This broadcaster has 1251 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
February 2, 2021 3:00 am
Psalm 30, and David describes the tremendous weight he carried when he tried to cover over his disobedience to hide his sin, the guilt was unbearable.
What does it take to find relief today on Truth for Life. Alastair begged answers that question and tells us about the forgiveness God provides. When we confess our sins, and I'd like to begin by reminding us of a picture and process that is described in Leviticus 16, you may turn it if you choose, but believe me were not about to start studying Leviticus 16 but this is an important piece of all that we need every going to pay attention. I do what David is saying here. The story in Leviticus 16 is the story of the day of atonement, and when you read that as some of you will go home and do you discover that the high priest Aaron was in the course of God's plan to separate for himself to go and one of them was to be sacrificed as an offering for sin, and the second of them was to remain alive. That was the scapegoat and the scapegoat was then to be presented alive before the Lord and then send into the desert as a scapegoat.
And when you read in Leviticus 16, you discover that what happens is that Aaron is a high priest lays his hands on the head of the scapegoat, and as he does so he confesses the sins of the people. This is actually a symbolic night and it is a signification of the transferrin's of the sins of the people on to the scapegoat scapegoat is then led away.
I would into the lonely spot in the wilderness, and it is never to be seen again. That picture of the scapegoat is then represented and fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ.
He fulfills both roles one dying as a sacrifice of atonement for sin and also taking our sins as it were, far and away from us never to be seen again.
So when we come from that picture in the Old Testament into the new in the Lord Jesus Christ. All the sins of his people are counted to him and as the people substitute. He suffers the penalty due to their sin and having paid that price and removed it from them. He then takes it where it is never to be seen again that I Leviticus 16 picture was familiar to David as he writes Psalm 32 and when David says what he says here concerning the nature of his condition and the wonder of God's provision is not in some strange way of fiction as if somehow or another he was saying these things, but not really experiencing David's experience of confession and forgiveness is a real and genuine experience and the joy that he expresses in verse five and the release that he discovers is directly tied to what we have already noticed, namely, that when he covered a person when he sought to hide from God when he covered away all of his dark secrets. Then his life spiraled into a complete shambles. First of all, he says, then I acknowledged my sin to you, then I acknowledged my sin to you when he was hiding his life was unraveling of the burden was unbearable. But then he comes and acknowledges his sin to God.
The reason is because it is no longer any purpose in him hiding it or cloaking it or dissembling in any way secondly will notice he says and I did not cover up my iniquity. I didn't cover up my iniquity. There was no need for them to cover up his iniquity, because God is we're about to see has got it covered.
Happy is the one that Sam begins happy is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is covered. You see, when a person understands that God has provided the covering and the cleansing and the cure for sin, then it will allow an individual to admit themselves to be a sinner as long as the sinner thinks that he or she has to fix their predicament and is ashamed of their circumstances, then they will inevitably hiding from themselves hide from God and hide from one another but when they realize what God has done in Jesus, then they can come into the open. That's exactly what he does.
I did not cover up my iniquity. He doesn't have to see what am I going to say in my defense, or what am I going to offer on my behalf for what shall I do to secure my acceptance because what God says to Moses, I've got you covered. After all, were not telling God something he doesn't know. He knows that we are sinners to confess our sins to God. I think has within it, not simply the wonder of the discovery of the provision that is been made for us, but it is also to recognize what Peter goes on to say in chapter 4 when he says, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude because he who has suffered in his body, as has done with sin and as a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
This, you see is how you and I know that we are genuine confessors of our sin. Not that we use the phrase I confess my sins, but not the very confession and openness of our lives before God and the discovery of the provision that he is made for us in his son is then matched by what Peter goes on to say, the way in which we know that we are genuine about turning from our sin and turning to God is not simply in our verbiage, but it is in our lifestyle so that the confess sinner is not a person who runs around saying I confess I confess I confess, but it is the person who by their commitment of life puts behind them there evil human desires and lives no longer for themselves but for God. The Puritans put it perfectly. I hypocrite may leave his sins yet. Love them sanctified man leaves his sins and loathes them quite a distinction isn't I can fast my sins to you. This is not some superficial phraseology. This is the bearing of the heart of the soul of David before God whom he recognizes, sees into him with as it where x-ray eyes and he says I am disgusted I am disgraced I am unburdened I am uncovered and I want to walk away from all of this and from henceforward.
I want to live God exclusively for you. That's the expression of genuine confession, so it is that the Christian life is a life of daily faith and a life of daily repentance.
Turning to God and all of the wonder of his love and turning from our sin and all awareness of his badness. What David says here is descriptive of a radical transforming break with all that had brought them down into the ignominy of his wasted unraveling life and this is a description of our part in the transformation that Grace brings. Then he goes from what his part, has been to tell us what God's part has been.
I acknowledged my sin to you and didn't cover up my iniquity. I said I will confess my transgressions of the Lord, and you forgive my sin leave our six aside for the moment. Go back to the end of verse five and look at the three things that he says of God, I acknowledged I didn't cover up.
I confess my transgressions and you forgive the guilt of my sin. That's what God does.
He forgives the Guild of arson in the wonder of his love in light of the scapegoat passage in Leviticus 16 God sends Christ into the world to do for sinful men and women but we cannot do for ourselves in the wonder of his love. Jesus comes in. In his perfect life. He keeps God's law and in his sacrificial death, he bears the punishment for our sins. We see this again is not a fiction. If it is a fiction to you it's because it's a fiction. If it's a reality to you. You will know it is a reality because he doesn't simply justify his input is in a right position with the father he also indwells us by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit assures us of these things and enables us to cry out, even in our lossless and are broken. It your my father I cry out to you. That's the reality of if you have to convince yourself of its truth and may be because you have never come to Christ in genuine confession and in repentance and lay down the arms of your rebellion.
You have merely made a mental assent to intellectual information provided for you by people who said if you do this and think that and do that than this will be true and you did this and this and this and nothing's true, why because the work of transformation, such as David experienced here is a work which only God does. And when God does in the lives of those whom he changes.
We know we maybe traveled we maybe doubting we maybe a restless way maybe discouraged in days but in our heart of hearts.
When the music plays in the words are before us. We say this is an amazing truth it is an amazing truth and it is you see what relieves our burdens and sets us free sets us free from trying to do it on our own says is free from trying to tell everybody how fantastic we are, sets us free from trying to go around and change everybody and everything that hypocrite. The Pharisee points the finger lambasting cakes.
The repentance intersects that was me or that might be me what it not for what you all God have done you for gave the guilt of my sin. Verse 7 You Are My Hiding Pl. where my going to live when I get home. That was a country-western song wasn't where my going to live when I wear my going around all sinner men where you want to run to all on that day, run to the rocks going to hike run to the hills now going hike only one place we can hide and see.
This is the wonderful juxtaposition of these metaphors isn't here is David covering up like crazy until he realizes that he is uncovered.
Then he can come clean and rejoice in the fact that he's been covered here is David hiding away from, until he realizes that what he needs to do is hiding you hiding in Christ tonight you hiding him rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in the let the water and the blood from thy ribbon side which flowed me of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt justified and set in a right standing with God, cleanse me from its guilt and power.
The ongoing battle with sin in my life. How my going to keep it up. My going to make progress, especially when I'm so tempted and so so easily distracted while he not only cleanses me from its guilt but he goes on cleansing me from its power.
The third thing were told just pointed out to you and find you will notice there is a past present and future element to this is either you for gave past tense the end of verse five. You are verse seven a my hiding place and 7B future tense, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Where is our protection in God.
Where is our deliverance in God this wonderful picture you know when you used to watch Robin Hood. Maybe you didn't or Sir Lancelot or King Arthur and the old black-and-white days and when the Queen moved she got on that big horse like sitting on the top of a chest of drawers on top of a horse look very very precarious and she didn't go to her on her journey on her own but then all of the this soldiers on horseback I came all around her and surrounded her, and once they were all in position in positions of protection.
Then the journey was commenced, sometimes on a difficult day. You and I perhaps need to remind ourselves that he gives us he gives his angels charge over us to keep us in all of our ways. The protection that God provides as he surrounds his children so wonderful reminder as well of the corporate nature of what it means to be in Christ.
That is not some individualistic journey were not flying solo to heaven were flying information.
If you like the whole idea of being surrounded with songs of the liver where you surrounded with songs of the liver psalmist says some 2122. We begin with. I was glad when they said to me let is go to the house of the Lord, my feet are standing in Jerusalem, and the gates of Jerusalem is one of the sounds of us and what he saying is when I go to the place of worship. Then I experience all of the benefits of the deliverance that God provides for me that's part of what being a Parkside tonight is all about to be surrounded by songs of deliverance. Some of eyes of the things that we need to be delivered from we can sing to ourselves but it is such an encouragement to sing of my Redeemer and his wondrous love to me on the cross he paid my part, paid the debt set me free. This is a quote from Atia again. I found it in an obscure passage and this is one of his little wonderful sentences. Listen to this. When truth gets into a creed or a hymnbook, it becomes the confident possession of the whole church. When truth gets into a creed or a hymnbook, it becomes the confident possession of the whole church as a church seems so church will live, and it is this EC which allows them to rejoice.
Despite our struggles in our setbacks because of our struggles and setbacks. JC Ryle, who was converted as a young man wrote an amazing book called holiness. He wrote other things, and in a passage on assurance in a book that he wrote he says this many appear to forget that we are saved and justified as sinners and only as sinners and that we can never attain to anything higher redeemed sinners justified sinners and renewed sinners. Doubtless, we might just be, but sinners, sinners, sinners, always sinners to the very last. They do not seem to comprehend that there is a wide difference between our justification and our sanctification, our justification is a perfect finished work at admits of no degrees. Our sanctification is imperfect and incomplete and will be to the last hour of our life so easy when we are all discombobulated and when we are aware of our foibles and our feelings and our discouragements in our doubts.
The antidote to that is not to try and pull our socks off or to tighten our belts a little more. The antidote to that is to look away to the wonder of what Jesus has done and that's why have often said to you a good hymnbook will get us through our darkest days because we are surrounded with songs of deliverance while I skip verse six and I just pointed out to you. We must stop. I went from 5 to 7 and purposefully to come back to six to therefore therefore he says let everyone who is godly, pray to you the word Dennis Hassett Hassett, you recognize that if you live in Cleveland for any length of time. What is it sound like sound like a city doesn't Hasidic Jewish community.
That is exactly right. That is the word those upon whom the favor of God rests the similar word in verse 11. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad you write just the word. There is, yes, our you recognize yes are as a name for a man and also as an indication of a title for the people of God and what he is saying here is this that this experience that I have known is the experience that all the godly no let everyone who's godly pray to you when while you may be found when is that now and always. Surely, when the mighty waters rise. They will not reach an shooting Wesley had that in mind when he wrote Jesus lover of my soul absolutely did remember his lines while the Nero waters role while the Templars still is high hi me or my Savior. Hi to all the storms of life are passed revealing Wesley got that Psalm 32 and verse six that everyone who is godly, pray to you while you may be have found. Surely, when the mighty waters rise.
They will not reach him by because God will be to you what he is to me.
You are my hiding face and I haven't found a refuge from you, but I'm glad I found a refuge in you that is pray together just a moment as we reflect on all of these many words. Ask God to bring to our own minds sent recollection. The things that are necessary for us.
Some of us have come burden this evening.
Tempted to try and muscle through to another Monday and got says later burden down cast your cares upon me. Some of us in our rebellion refused to acknowledge our sin and were trying to hide from God, and God brings us out into the searching gaze of his were in order that he might bring us into the safety of his son and now into your care and keeping we commend ourselves.
Gracious Lord and King to bow before you is to rise and so we pray that as we light a restless night that you will watch over us and that is we awaken to a new morning that we might rise to sing your praise. We commend each other into your care and your keeping your grace and mercy and peace rest on each one, now and forevermore on there is overwhelming relief that comes as we confess our sin to God experience his forget your listing to Alistair Begg and this is Truth for Life. We were reminded today of the amazing gift of God's forgiveness. The transformation that only he can bring all of this is because of the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us on the cross. The weeks that lead up to Easter are the perfect time for us to focus on this extraordinary reality. That's why we want to recommend an Easter devotional today called an ocean of grace. This is a book of daily readings that explore all that Christ death and resurrection accomplished each day's devotion is written by a well-known figure from history, including names, you know, people like Charles Spurgeon or John Bunyan, Martin Luther and the original language has been updated for easy reading. You can request your copy of an ocean of grace.
When you donate today, simply The image on the mobile app or visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate or call us at 888-588-7884.
Now, if you started thinking ahead to summer vacation plans might want to consider vacationing with Alister he's gonna be the guest speaker on a seven-day cruise to Alaska parts out of Seattle on August 28. The cruise will feature stops in Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan and will provide close-up views of the Hubbard glacier. The Tongass National Forest and the snowcapped mountains that line the coast. Alister will be teaching from God's word.
Throughout the journey to learn more and reserve your tickets when you go online to deeper faith cruise.com or call 855-565-5519 that's a different number than we normally give form and repeated once more to inquire about the Alaskan cruise with Alister, call 855-565-5519 or go to deeper faith cruise.com Bob Lapine join us tomorrow as we discover how God wants to direct our future with a message titled, I will instruct you. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living