Seeking Wall-To-Wall Forgiveness

Psalm 51:1-19

SUBJECT: FORGIVENESS

THEME: It is vital for us to review the process of receiving complete Forgiveness from God. Everyone of us deals with the reality of sin. Therefore, we all need to understand The Lord Forgives Sins on the condition of confession. Cleansing (Forgiveness) through the Blood of Jesus Christ always follows when we acknowledge our moral failures to God.

RELEVANCE: Far too many people needlessly struggle under the heavy weight of guilt. Even Christians wrestle for months and years with a heavy conscious instead of making things right with God. That sense of responsibility for an offensive or wrongful actions linger in the lives of too many Believers.  Even though society tries to water–down sinfulness and holiness, there remains an acute and painful verdict in the heart of “guilt.” Though people still try to sneak through life while ignoring an absolute sense of right and wrong, there is still a persistent and sharp awareness of having done wrong in the heart of the average person (Lev. 4:3; Ezra 9:6, 13,15).  Terms like sinfulness, guilt complex, remorse, shame, suspicious conduct, guilty feelings, and guilty behavior are all used in our culture to pin down this event that take place in the heart when we have violated God’s view or our own view of right behavior. Clearly Scripture presents us with classic examples of guilt in the Bible such as: Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:7-8), Cain (Gen. 4:8-9), and yes, David (2 Sam. 11; Ps. 51).  In all of these instances the sinner felt they were “under justice,” or answerable to the judgment and condemnation of God.  Not merely accountable to society, or one’s own conscience, but to the Holy One Himself. Thus, we establish the need for the forgiveness and justice of God toward sinful mankind. This article is the second part of my previous post entitled "Securing Wall-To-Wall Forgiveness."

MESSAGE:

I. DAVID'S WALL-TO-WALL CONFESSION.   Psalm 51:1-6  

One thing David did to make things right with the Lord was his refusal to minimize the severity of his actions before God.  David did not say, “Everybody does it,” “What’s the big deal anyway,” or merely “Lord forgive me of my sins.”  No! In absolute honesty he completely confessed to God.

II. DAVID SEEKS WALL-TO-WALL FORGIVENESS.    Psalm 51:7-9.

David had actually been pleading all along for mercy and forgiveness from verses 1 and 2. Here he had already spoken of God blotting, washing and cleansing him. In the verses now before us David is more intense in his request. 

QUOTE:  Martin Luther said, “Two parts constitute true repentance; first that a man recognize sin, then that he recognize what grace is.”

A. “PURGE ME” (Vs. 7) "Purge me with hyssop."

He ask the Lord to remove the defilement of sin.

     1.  David Asked for Reconciliation and Change.

When David spoke of God’s cleansing him with hyssop, he was alluding to the use of hyssop at the religious ceremonies to sprinkle sacrificial blood on the altar. This represented the removal of sin through the shedding of blood.

Hebrews 9:22,  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

With some carefulness we could understand what David was asking the Lord to do when he prayed “purge me.”

           A.  ‘Make My Soul Pure.’

Hyssop is a small bush that is a member of the mint family. It has many hairy stemmed branches that will hold water and other fluids easily.

QUOTE: “Here it conveys the notion of cleansing from sin "by" a sacred rite, or by that which was signified by a sacred rite. The idea was that the sin was to be removed or taken away, so that he might be free from it, or that "that" might be accomplished which was represented by the sprinkling with hyssop, and that the soul might be made pure.”   — (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

           B.  ‘Use a Powerful Cleanser on Me.’

It was used during the Passover to sprinkle the blood (Ex. 12:22).

QUOTE: “David recognizes that his impurity is of the extremest kind, and needs the remedy which has the greatest purifying power. Legally, this was the hyssop, with its "blood of sprinkling" (Lev 14:6,7); spiritually, it was the blood of Christ, which was thus symbolized.” — (from The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 2001 by Biblesoft)

APPLICATION:  1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Hebrews 9:14,  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Spiritually there is no more powerful cleanser for the soul of mankind then the blood of Jesus Christ!

           C.   ‘God, You Tell Everyone I’m Restored.’

It was also used in the cleansing and purification of the leper (Lev. 14:1-7).  Basically he viewed sin as a awful disease which required a potent medicine to cure.

QUOTE: “But it is worthy of remark that this ceremony was not performed till the plague of the leprosy had been healed in the leper; (Lev 14:3;) and the ceremony above mentioned was for the purpose of declaring to the people that the man was healed, that he might be restored to his place in society, having been healed of a disease that the finger of God alone could remove. This David seems to have full in view; hence, he requests the Lord to make the sin-offering for him, and to show to the people that he had accepted him, and cleansed him from his sin.”    — (from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft)

     2.  David Wanted Sin's Contamination Removed.

The washing had to be done by one that was considered clean under the law. "I shall be clean." David wanted God to deal with sin’s defilement–he could not stand his filth and more.  Sin's defilement was no longer to plague David.

B. "WASH ME." (Vs 7)

The double-dipped sinner now seeks a double cleansing. He had asked to be purged, made clean by the sin being pushed out. Now his desire is to be washed as a fuller who would trample with their feet the soiled garment to bleach it clean.

     1.  He Asked For a Deep Cleansing.

David asked the Lord to give him a thorough deep cleansing.  Much like a person would wash their clothes and not simply like one would wash their skin.

QUOTE: Spurgeon observed, “The hypocrite is content if his garments be washed; but the true suppliant cries, ‘wash me.’”

Our ceaseless prayer should be that the people of God would be stirred to pray for yet another deep cleansing. Consider the Words of this hymn, “Cleanse Me,” as your own prayer.

Search me, O God, and know my heart today; try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; fulfill Thy Word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame; grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine; fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine. Take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord—in me abide.

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee; send a revival—start the work in me. Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.

APPLICATION:  Ask God to reveal any attitudes or actions that may be displeasing to Him. Confess each specific one, then claim His cleansing forgiveness and go forth with His joy and power. Use the words of this hymn to guide you— (Leviticus 19:2; Psalm 51:7, 10; 85:6; 139:23, 24; Ephesians 1:4).

     2.  He Asked to be Made Whiter Then Snow.

Isaiah spoke of the scarlet sin becoming white as snow. Here David requested to be washed whiter than snow. Snow is not pure. It may appear to be white and clean clear through, but this is not the case. A two inch snow over the mountains around Lake Tahoe in California also dumps several hundred tons of impurities back to the earth.

APPLICATION: Again the unfailing cure for the disease of sin is the blood of Jesus Christ (1Jn. 1:7,9).  When one is saved, he is washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and the stain of sin on the soul of man is removed. However, man still lives in the sin-stained body. That second dipping covered him completely. The old nature will still rear up if it is allowed to do so (Rom. 7:14-20). David desired a cleansing that went deeper than the snow. He wanted his garments spotless (Jude 23).

C. "MAKE ME TO HEAR."  (Vs. 8)

David asked that the Lord would make him to experience the joy and gladness that comes with receiving God’s forgiveness. 

     1.  Broken Fellowship.

How quickly sin turns the deaf ear, both of man and of God.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: ²But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Psalm 66:18,  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

     2.  Restored Fellowship:   

It was this fear of the broken fellowship, the lost joy and gladness that brought the aching bones of sin to seek forgiveness. David is beseeching the Lord to mend his broken life.

Matt 5:4,  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

     3.  Great Shame:  

David viewed his sins as being so hideous that he asked God to hide His face.   “Hide Thy face from my sins,”. . . .(vs 9).  David was ashamed that God had to behold such disgrace and shame. In great boldness David turned to the grace and mercy of the Lord and asked that his iniquities be blotted out. Can this be done? Can it be smoothed out?

Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

David secured Wall-to-Wall Forgiveness because he Fully Sought Forgiveness from God.