
Bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and just to
forgive our sins.”
The word “confess” in 1 John 1:9 means “to say the same thing or agree
with.”
It’s to agree with God that you’ve sinned.
When David acknowledged his sin, he was stating that he knew he had sin
and agreed with God he had sinned.
3) Often we tend to excuse our sin and fail to acknowledge our sin for
what it is.
We speak of it
as an ill instead of evil,
a weakness
instead of wickedness,
and a sickness
instead of sin.
There were no playing games or ignoring the truth on David’s part.
He was acknowledging his sin and
falling before God as
Someone who had sinned against
God.
4) You also see:
B) How Honest He Was With God
1) In verse 5 he says, “I will confess my transgressions unto the
LORD.”
The word “confess” as used here by David means “to
hold out the
hands.”
The word is often used to speak of praising or giving thanks to God
like when someone lifts their hands up to the Lord in praise and
thanksgiving.
2) It’s like David is holding out his hands before God, lifting up his
sins to God and saying, “God, this is my sin.”
He’s being completely honest
before God.
He’s naming his sin to God
leaving nothing excused or
covered.
3) I heard about an old German man was feeling guilty about something
he had done, so he decided to go to Confession. He said, "Bless me,
Father, for I have sinned. I feel terrible because during World War II
I hid a refugee in my attic."
The priest said, "But that's not
a sin! I wouldn't feel bad
about that if I were you!"
"But I made him agree to pay me 50 Marks for every week he stayed."
The priest said, "Well, I admit that certainly
wasn't the noblest
thing to do, charging the man to save his life – but
you did save his
life, after all, and that’s a good thing. Don't
worry about it too
much; God forgives."
The man said, "Oh thank you, Father that eases my mind. I have only one
more question to ask you, do I have to tell him the war is over?"
4) Confession involves coming absolutely clean and being absolutely
honest with God.
Anything less
isn’t real confession.
Confession always consists of humility and honesty.
5) Lastly, I want you to notice the result of David’s confession.
You not only see sin that was
covered and confessed,
but you also see:
III. SIN THAT
WAS CLEANSED
1) Notice verse 5, “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity
have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD;
and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
When David confessed his sin, God cleansed his sin.
It was the
cleansing of sin that made the joy bells
start ringing
in his heart again.
2) He says in verses 1-2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
Remember what I said about the word “blessed”
earlier? It speaks
of intense happiness.
David had been such a burdened man, but now he’s a greatly blessed man.
His soul is overflowing.
The joy bells are ringing in his heart.
He’s so happy! Why?
His sins have been forgiven!
It was like he had had a bath.
He had felt so dirty, but now he
feels so clean.
His bones are no longer roaring.
His soul is now rejoicing.
3) Not far from New York, there’s a cemetery with a grave, which has
inscribed on its headstone just one word—"Forgiven."
There’s no name, no date of birth or death.
There’s no epitaph, no eulogy—just that one word,
"Forgiven."
But that’s the greatest thing that can be said about or experienced
by any man – "Forgiven."
4) I once came across an article that was called,
“Ten Things You Were Never Regret.”
The ten things listed are:
* Showing kindness to an aged person.
* Destroying a letter written in anger.
* Offering an apology that’ll save a
friendship.
* Stopping a scandal that was ruining a
reputation.
* Helping a boy or girl find themselves.
* Taking time to show consideration to
parents, friends, brothers and
sisters.
* Staying away from gossip when others around
you like it.
* Refusing to do a something that’s wrong,
although others do it.
* Living according to your convictions.
* Accepting the judgment of God on any
question.
5) I’d add one more and that’s being forgiven of your sins.
Blessed is the person whose sins have been forgiven.
How happy is the person whom God has forgiven their sins.
6) In closing let’s look closer at the forgiveness of David’s sin.
David used three words to describe his sin and he
used three words
to describe what God did when he confessed his sin.
In verse one he uses the words “forgiven” and “covered.”
In verse two he uses the word “imputeth.” In these words we see:
A) Sin That Was Carried
1) In verse one David said that his transgression were “forgiven.”
The word used means to “lift and carry away.”
It reminds us of how on the Day of Atonement the high priest would lay
the sins of the nation on the head of the scapegoat, and the goat would
led into the wilderness, released to be seen no more.
2) David was saying that God had carried his sins away never to be
remembered again.
MAN, that should make a Baptist SHOUT !
Furthermore, we see:
B) Sin That Was Covered
1) In verse one David speaks of his sin being “covered.”
The word talks about something that’s
“concealed & hidden from sight.”
When David had tried to cover his sin,
God uncovered them.
But when he uncovered his sin, God covered them.
They were removed, never to be remembered again, and
hidden
from the sight of God.
2) Thirdly, we see:
C) Sin That Was Canceled
(This the BEST one of them all)
1) In verse two David speaks of the “man unto whom the LORD imputeth
not iniquity.”
The word “imputeth” is a financial term.
It means “to put to one’s account.”
David was saying that his sin was no longer charged to his account.
It was no longer recorded by God
but had been canceled. His record was now clean before and with God.
2) Here’s what God can do for you.
No matter who you are or what you’ve done, this is
what God can
do for you.
Your sin – any sin, all sin – can be carried away never to be
remembered again, wiped completely from your record leaving you
absolutely clean before a Holy God.
PRAISE THE LORD FOR THIS !!
3) It’s no wonder David was such a happy man?
You can know the same happiness
and joy that he did.
AS A CHRISTIAN or AS A LOST PERSON .......
IF you’ll come to God today & confess your sin,
He’ll cleanse you of your EVERY sin as He did David.
With David you can say,
“Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”