Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
00:00:01.06\00:00:02.38
Do you ever have a
guilty conscience before God?
00:00:02.41\00:00:06.15
Join us today on
Pressing into His Presence
00:00:06.18\00:00:09.17
as we consider how confession
00:00:09.20\00:00:11.67
is the clearing
house of the conscience.
00:00:11.70\00:00:14.33
Welcome to
Pressing into His Presence.
00:00:35.12\00:00:37.47
This is a series to teach us
00:00:37.50\00:00:40.08
how to have
greater intimacy in prayer.
00:00:40.11\00:00:44.05
If you're using
our companion book
00:00:44.08\00:00:46.04
Pressing into His Presence,
00:00:46.07\00:00:47.77
we are staring today on page 56.
00:00:47.80\00:00:51.29
Now on our last
program we had reviewed
00:00:51.32\00:00:54.59
the five step
process of repentance
00:00:54.62\00:00:57.09
and considered
the anatomy of sin.
00:00:57.12\00:00:59.66
I believe that
you're going to enjoy
00:00:59.69\00:01:01.49
today's teaching on confession.
00:01:01.52\00:01:05.26
But first before we get
into the joyful part of this,
00:01:05.29\00:01:08.87
I want to comment
on eight scriptures
00:01:08.90\00:01:11.52
that served as a
wakeup call to me
00:01:11.55\00:01:14.25
in recognizing my
own sin and made me
00:01:14.28\00:01:17.92
appreciate even more
how much I needed a savior.
00:01:17.95\00:01:21.31
And why
confession is so important
00:01:21.34\00:01:24.85
to clear our
conscience before God?
00:01:24.88\00:01:27.75
So let's look at
those eight scriptures.
00:01:27.78\00:01:30.52
1 John 3:4 says,
"Whoever commits sin
00:01:30.55\00:01:35.76
also commits lawlessness
and sin is lawlessness."
00:01:35.79\00:01:42.20
You know, John relates all sin
to the breaking of God's law.
00:01:42.23\00:01:47.48
Now the original
Greek here translated,
00:01:47.51\00:01:50.15
commits lawlessness
means to commit an iniquity
00:01:50.18\00:01:54.06
and that means an intentional
00:01:54.09\00:01:56.83
or unintentional
offence against God's law.
00:01:56.86\00:02:00.17
Oh, no, that's alarming.
00:02:00.20\00:02:02.17
Even unintentional offences
are included as iniquity.
00:02:02.20\00:02:07.24
Now our second verse
to consider is 1 John 5:17
00:02:07.27\00:02:12.45
and that simply says,
"All unrighteousness is sin."
00:02:12.48\00:02:17.65
Anything that we do
that deviates from God's holy
00:02:17.68\00:02:20.75
and righteous
character is counted a sin.
00:02:20.78\00:02:24.29
Now mercy, I
knew I missed the mark
00:02:24.32\00:02:26.46
but that sounded somewhat mild,
00:02:26.49\00:02:28.19
this one however
nailed me to the heart.
00:02:28.22\00:02:31.51
It strikes me that this
scripture can convict us all.
00:02:31.54\00:02:35.57
Now our third scripture is
Hebrews 3:19 and this says,
00:02:35.60\00:02:41.76
"So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief.''
00:02:41.79\00:02:48.19
Unbelief is the sin
that shut the Israelites
00:02:48.22\00:02:52.22
out of the Promised Land.
00:02:52.25\00:02:54.14
How often have we
doubted a promise of God?
00:02:54.17\00:02:57.87
To doubt God's testimony
is to regard Him as a liar.
00:02:57.90\00:03:02.74
No wonder it's impossible
to please God without faith.
00:03:02.77\00:03:06.99
Now our fourth reference and--
00:03:07.02\00:03:08.77
we're gonna get
into the good part
00:03:08.80\00:03:10.28
here in a minute but
we've got to see our own sin.
00:03:10.31\00:03:14.06
Our fourth reference
is Matthew 12:36, 37,
00:03:14.09\00:03:18.26
where Jesus said, "I say to you
00:03:18.29\00:03:21.61
that for every
idle word men may speak,
00:03:21.64\00:03:23.89
they will give account of
it on the day of judgment.
00:03:23.92\00:03:27.33
For by your words
you will be justified
00:03:27.36\00:03:30.28
and by your words
will you be condemned."
00:03:30.31\00:03:33.94
Now Jesus
presents His solemn thought
00:03:33.97\00:03:36.80
after He previously
explained that the words
00:03:36.83\00:03:39.88
from our mouth
revealed the condition
00:03:39.91\00:03:41.88
of our heart and our character.
00:03:41.91\00:03:44.71
Truly the tongue has the power
of spiritual life or death.
00:03:44.74\00:03:49.97
Now going on our fifth
reference is James 4:17
00:03:50.00\00:03:54.49
and it says, "To
him who knows to do good
00:03:54.52\00:03:58.82
and does not do
it, to him it is sin."
00:03:58.85\00:04:02.70
When James weighs in
on this matter of sin,
00:04:02.73\00:04:06.15
he is tipping the scale
toward sins of omission.
00:04:06.18\00:04:12.09
Not things that we do
but things that we don't do.
00:04:12.12\00:04:15.74
And then the sixth
scripture is Romans 14:23
00:04:15.77\00:04:19.35
where Paul adds, "Whatever
is not from faith is sin."
00:04:19.38\00:04:24.65
We're sinning
when we are uncertain
00:04:24.68\00:04:26.76
that God approves of an action
but decide to do it anyway.
00:04:26.79\00:04:32.92
The seventh
scripture is Proverbs 24:9,
00:04:32.95\00:04:36.93
which says, "The
devising of foolishness is sin."
00:04:36.96\00:04:42.23
Perverse silliness is sin.
00:04:42.26\00:04:45.59
So the next time someone shares
00:04:45.62\00:04:47.09
one of those naughty
little jokes with you,
00:04:47.12\00:04:49.61
stifle your
laughter because if you don't
00:04:49.64\00:04:53.10
you're demonstrating
approval of the impure
00:04:53.13\00:04:56.25
and you stand
equally guilty of sin.
00:04:56.28\00:04:59.44
And our final reference
00:04:59.47\00:05:00.85
as we try to define
sin is Jeremiah 4:14,
00:05:00.88\00:05:06.08
which says, "Wash your
hearts from wickedness,
00:05:06.11\00:05:10.19
that you may be saved.
00:05:10.22\00:05:12.09
How long shall your evil
thoughts lodge within you?"
00:05:12.12\00:05:18.00
Thoughts of
wickedness and iniquity,
00:05:18.03\00:05:20.99
thoughts of
breaking God's law are sin.
00:05:21.02\00:05:24.48
Oh, mercy.
00:05:24.51\00:05:26.08
Now that last scripture
00:05:26.11\00:05:27.19
is where the
rubber meets the road.
00:05:27.22\00:05:29.37
Even our thought life
can taint us with sin.
00:05:29.40\00:05:32.61
Actually according
to Christ reckoning,
00:05:32.64\00:05:35.52
the thought is the sin
00:05:35.55\00:05:38.35
and the action is
the fruit of the sin.
00:05:38.38\00:05:41.67
I mentioned in
an earlier program
00:05:41.70\00:05:43.27
something that we share
in common with King David
00:05:43.30\00:05:46.16
and that is being
judgmental of others
00:05:46.19\00:05:48.05
while turning a blind
eye to our own faults.
00:05:48.08\00:05:51.14
Perhaps we think
we're better than David
00:05:51.17\00:05:53.77
because we've not
committed adultery
00:05:53.80\00:05:56.29
or murder, or have we?
00:05:56.32\00:05:59.74
To Jesus thoughts
of lust are the sin,
00:05:59.77\00:06:04.12
adultery is the
fruit of the sin.
00:06:04.15\00:06:07.22
To Jesus thoughts of hatred
are equal to heart murder.
00:06:07.25\00:06:12.01
The act of taking
someone's life is merely
00:06:12.04\00:06:14.81
what grows out
of an unclean heart.
00:06:14.84\00:06:18.42
Well, there is
more to the sin study
00:06:18.45\00:06:20.41
but surely our consciences
have been pricked enough.
00:06:20.44\00:06:25.08
Considering God's viewpoint,
00:06:25.11\00:06:27.42
is it safe to say
that we are steeped in sin?
00:06:27.45\00:06:31.41
We may have grownup in church
00:06:31.44\00:06:33.56
and thought we
didn't need much saving
00:06:33.59\00:06:35.90
because we were
such good people.
00:06:35.93\00:06:38.50
But now the blinders are off,
00:06:38.53\00:06:40.58
we see how much we need Jesus.
00:06:40.61\00:06:43.38
And I pray that we will
be less judgmental of others
00:06:43.41\00:06:45.94
knowing how crushing
our own sin burden is.
00:06:45.97\00:06:50.00
It's time to cry out to
our Heavenly Father for mercy.
00:06:50.03\00:06:54.54
And we can take heart
00:06:54.57\00:06:56.67
in the message
of Micah Chapter 7,
00:06:56.70\00:07:00.53
and we'll look
at verses 18 and 19.
00:07:00.56\00:07:03.77
I love this passage.
00:07:03.80\00:07:06.33
Micah says, "Who
is a God like You,
00:07:06.36\00:07:11.01
pardoning iniquity and
passing over the transgression
00:07:11.04\00:07:15.15
of the remnant of His heritage?
00:07:15.18\00:07:17.82
He does not
retain His anger forever,
00:07:17.85\00:07:21.02
because He delights in mercy.
00:07:21.05\00:07:24.30
He will again
have compassion on us,
00:07:24.33\00:07:27.06
and will subdue our iniquities.
00:07:27.09\00:07:30.21
Oh, you will
cast all of our sins
00:07:30.24\00:07:34.17
into the depths of the sea."
00:07:34.20\00:07:36.91
Hallelujah.
00:07:36.94\00:07:38.79
You know, for someone
00:07:38.82\00:07:40.42
who once thought
that she was so good.
00:07:40.45\00:07:42.60
I have come to appreciate
the great number of sins
00:07:42.63\00:07:45.75
that God must cast from me
into the depths of the sea.
00:07:45.78\00:07:50.23
With extreme grace He
wipes out the tremendous
00:07:50.26\00:07:55.06
and inescapable debt that I owe.
00:07:55.09\00:07:58.81
It makes me love Him ever more.
00:07:58.84\00:08:01.25
In Luke 7 and I
believe it's 36 through 50,
00:08:01.28\00:08:05.34
Jesus told a
judgmental Pharisee,
00:08:05.37\00:08:08.48
the story of a certain
creditor who had two debtors,
00:08:08.51\00:08:11.61
one owed a
little, the other a lot
00:08:11.64\00:08:13.93
and neither could
pay what they owed.
00:08:13.96\00:08:16.14
The creditor
freely forgave both debts.
00:08:16.17\00:08:19.66
Turning to the
Pharisee Jesus asked,
00:08:19.69\00:08:21.82
"Which of the two men
would love the creditor more?"
00:08:21.85\00:08:25.27
And the Pharisee rightly assumed
00:08:25.30\00:08:27.58
that the one who
was forgiven more.
00:08:27.61\00:08:30.40
Jesus related the
story in reference to a woman
00:08:30.43\00:08:33.07
of ill repute who was
washing his feet with her tears
00:08:33.10\00:08:37.37
and anointing them
with a fragrant oil
00:08:37.40\00:08:40.49
from an alabaster box.
00:08:40.52\00:08:42.73
And here is the
punch line of Christ story.
00:08:42.76\00:08:46.26
The self righteous
Pharisee who recoiled
00:08:46.29\00:08:49.53
at the act of the weeping woman,
00:08:49.56\00:08:52.34
he loved Jesus very little.
00:08:52.37\00:08:54.58
He had not
recognized his debt of sin.
00:08:54.61\00:08:57.99
However the woman
who had once been filled
00:08:58.02\00:09:01.76
with unspeakable shame
and the sins of unutterable,
00:09:01.79\00:09:07.05
unworthiness, knew
what Christ had done
00:09:07.08\00:09:11.16
in forgiving her great sin debt.
00:09:11.19\00:09:13.50
She simply could not contain
00:09:13.53\00:09:16.15
her overflowing
love for the Savior.
00:09:16.18\00:09:19.14
And Christ concluded in
one of my favorite scriptures,
00:09:19.17\00:09:23.16
Luke 7:47, it says,
"Therefore I say to you,
00:09:23.19\00:09:27.13
her sins which are many are
forgiven, for she loved much.
00:09:27.16\00:09:32.02
But to whom little is forgiven,
the same loves little."
00:09:32.05\00:09:36.78
You know, the
closer that I press
00:09:36.81\00:09:39.25
into the presence of our
holy and righteous Father,
00:09:39.28\00:09:42.95
the more I recognize
how sin tainted, I am.
00:09:42.98\00:09:47.52
A better understating
of his "sin catalog"
00:09:47.55\00:09:52.13
has brought me to a
greater appreciation
00:09:52.16\00:09:55.58
of my massive debt erase by him
00:09:55.61\00:09:58.41
and I love Him all
of the more for it.
00:09:58.44\00:10:02.49
Romans 3:23 tells us,
00:10:02.52\00:10:06.84
"All have sinned and fallen
short of the glory of God."
00:10:06.87\00:10:11.68
When we think about this
00:10:16.11\00:10:18.94
in the Greek, in
the original language,
00:10:18.97\00:10:21.99
the phrase for falling short
represents a continuous action.
00:10:22.02\00:10:28.23
In other words
what Paul was saying is,
00:10:28.26\00:10:30.97
we all keep falling
short of the glory of God.
00:10:31.00\00:10:35.06
What is His glory?
It's His character.
00:10:35.09\00:10:37.20
I know that I fall short
of His character every day.
00:10:37.23\00:10:41.04
How about you?
00:10:41.07\00:10:42.80
Doesn't it seem
logical then that
00:10:42.83\00:10:45.30
we should repent
of our sins daily?
00:10:45.33\00:10:50.01
Rejoice in the
recognition of your sin debt.
00:10:50.04\00:10:53.53
God delights in mercy
00:10:53.56\00:10:55.50
and He stands
ready to forgive you.
00:10:55.53\00:10:58.06
His heart beats with
pity for the penitent sinner.
00:10:58.09\00:11:03.41
He will not leave you
with your head hanging low.
00:11:03.44\00:11:06.93
The greater your
debt wiped out by Him,
00:11:06.96\00:11:10.93
the more you will
love Him, hallelujah.
00:11:10.96\00:11:14.87
For many years, I have
traveled extensively in ministry
00:11:14.90\00:11:19.63
and interacted with
thousands of people literally,
00:11:19.66\00:11:22.83
following speaking engagements.
00:11:22.86\00:11:24.76
And as you might guess
00:11:24.79\00:11:26.32
I can't remember
all of those encounters
00:11:26.35\00:11:28.95
but I vividly recall a young man
00:11:28.98\00:11:31.49
who chastised me
in the year 2000,
00:11:31.52\00:11:34.31
for commending on my
need of daily repentance.
00:11:34.34\00:11:37.60
He said to me, "You
don't understand grace,
00:11:37.63\00:11:40.41
it's not necessary
to confess your sins
00:11:40.44\00:11:42.65
after you've accepted
Christ as your savior.
00:11:42.68\00:11:45.22
Jesus has paid
the price for it all,
00:11:45.25\00:11:47.88
past, present and future."
00:11:47.91\00:11:49.94
Now I agreed with
him about the sufficiency
00:11:49.97\00:11:52.77
of Christ sacrifice to
cover the penalty of all sins.
00:11:52.80\00:11:56.94
And I tried to
explain how sin separates,
00:11:56.97\00:12:00.83
even the people of God from him.
00:12:00.86\00:12:04.11
God shuts His ears to
the unrepentant sinner.
00:12:04.14\00:12:08.13
He requires that we acknowledge
our offenses toward Him.
00:12:08.16\00:12:13.14
He actually says in Hosea 5:15,
00:12:13.17\00:12:19.63
"I will return again to My place
00:12:19.66\00:12:23.06
till they
acknowledge their offense.
00:12:23.09\00:12:25.90
Then they will seek My face,
00:12:25.93\00:12:28.61
in their affliction
they will earnestly seek Me."
00:12:28.64\00:12:35.84
I shared this story with him
and I shared with him the story
00:12:35.87\00:12:39.28
of the Apostle
Peter at the last supper.
00:12:39.31\00:12:42.17
The impetuous disciple
00:12:42.20\00:12:44.23
did not want to
have his feet washed
00:12:44.26\00:12:46.96
until Christ explained
that if you did not allow it,
00:12:46.99\00:12:50.39
he could have no part in him.
00:12:50.42\00:12:52.37
Peter was suddenly eager
for more than a foot washing
00:12:52.40\00:12:55.47
but Jesus said to
him in John 13:10,
00:12:55.50\00:12:59.00
"He who is bath needs
only to wash his feet."
00:12:59.03\00:13:03.10
The spiritual application
of the story is evident.
00:13:03.13\00:13:07.08
Peter had already
received spiritual cleansing.
00:13:07.11\00:13:10.83
He had not dirtied his entire
00:13:10.86\00:13:13.24
being by turning
away from the Lord
00:13:13.27\00:13:15.45
and back to the sewage
of the royal septic system.
00:13:15.48\00:13:18.88
Still in his daily
walk he was not without sin,
00:13:18.91\00:13:23.74
his soiled
spiritual feet needed washing
00:13:23.77\00:13:27.98
representing
confession of sin in repentance.
00:13:28.01\00:13:34.43
You know the
confession of a child
00:13:34.46\00:13:37.20
differs from that of a criminal.
00:13:37.23\00:13:39.65
A criminal might
confess his sin merely
00:13:39.68\00:13:42.40
for the reduction of
the sin that's against him.
00:13:42.43\00:13:45.08
But the child
confesses because the wrong
00:13:45.11\00:13:47.74
he has done bring sorrow
00:13:47.77\00:13:49.80
and a sins of separation
from his loving parent.
00:13:49.83\00:13:54.20
As children of God
00:13:54.23\00:13:55.98
when we
acknowledge our sins before Him
00:13:56.01\00:13:58.50
and can draw near
to our Holy Father
00:13:58.53\00:14:01.70
without feelings of condemnation
00:14:01.73\00:14:04.80
that we know that
confession has cleared us.
00:14:04.83\00:14:08.32
Once again this
correlates with the sanctuary
00:14:08.35\00:14:12.11
saying that we have been weaving
00:14:12.14\00:14:14.00
into the series on prayer.
00:14:14.03\00:14:16.44
You see before the priest
could enter into the holy place
00:14:16.47\00:14:19.82
they were required
to purify themselves
00:14:19.85\00:14:23.26
or they dare not enter.
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.33
They had to wash their hands
00:14:25.36\00:14:26.92
and their feet in the
laver in the outer court
00:14:26.95\00:14:29.63
which we will
explore in the next program.
00:14:29.66\00:14:32.38
But back to my fellow
00:14:32.41\00:14:34.89
because I didn't
finished that story.
00:14:34.92\00:14:37.11
As vigorously as
I defended the need
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.30
for a continuous
attitude of repentance,
00:14:39.33\00:14:43.22
this young man would
not budge from his belief.
00:14:43.25\00:14:46.79
Somewhere in the past
either he had received
00:14:46.82\00:14:50.10
an erroneous
teaching that cheapened
00:14:50.13\00:14:52.30
the value of
confession or he had forgotten
00:14:52.33\00:14:56.23
how to be sorry for his sins.
00:14:56.26\00:14:58.48
The Bible tells
us in 1 John 1:8-9.
00:14:58.51\00:15:02.76
"If we say that we have no sin,
00:15:02.79\00:15:06.20
we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
00:15:06.23\00:15:10.02
If however we confess our sins,
00:15:10.05\00:15:13.33
He, God is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins
00:15:13.36\00:15:19.79
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.''
00:15:19.82\00:15:23.44
Apostle John
here offers believers
00:15:23.47\00:15:26.70
the sheer word of forgiveness
00:15:26.73\00:15:29.42
that results
from our confession.
00:15:29.45\00:15:31.49
Now he uses the present active
condition of the verb confess.
00:15:31.52\00:15:36.21
That means what John
was actually saying is,
00:15:36.24\00:15:39.11
if we keep on confessing our sin
00:15:39.14\00:15:42.76
God is faithful and just
to forgive us of our sin.
00:15:42.79\00:15:45.98
Confession of sin is
stressed in the Old Testament
00:15:46.01\00:15:49.69
and it is urged
throughout the new.
00:15:49.72\00:15:52.60
Please never become callous
to the act of confession.
00:15:52.63\00:15:57.39
It is the clearing
house of the conscience.
00:15:57.42\00:16:01.24
It is the prescribed manner
for allowing God to purify us
00:16:01.27\00:16:07.03
and it results in the renewal
00:16:07.06\00:16:09.05
of a robust
relationship with the Lord.
00:16:09.08\00:16:12.12
Are you miserable in your sin?
00:16:12.15\00:16:14.40
Confession in
prayer is the place
00:16:14.43\00:16:17.50
where misery meets mercy.
00:16:17.53\00:16:20.43
Bring your sins into his light,
00:16:20.46\00:16:22.49
you'll not be
telling him anything
00:16:22.52\00:16:24.11
he doesn't already know.
00:16:24.14\00:16:26.28
As Hosea 14:1-2 say,
"Return to the Lord your God,
00:16:26.31\00:16:32.86
for you have stumbled
because of your iniquity,
00:16:32.89\00:16:36.15
take words with you,
and return to the Lord.
00:16:36.18\00:16:41.28
Say to Him, "Take
away all iniquity,
00:16:41.31\00:16:45.12
receive us graciously.''
00:16:45.15\00:16:47.64
Take words with
you, words of confession.
00:16:47.67\00:16:51.74
Now look at God's response
00:16:51.77\00:16:54.34
in Hosea 14:4 to
those who do this.
00:16:54.37\00:16:58.14
God says, 'I will
heal their backsliding,
00:16:58.17\00:17:01.78
I will love them freely,
for My anger has turned away."
00:17:01.81\00:17:06.13
Oh, aren't we thankful
for the promise of 1 John 1:7,
00:17:06.16\00:17:10.61
"If we walk in the
light as He is in the light,
00:17:10.64\00:17:13.59
the blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses us from all sin."
00:17:13.62\00:17:18.37
Christ blood shed at the Calvary
00:17:18.40\00:17:21.34
covers our
confessed sins, hallelujah.
00:17:21.37\00:17:25.17
This is how God cleanses
us from all unrighteousness.
00:17:25.20\00:17:28.92
His grace changes us
from a polluted state
00:17:28.95\00:17:33.21
to a purified
condition giving us clean hands
00:17:33.24\00:17:36.50
and a pure heart
that we may enjoy
00:17:36.53\00:17:38.99
the privilege of
pressing into his presence.
00:17:39.02\00:17:41.97
We're no longer wandering around
00:17:42.00\00:17:43.91
in the wilderness of sin,
avoiding the God who loves us.
00:17:43.94\00:17:49.04
His mercy wipes away our misery
causing us to believe that
00:17:49.07\00:17:53.91
we are accepted
in the beloved Son.
00:17:53.94\00:17:57.71
Earlier in the
series we considered
00:17:57.74\00:18:00.28
King David's fall from grace,
00:18:00.31\00:18:02.58
this is after the
Bathsheba incident.
00:18:02.61\00:18:06.57
And now let's
look at his reaction
00:18:06.60\00:18:09.04
to Nathan's accusation.
00:18:09.07\00:18:11.31
You are the man.
00:18:11.34\00:18:13.17
You know, a
hardheaded prideful king
00:18:13.20\00:18:16.35
could have done
away with Nathan's head.
00:18:16.38\00:18:18.74
But with eyes
opened to his lawlessness
00:18:18.77\00:18:22.14
David exclaimed to Nathan, I
have sinned against the Lord.
00:18:22.17\00:18:27.22
David was seized by remorse.
00:18:27.25\00:18:30.07
He confessed his sin
against God and he repented.
00:18:30.10\00:18:33.53
And you can read his
intense record of confession
00:18:33.56\00:18:36.75
on this occasion in Psalm 51.
00:18:36.78\00:18:39.95
This is the
model that I first used
00:18:39.98\00:18:42.46
to learn to confess my sins.
00:18:42.49\00:18:45.33
Now I want to read you an exert
00:18:45.36\00:18:48.84
if I could from one of
my first prayer journals
00:18:48.87\00:18:52.88
and if you remember I was...
00:18:52.91\00:18:54.82
writing my prayers at this time.
00:18:54.85\00:18:57.13
And it contains part of Psalm 51
00:18:57.16\00:19:00.53
paraphrased in my own words.
00:19:00.56\00:19:02.55
Here's what I wrote,
"Have mercy upon me, Father,
00:19:02.58\00:19:06.18
according to
Your loving kindness
00:19:06.21\00:19:07.94
blot out my sins
according to the multitudes
00:19:07.97\00:19:11.92
of Your tender mercies.
00:19:11.95\00:19:12.98
Wash me
thoroughly and repeatedly
00:19:13.01\00:19:14.04
in the blood of Jesus.
00:19:14.07\00:19:15.47
Take away my iniquity
and cleanse me from sin.
00:19:15.50\00:19:19.04
I have sinned against You
and done evil in Your sight,
00:19:19.07\00:19:21.60
please forgive me, Father.
00:19:21.63\00:19:23.51
Purge my sins
and I shall be clean,
00:19:23.54\00:19:25.64
wash me, Lord, and I
shall be white than snow.
00:19:25.67\00:19:28.74
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
00:19:28.77\00:19:32.42
Oh, Father, create
in me a clean heart,
00:19:32.45\00:19:34.63
renew a
steadfast spirit within me.
00:19:34.66\00:19:37.43
Do not take Your
Holy Spirit from me.
00:19:37.46\00:19:39.39
Do not cast me
away from Your presence.
00:19:39.42\00:19:42.85
Restore to me the
joy of my salvation.
00:19:42.88\00:19:45.85
And uphold me by
your precious Holy Spirit,
00:19:45.88\00:19:48.94
then help me to teach
transgressors Your ways.
00:19:48.97\00:19:52.05
So that they will
also turn to You for life.
00:19:52.08\00:19:54.82
Deliver me from
guilt, Lord, and I
00:19:54.85\00:19:56.65
will speak forth Your praise.
00:19:56.68\00:19:59.15
I bring my sacrifice of a
broken and contrite heart,
00:19:59.18\00:20:03.01
You only desire that
I should confess my sins
00:20:03.04\00:20:05.52
and turn back to
You, here I am, Lord,
00:20:05.55\00:20:08.77
I am ready to return to You.
00:20:08.80\00:20:12.21
Help me, Father.
00:20:12.24\00:20:13.68
Thank you for
forgiveness of my sins."
00:20:13.71\00:20:17.59
Like David when the stumbling
blocks of sin have tripped us
00:20:17.62\00:20:21.48
and send us skating
down the slippery slope,
00:20:21.51\00:20:24.24
we should humble
ourselves and confess our sins.
00:20:24.27\00:20:28.04
Although our acts maybe
directed against others,
00:20:28.07\00:20:31.26
we should
recognize that every sin
00:20:31.29\00:20:33.79
is against our holy
and righteous Father,
00:20:33.82\00:20:36.06
the creator of all things.
00:20:36.09\00:20:38.52
Did you know constant awareness
00:20:38.55\00:20:40.93
of our absolute
dependence upon God is required.
00:20:40.96\00:20:46.12
He alone is able to
keep our foot from slipping.
00:20:46.15\00:20:50.53
If we try to walk
God's narrow path of life
00:20:50.56\00:20:54.25
without clinging to
His hands so to speak,
00:20:54.28\00:20:58.91
we are incapable of
preventing our fall.
00:20:58.94\00:21:02.11
Now David had a
heart for the Lord
00:21:02.14\00:21:04.55
and he was sensitive to sin
00:21:04.58\00:21:06.77
which makes his failures
even more glaringly alarming.
00:21:06.80\00:21:11.16
I'm going to
borrow one more thing
00:21:11.19\00:21:12.66
from David's journal
to share with you now.
00:21:12.69\00:21:15.33
This is something to consider
00:21:15.36\00:21:17.06
as you confess your
sins and seek forgiveness.
00:21:17.09\00:21:20.20
It's his words
in Psalm 19:12-14.
00:21:20.23\00:21:26.50
Now it's something
good for us to pray.
00:21:26.53\00:21:29.53
David wrote, "Clear me from
hidden and unconscious faults.
00:21:29.56\00:21:33.97
Keep back Your servant
also from presumptuous sins,
00:21:34.00\00:21:37.49
let them not
have dominion over me!
00:21:37.52\00:21:39.79
Then shall I be blameless,
and I shall be innocent
00:21:39.82\00:21:42.94
and clear of
great transgression.
00:21:42.97\00:21:45.45
Oh, let the words of my mouth
00:21:45.48\00:21:47.72
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in Your sight,
00:21:47.75\00:21:51.64
O Lord, my Rock
and my Redeemer.''
00:21:51.67\00:21:55.42
You know that's
what I love about David.
00:21:55.45\00:21:58.39
His relationship with
God was intensely intimate.
00:21:58.42\00:22:03.78
Yet, his approach to
God was never flippant.
00:22:03.81\00:22:07.48
He knew as he came
before the throne of God
00:22:07.51\00:22:11.51
that he must stand
in the glorious presence
00:22:11.54\00:22:14.49
of our heart-searching Lord.
00:22:14.52\00:22:17.07
David desired a
blameless conscience before God
00:22:17.10\00:22:21.45
and understood that confession
00:22:21.48\00:22:24.29
is the clearing
house of the conscience.
00:22:24.32\00:22:27.28
Why do so many of us
have a careless attitude
00:22:27.31\00:22:31.23
regarding our confession of sin?
00:22:31.26\00:22:33.86
We should when
possible be specific,
00:22:33.89\00:22:38.07
because this demonstrates
that we recognize a wrongdoing
00:22:38.10\00:22:42.82
and we desire to
turn away from it.
00:22:42.85\00:22:45.50
Now I don't mean to imply that
00:22:45.53\00:22:47.05
if we cannot
remember every transgression,
00:22:47.08\00:22:50.68
all of our past sins
and confess each one of them
00:22:50.71\00:22:53.74
individually that
God will not forgive us,
00:22:53.77\00:22:57.48
that's not true.
00:22:57.51\00:22:59.00
In these instances
David's prayer cleared me
00:22:59.03\00:23:02.41
from hidden and
unconscience faults.
00:23:02.44\00:23:05.09
We'll serve as our
sincere hearted plea.
00:23:05.12\00:23:08.68
God will hear and forgive
00:23:08.71\00:23:11.74
but it is
shallow nonsense to think
00:23:11.77\00:23:14.23
that we can casually confess.
00:23:14.26\00:23:17.44
Oh, Lord, forgive me of my sins,
00:23:17.47\00:23:19.29
I just walked away cleansed.
00:23:19.32\00:23:22.25
If we dare be so presumptuous,
00:23:22.28\00:23:25.14
we seriously
underestimate the cost of sin.
00:23:25.17\00:23:29.86
The ideas of mere confession
00:23:29.89\00:23:32.38
without regret for
our ungodly behavior
00:23:32.41\00:23:35.68
without the goal of changing
our actions is not biblical.
00:23:35.71\00:23:41.33
Let us pause to search our heart
00:23:41.36\00:23:43.96
and to inspect our attitude
00:23:43.99\00:23:46.41
before we approach
God's throne of grace.
00:23:46.44\00:23:50.94
Our holy God has a benchmark,
00:23:50.97\00:23:55.44
a benchmark for his behavior
00:23:55.47\00:23:59.08
that is based on
foundation of laws
00:23:59.11\00:24:02.40
upon which he
bases his government
00:24:02.43\00:24:05.24
and any conduct
contrary to his laws,
00:24:05.27\00:24:09.00
carries the penalty of death.
00:24:09.03\00:24:11.43
So I ask, does
God forgive us simply
00:24:11.46\00:24:15.41
because He loves us?
00:24:15.44\00:24:17.19
No, such forgiveness
would make a mockery of His laws
00:24:17.22\00:24:21.44
and would render
Him an unjust judge.
00:24:21.47\00:24:25.13
If God were to
waive the penalty of sin
00:24:25.16\00:24:28.11
for the sake of love alone,
00:24:28.14\00:24:30.31
He would violate His own
holy standards set in stone.
00:24:30.34\00:24:36.17
Also, he would make
a mockery of the cross
00:24:36.20\00:24:40.42
our New Testament altar.
00:24:40.45\00:24:42.93
God forgives us
for one reason only
00:24:42.96\00:24:46.31
because His Son Jesus Christ
stood in us as our substitute
00:24:46.34\00:24:51.07
and shed His
precious blood at Calvary,
00:24:51.10\00:24:54.60
paying the penalty for
our redemption from sin.
00:24:54.63\00:24:58.19
The message of
the Bible is clear.
00:24:58.22\00:25:01.52
God loves all of
mankind unconditionally.
00:25:01.55\00:25:05.81
Still sin demands
the punishment of death.
00:25:05.84\00:25:09.68
What more could
God have done than to,
00:25:09.71\00:25:12.67
to demonstrate
His great love for us
00:25:12.70\00:25:16.52
then by sending His Son to die
00:25:16.55\00:25:20.47
for the sacrifice for our sins.
00:25:20.50\00:25:23.90
He provided the
sacrifice for our sins
00:25:23.93\00:25:26.64
while we were yet sinners.
00:25:26.67\00:25:29.03
Forgiveness is
offered as a free gift
00:25:29.06\00:25:32.52
to the repentant sinner
00:25:32.55\00:25:34.56
but at a great cost to
our Father and our Lord.
00:25:34.59\00:25:39.37
I pray that we will never again
00:25:39.40\00:25:43.67
take a dry eyed look at sin.
00:25:43.70\00:25:47.10
As you come before a holy God
00:25:47.13\00:25:50.03
to confess your sins,
count the cost of sin.
00:25:50.06\00:25:54.84
Remember the agony of Calvary
00:25:54.87\00:25:57.66
and cling to the crossed.
00:25:57.69\00:25:59.81
There's no greater miracle,
00:25:59.84\00:26:01.56
no greater grace than the
gift of divine forgiveness
00:26:01.59\00:26:06.20
and the gift of salvation.
00:26:06.23\00:26:08.76
And let me tell you something,
00:26:08.79\00:26:10.83
you are worth
nothing less to God
00:26:10.86\00:26:14.93
than the unspeakable price that
00:26:14.96\00:26:17.04
He paid for you
and for your redemption
00:26:17.07\00:26:20.85
and that price was the
precious blood of His own Son.
00:26:20.88\00:26:25.41
God loves you so much
00:26:25.44\00:26:27.47
and I pray that you
will reach out to Him
00:26:27.50\00:26:31.12
and just know that you
can enter into His gates
00:26:31.15\00:26:36.14
with thanksgiving
into His courts with praise
00:26:36.17\00:26:39.96
and just confess
your sins before Him.
00:26:39.99\00:26:43.16
This will be the clearing
house of your conscience.
00:26:43.19\00:26:48.12
It's something that--
00:26:48.15\00:26:49.94
it's something
that's just too precious.
00:26:49.97\00:26:52.59
Now I hope that
you've enjoyed today
00:26:52.62\00:26:56.98
and see that confession of sin--
00:26:57.01\00:26:59.10
I hope this has just
put a whole new light
00:26:59.13\00:27:02.16
on the idea of
confessing your sin
00:27:02.19\00:27:04.67
because it's not
bad to recognize it.
00:27:04.70\00:27:07.41
It's actually a
good thing to recognize
00:27:07.44\00:27:10.35
what sin is so
that we can confess it
00:27:10.38\00:27:13.66
and that we can
look for forgiveness.
00:27:13.69\00:27:16.84
And that's what our next
program is going to be on.
00:27:16.87\00:27:20.00
The next program will be
on the grace of forgiveness.
00:27:20.03\00:27:25.45
You know, grace is
more than just divine favor.
00:27:25.48\00:27:29.97
Grace is God's supernatural
power into salvation.
00:27:30.00\00:27:36.04
Grace is His divine
assistance for salvation.
00:27:36.07\00:27:40.03
And He wants to give
you the grace of forgiveness
00:27:40.06\00:27:44.75
as you confess your sins.
00:27:44.78\00:27:46.75
So please join us next time
00:27:46.78\00:27:49.38
and I think
you're going to enjoy
00:27:49.41\00:27:51.60
that particular teaching.
00:27:51.63\00:27:53.89
Now our time has
slipped into eternity,
00:27:53.92\00:27:56.58
it goes by so quickly
but my prayer for you,
00:27:56.61\00:28:00.39
our prayer for you is
that the grace of our Lord
00:28:00.42\00:28:03.83
and Savior Jesus
Christ, the love of the Father
00:28:03.86\00:28:07.22
and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit
00:28:07.25\00:28:09.62
will be with you
today and always.
00:28:09.65\00:28:13.40
Thanks for joining us.
00:28:13.43\00:28:15.08