The Saved Sinner

1. Psalm 32

I. Sin

A. Forgiveness is a marvelously refreshing thing. “A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Psalm 32:1) “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” (Psalm 51:7-8)

B. God’s perspective determines how people live in this world and the one to come; does God think of a person’s sin or does He see a person’s Savior? “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psalm 32:2) [bvx chashab means to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, or count.]

C. When the joy of salvation spreads, people share what God has done in their lives. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” (Psalm 51:12-13)

II. Repentance

A. Failure to deal with sin destroys from the inside; the problem will display itself physically, mentally, and spiritually. “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.” (Psalm 32:3) [See Nathan’s message in 2 Samuel 12 and the Prodigal Son in Luke 15.] “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.” (Psalm 31:9-10)

B. God will not let a sinner He loves live in contentment with sin. “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.” (Psalm 32:4) “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.” (Psalm 38:4-5)

C. Repentance demands confession and after that life improves; knowledge of forgiveness revives the soul. “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.” (Psalm 32:5) “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” (2 Samuel 12:13)

D. Repentant people become people of prayer; He Who saves souls can certainly solve problems. “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.” (Psalm 32:6) “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.” (Psalm 34:3-5)

E. When repentant believers turn to God, they find Him a secure refuge rather than an avenging judge. “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.” (Psalm 32:7) “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:9-10) “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)

III. Confession

A. God instructs those who turn to Him in repentance and then He teaches them so that in turn they can teach other sinners seeking help. “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” (Psalm 32:8)

B. People who refuse to listen to the message of grace oppose themselves like stubborn animals. “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.” (Psalm 32:9) “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back.” (Proverbs 26:3)

IV. Forgiveness

A. Sorrow and mercy are equally available to people; choose the path of mercy. “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.” (Psalm 32:10) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)

B. When people understand how God deals with those whom He saves, they begin to rejoice. “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.” (Psalm 32:11) “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.” (Psalm 64:10)

Is It Party Time?

1. Proverbs 30:20-33; Mark 2:18-22 / Psalm 45:1-17

I. Jesus Did Not Conform To Expectations

A. Jesus did not teach His disciples to do all ppropriately religious things. “And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?” (Mark 2:18)

B. Compared to other religious disciples of the time and place, the followers of Jesus seemed to be party people. “And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?” (Luke 5:33) “I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:12)

C. Even when it is appropriate to fast, Jesus taught that such things ought to be done in private and focused on the spirit rather than on display. “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces,that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:16-18)

D. Everything in life has its appropriate time. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2)

E. While Jesus Himself was with them, it was not yet time for fasting, even in private. “And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.” (Mark 2:19)

II. Some Things Can’t Coexist

A. In spiritual matters it is far worse than just useless to attempt to mix incompatible things. “No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.” (Mark 2:21)

B. The new spirit of the Christian cannot fit into the old life of the unbeliever. “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.” (Mark 2:22) Leather skin bottles expanded with fermentation, but after expanding they would not expand again with more fermenting wine.

C. There must be one ultimate focus in life; man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever. “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” (Psalm 73:25-26)

D. Jesus dealt with the struggle presented by having more than one ultimate goal in life during the temptation at the start of His ministry. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

III. Put New Wine in New Bottles

A. Christ makes all things new; new faith cannot be forced into an old lifestyle. “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:5)

B. Prepare for the new life. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:” (Ezekiel 11:19)

C. Put on the new life. “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” (Ephesians 4:23-28)

D. Get on with the new life. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2)