Psalm 51:9

As we continue looking at Psalm 51, some of you

will probably notice a pattern as we continue

to examine it, as we continue to exposit it.

You might see this pattern that there's this

divide as it's presented. The realities that

David is experiencing within him. There's this

distinct aspect of the psalm which you see it

and you're like, I don't really know what that's

like to experience those realities in my heart.

That seems so far and so distant. I've never

experienced anguish over my sins. I've never

experienced sorrow that has driven me to repentance

and faith. There's a separation, this divide

that we see within the psalm. And that's what

it's doing. This psalm is separating naturally

the sheep from the goats. It's separating the

regenerate heart from the unregenerate heart.

It's separating those with faith from those who

have no true saving faith. Now why does the psalm

do this? It does this to show you the reality

that you need saving faith. To show you the reality

that outward and external religion is no use

before a holy and a righteous God. To show you

that simply trembling beneath the weight of the

law and the threatenings of the law and conviction

and shame, it's to show you that that is no good

unless it actually drives you to true faith and

repentance. So it's creating a divide naturally

and it ought to. Because it's meant to drive

those who know Christ closer to him. But it's

meant to drive those who don't know Christ to

their knees and humility and contrition that

they might see their desperate need for the Lord

Jesus Christ, his death and his resurrection.

So this message is for both of those groups today.

Those who know Christ and those who don't know

Christ. It's for those who have no true faith

and it is for those who have saving faith. It's

meant and it's intended for both. The message

is very simple today. There's two things that

we have to examine and consider. The first is

the heart. behind this appeal, which we see in

verse 9, where David appeals to God and he says,

hide your face from my sins and blot out all

my iniquities. And the second thing we have to

consider today in our time is the appeal that

he's driven to. We'll look at the aspects and

the fact that it's repeated. Verse 1, we'll look

at the reality that it's true. It's an act of

faith and an act of repentance. We'll also look

at the aim of this appeal. Let's begin with the

first item for consideration, the heart behind

the appeal. When we read the words and we hear

the words, hide your face from my sins and blot

out all. my iniquities. We have to ask ourselves,

what's taking place in David's heart that would

cause him to make this appeal? What are the desires

and the longings beneath the request, beneath

the statement? What's taking place? Behind the

scenes of this appeal. That drive him. That motivate

him. To compel him. To make this appeal. To God.

That he would hide his face. And that he would

blot out all his iniquities. What's his heart

like? What's his inner man like? What's the inner

life of David have going on in it? That he would

make such a. An appeal to God. Well, he has shame

before God. This is why he wants God to hide

his face from his sins. Because he knows, his

awakened conscience is telling him, is screaming

to him, that his sin is grotesque. That his sin

is wicked. It is evil. He understands the true

nature of his sin and he does not desire for

God to look at it, to have a view of it. He doesn't

want God to see his sin. So he says, hide your

face from my sins. He doesn't want God to have

fellowship with it. He doesn't want God to look

upon it. Because he understands the nature of

his sin. He sees it as he ought to. He's ashamed

that God would see his sin. Brothers and sisters,

have you ever been ashamed of your sin before

a holy God? Have you ever experienced deep sorrow,

deep down within your soul, for your actions

and for your thoughts and for your intentions,

for your motives, for your longings, for your

dispositions, before a holy and a righteous God?

Has it ever sent you down to your knees because

you've seen your sin as you ought to? In its

grotesque, horrendous form? That's what's happening

to David. Brothers and sisters, friends, I can

tell you this. If you have never experienced

any shame before God for your sin, you are not

a Christian. If you have never experienced sorrow

over your sin, period, you cannot. Be a believer

in Jesus Christ. It's impossible. If you have

never experienced conviction within your soul

over the wickedness that put Jesus Christ on

the cross, you don't know that Christ. Because

when the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, indwells

a believer and effectually calls them unto Christ,

conviction enters in to the life, Of that person.

Have you experienced. Conviction of your sin.

Before. A holy and a righteous God. If you have

not. You do not know God through Christ. A help.

In times of need. With regards to actions and

thoughts. And behaviors. To judge. Whether or

not. It is sinful or not sinful. Maybe it's not

as clear in the Word of God as you would like

it to be. Ask yourself this question. Is this

thought? Is this behavior? Is this action? Is

this desire? Is this longing? Is this what I

would want to be visible and manifested and present

when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory?

What would that induce in your heart? Would it

induce shame? Would it humble you and throw you

to the dust? Or would the Lord Jesus return and

say, well done, good and faithful servant, and

look to you and say, you are being faithful.

You are honoring my name. Brothers and sisters,

this is the heart. That drives a man, woman,

a young person to true repentance and faith.

So there was shame in David and his heart. And

it drove him to make this appeal to God. But

there was also helplessness in David. Why do

we say that there is helplessness in David? Because

in verse 9. David's not saying anything about

what he needs to do or what he wants to do. He

wants God to act. Hide your face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquities. He wants God

to act in turning away from his sins and he wants

God to act in blotting out his sins. So David

has come completely to the end of himself. He's

come to a point, a place in his life where he

knows his righteousness is no good whatsoever.

He's come to a point in time in his life, he's

come to a place in his heart where he knows he

has nothing good to offer to God. He's desperate.

He's helpless. He has nothing within himself.

his own mind, his own thoughts, his own actions,

his own life, in which he can offer God something

good that's going to restore him. He's driven

outside of himself to the work of God on his

behalf. David is desperately helpless. He knows

he's a sinner, doesn't he, brothers and sisters?

He knows that he's sick. He knows that he has

this disease. He knows that he needs a doctor.

He knows he needs a physician. But he can't fix

it. He can't heal himself. He's driven outside

of himself to the work of God on his behalf.

He's helpless. He can't do anything. But brothers

and sisters, this is the place. This is the heart.

These are the motives that drive him. To make

his appeal isn't it? Helplessness. Is the perfect

place. For true faith. We're driven. To absolute.

Dependence. On God's work. And not our own. Have

you ever considered. What you're trusting in.

What you're looking to. To make you right with

God? Have you ever considered the reality that

maybe you haven't come to the end of yourself?

That you're actually trusting and relying and

depending on your own self -goodness? Your own

supposed self -righteousness? You haven't come

to the end of yourself. You aren't driven to

God by faith and His work on your behalf. David

has. He's been emptied of his own merit because

of his sin. He's crushed. And he knows that his

only help, his only hope, his only chance is

God. It's God's work, God's forgiveness, God's

pardon, God's turning, and God's blotting out

his iniquities. His help is not found in himself,

is it, brothers and sisters? Where do you find

your help before God? Do you find it in Christ?

Do you even think about Christ? Are you driven

to Christ? Or do you think about yourself and

what you do and what you haven't done and everything

you need to do? That's not faith. That's merit.

You're saying, I'll do this and I'll merit and

that will restore me with God. Or that will bring

me to God. Brothers and sisters, that's not faith.

That's self -dependence. That's self... Reliance,

that's self -righteousness. And it's no good

before a holy and a righteous God. We are driven

outside of ourselves because of our sin to God,

and we must look to Christ, His death, His work,

His righteousness, His goodness, His forgiveness,

His cross, His resurrection, and His life. And

look to it by faith. David is full of shame and

he is full of helplessness before God. But he

also has a desire within his heart to be rid

of his sin. How do we know that? How do we know

that David has a desire to be rid of his heart

and that this desire drives him To make this

appeal. Because he asked God to blot it out.

Blot out all my iniquities. It's not just that

he's ashamed of his sin. It's not just that he

feels helpless before God. But he has indignation

within him. Because of his iniquity. He doesn't

want his sin. He doesn't want his corruption.

He doesn't want. the transgression. He doesn't

want his iniquity. He wants God to do away with

it. He wants God to blot it out, to erase it,

to wipe it away because he despises the very

thing within himself. David, in his heart, relates

to his sin in such a way that there's hostility

toward that sin. There's antipathy between David

and his sin within himself. He wants it to be

done away with. Now these inner workings of David's

heart, they don't just sit there and stew. These

things actually drive him to make this appeal

in verse 9. Hide your face. Hide your face from

my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Why did

he say that? Because of the inner workings of

his heart and the experience of his heart. Because

of the realities taking place within his heart.

These motives, these longings, these desires,

these affections, these experiences within his

very soul are what motivate him and compel him

to go to God in repentance and faith. There's

a big difference between the regenerate heart

experiencing conviction and the unregenerate

heart which experiences conviction. The regenerate

heart experiences the weight of the conviction,

the sorrow, the anguish. The regenerate heart

trembles under the law of God, but... It doesn't

just tremble. It's driven to the appeal. It's

driven to true faith and repentance. It doesn't

just stew. Now, the unregenerate man or woman

can certainly experience shame in their conscience.

The unregenerate man or woman can certainly experience

Conviction of their sin and conviction from the

law of God and its threatenings and damnation

and hell and the wrath of God. The unregenerate,

unconverted man can certainly experience a conviction,

a fear, a dread because of that. But the unregenerate

man does not necessarily get driven to the appeal.

Because if he did, he would be regenerate. Brothers

and sisters, if you've sat here for weeks on

end, and you have heard Psalm 51, and you have

had experience of conviction, sorrow, anguish,

if you have been disturbed in your soul, but

it has never driven you to faith and repentance,

consider the character. Of your heart. Have you

been convicted of sin. In the preaching of God's

word. Has it driven you. To the cross. Has it

driven you to the Lord Jesus Christ. His life.

His death. And his resurrection. His righteousness.

And his work on your behalf. Have you turned

from your sin. Have you repented of it. Have

you endeavored. To honor God with all your being

because you've been convicted of sin. Or if you've

been here today and you've not experienced any

conviction at all. Now that's a frightful thing,

brothers and sisters. The regenerate heart trembles.

The regenerate heart hears the word of God. It

is convicted. It goes into anguish. But it's

driven. to Christ in faith. It repents of its

sin. It's stirred up, but it goes somewhere.

The unregenerate heart does not. It just fears.

And eventually it subsides and goes away. The

unregenerate, it trembles, yes, for a time, just

like Felix under the preaching of Paul. But then

it dissipates and they do away with that which

is bothering it. And they remain in their sins

and condemned in their sins. They have no faith.

This is the heart behind the appeal. Now let's

look at the appeal itself that he's driven to.

The appeal that David is driven to. Hide your

face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

When we consider this appeal, there's several

different parts that we have to examine within

it. The most immediate and the most obvious is

the negative aspect of this appeal. David says,

hide your face from my sins. Now, when I say

negative, I mean that he's asking God not to

do something. He's saying, don't do this, God.

Don't look at me. Turn your face. Hide your face

from my sins. Withhold from looking at my face.

Refuse to look at my sins. Turn away from it.

David is asking God not to do something. He's

asking to be treated in a way that he doesn't

deserve. What does David deserve for his adultery,

his sexual immorality? What does David deserve

with regards to his deceit, his manipulation,

his murder, the hatred in his heart? He deserves

for God to look on those sins and to punish those

sins and David. But somehow David can ask God,

hide your face from my sins. Is he asking God

to do something unjust? Can God just simply look

away from sin? Can God simply turn away from

sin and ignore it? How is it that David can say

this? It's as though he wants God to treat his

sin separate from himself. Hide your face from

my sins. Any other time this language is used,

it's an expression of God's disfavor or his lack

of favor, his unhappiness, his wrath, his anger.

Typically in the Old Testament, if God turns

his face away from the nation or from sin or

from a person or their actions, it's because

he's angry with them. What he is seeing, what

is within his sight, within his view, is causing

him to be angry with the sinner. Yet here, David

says, hide your face from my sins. Turn your

face away from me. And this would be an act of

what? Favor. Of blessing. Of blessedness. Don't

treat me as I deserve. How can God do this and

remain just? How can God do this and remain holy?

How can God not punish David's sins? Well, this

brings us to the next aspect of it, the positive

aspect of this appeal that David makes. What

does he say? He asks God to positively do something.

Blot out all my iniquities. This word blot out

has to do with erasing completely. It carries

the idea of this illustration is used in Isaiah

44. A dark thick cloud that's dusty covering

somebody. They're covered in dark mud and dust

and muck, and God completely and totally wiping

them perfectly clean. All that thick, dirty dust

and dirt is gone. All the dirtiness is gone.

It's wiped away. It's blotted out. Again, is

this an unjust request? Does God simply just

blot out people's sins? Does God simply freely

forgive sins? Does he pardon sins and not punish

the sin? How is it possible that David can ask

such a request? The Bible says that God will

by no means clear. The guilty. How is it that

God is going to punish David's sin? How is it

that God can freely forgive David's sin? There's

another aspect to this verse. That's the implicit

aspect of this verse. The text is implying to

the reader that there's something else taking

place. The text is implying that David David's

sins are forgiven, but that God remains just.

That he remains holy. That somehow, separate

from David, his sins are dealt with. His sins

are, in fact, punished. There's more taking place.

Somehow, God can be just and still justify David.

How? Turn with me to Psalm 32. We're given some

insight and help into this. In Psalm 32, which

is the sister psalm of Psalm 51, contains much

of the similar material, similar petitions and

similar appeals. We read in verse 1 of Psalm

32, How blessed is he whose transgression is

forgiven, whose sins are blotted out, whose sin

is covered. Now that's helpful. So we find out

that David's sins are covered. And the idea of

atonement, of covering with blood. Verse 2, how

blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not

impute iniquity. Blessed is the man to whom the

Lord does not reckon, account, consider iniquity.

So it carries this idea of imputation. Turn with

me to Romans chapter 4. So David's telling us

Romans 4 · chapter mention

in Psalm 32 that his sins are dealt with in some

way, shape, or form by imputation. His sin. His

wickedness, his iniquity is imputed somewhere.

And because of this imputation, God can turn

his face away from David's sins and God can blot

out his sins. But there's still more to be discovered.

We read in Romans chapter 4. What shall we say

Romans 4 · chapter mention

then, starting in verse 1? That Abraham, our

forefather, according to the flesh, is found.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has

something to boast about, but not before God.

For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed

God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Imputed as righteousness. Reckoned, considered,

accounted as righteousness. Same as Psalm 32.

So somehow, David's sins are imputed elsewhere

so that they can be punished and they can be

dealt with, and somehow righteousness is imputed,

is reckoned, is accounted to David. Where does

this foreign righteousness on his account come

from? Verse 4, Now to the one who works his works,

his wage is not credited as a favor, but is what

is due. But the one who does not work but believes

in him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith

is credited as righteousness. So righteousness

is laid hold of by faith. Then in verse 7, Psalm

32 is quoted. Blessed are those whose lawless

deeds have been forgiven. And whose sins have

been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the

Lord will not take into account. We read a little

bit later in Romans chapter 4. In verse 22. Therefore

Romans 4 · chapter mention

it was also credited to him as righteousness.

Now not for his sake only. This is speaking of

Abraham. Not for his sake only was it written.

But it was credited to him. but for our sake

also, to whom it will be credited, as those who

believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from

the dead, he who was delivered over because of

our transgressions and was raised because of

our justification. Here we find our answer, don't

we, brothers and sisters? How can God turn his

face away from David's sins? How can God hide

his face from them? How can God blot out David's

sins and remain just and the justifier of David?

Because David's sins were dealt with in Jesus

Christ on the cross. David's sin, David's wickedness,

his iniquity was imputed to Christ. And whose

righteousness was imputed to David? Christ. Now

God can act favorably. He can look away from

David's sins in favor because of the blessed

work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters,

this is the only way your sins can be forgiven.

This is the only way that you can have righteousness

and good standing and justification from God.

That is to trust in Christ by faith. Without

faith, it is impossible to please God. Without

faith, you have no righteousness but your own

to stand before a holy God. And a righteous God.

This is why Romans chapter 3. Says being justified

Romans 3 · chapter mention

as a gift by his grace. Through the redemption

which is in Christ Jesus. Whom God displayed

publicly as a propitiation. In his blood through

faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness.

Because in the forbearance of God he passed over

the sins. previously committed, he passed over

David's sins. For the demonstration, I say, of

his righteousness at the present time, so that

he would be just and the justifier of the one

who has faith in Jesus. So God remains just in

hiding his face from David's sins. And God remains

just in blotting out David's iniquities. Why?

Because his sin was dealt with in the person

and the work of Jesus Christ in his life and

his death and in his resurrection. Your only

hope for justification and righteousness and

good standing before God, friends, is to believe

in the Lord Jesus Christ this minute on this

day. It's to be born again and receive a new

heart that's driven to God by faith when it comes

under conviction. This appeal that David makes

in Psalm 51, it's a repetition. We see this in

the text. When we consider the fact that David

is saying these words, we have to recognize that

he's already said something very similar to this

in verse 1. In verse 1, he says, be gracious

to me, O God. According to your loving kindness,

according to the greatness of your compassion,

blot out my transgressions. Now, why in the world

would David or any of us repeat this appeal?

Why would we cry out to God again? for the forgiveness

of sins, and for our sins to be blotted out.

I believe it's because of the prolonged sense

of corruption within his own heart. He was in

a sin for a long time, wasn't he, brothers and

sisters? And when a person's in sin a long time,

It wells up a lot of corruption within our natures.

And at times it takes a long time for the sense,

the awareness, the reality of that corruption

within us to go away, to be removed. So David

is repeating this prayer. What does that encourage

us to do when we consider the reality that he's

repeating this petition, this appeal to God?

It encourages us to quick repentance, to consistent

and ongoing repentance in our life, to dealing

immediately and readily with sin in our hearts

and in our lives. The sooner we deal with the

sin, the sooner the corruption and the sense

of corruption can be dealt with. He repeats this

sin. But I think one of the most amazing realities...

within this whole text, is the fact that David

is believing and repenting. According to Romans

4, this was an act of faith, that he had faith

at this time. In the context of Psalm 51, we

have to recognize this as a genuine expression

Of repentance. So what is David in possession

of at this moment? True repentance and true faith.

Now consider the magnitude of that. Consider

the depth of sin that he has been in. Yet faith

remains. Consider the reality of the depths of

sorrow and anguish and shame his heart has been

in. Yet, repentance comes forth as a manifestation

of his faith. The reality that he is in possession

of true faith is marvelous, brothers and sisters.

It's remarkable. His faith was not obliterated

within his period of unrepentant sin. And repentance

does come forth. We learn several things about

the nature of true repentance and true faith

from the reality that David is in possession

of them at this time. in this psalm. And these

are some of the most encouraging realities, I

think, that we've encountered within Psalm 51,

brothers and sisters. The first is that true

repentance is not always simply a one -time deal.

It's not a one -size -fits -all grace. There

will be various and varied degrees of repentance

within our life. It may look different for you

than it does for me. But you might have to repent

more than once. You may have to. Continue persisting

in repentance. But also, brothers and sisters,

it should encourage us to continue and keep repenting

in our lives. You are not abnormal in your life

if you are continuing to repent of sin, brothers

and sisters. It is not simply you and you alone.

It ought to be every believer in Jesus Christ

who's continually repenting. Isn't this why Jesus

told us in the Lord's Prayer to ask for forgiveness?

What does forgiveness necessarily include? Repentance

and confession, a recognition of our need to

be forgiven. Not only should we pray daily, but

we should repent daily, and it ought to be a

universal Christian activity. Because there's

not a day that goes by, brothers and sisters,

that I do not sin. There's not a day that goes

by that you do not break God's law. It's amazing

at times when I pray, and I think to myself,

I haven't done anything. Think about that. Repent

of the corruption that is within you. It's not

just what we've done. Brothers and sisters, it's

who you are. There is evil within your heart.

Repent of the evil within your heart. Repent

of the pride and the arrogance of thinking you

haven't done anything to offend God. Repentance

ought to be a universal Christian activity. You

are not the oddball out if you are dealing with

sin in the Christian life. You ought to be the

oddball out if you're not dealing with sin in

the Christian life. There's always sin to repent

of in your life. And you are not alone in that,

brothers and sisters. But we also ought to be

encouraged by the reality that true faith is

never, ever obliterated by the depth of our sin.

David had faith when he was justified, and David

had faith at the moment, right now, when he's

being sanctified and renewed. But here's the

thing we have to understand. David didn't wake

up one day in his sin and say, I'm going to get

out of this, and by faith I'm going to lay hold

of Christ. No. That would be a testimony of David's

faithfulness and David's goodness in the midst

of his iniquity. Now, what it was is that by

David's feeble, weak, little faith in the midst

of his sin, the risen Lord Jesus Christ, out

of his faithfulness and his goodness and his

ministry, reached down through that little, itty

-bitty, tiny faith that David had and lifted

him up. and upheld him, and renewed his conscience.

But the reality is this, faith remained. The

same faith which justified David is the same

faith which sanctified David, which Christ brought

about sanctification and renewal in his life.

Now here's the encouraging reality, brothers

and sisters. If you are a justified sinner, If

you are declared to be righteous before God,

then your faith, which God has graciously given

you, will sanctify you. Because it's through

that faith that the risen Lord Jesus Christ will

minister to your soul. And it's through that

faith that the risen Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen

you and undergird you. and work in you, and progressively

make you holier and godlier, and sanctify you

throughout the whole of your life. Your faith

does not have to be grand. It doesn't have to

be ginormous. Why? Because true faith regardless

of the size of it, lays hold of the same great,

mighty, good, powerful Lord and Savior. This

isn't just a testimony of faith and repentance,

is it? It's also a testimony concerning the faithfulness

of the Lord Jesus Christ to his people in the

midst of their sin. It's a testimony of the reality

of the utter and absolute sufficiency of his

work to cover any of our sins, to bring us out

of and to renew our repentance from any of our

sins. When we think about David and the fact

that Christ's righteousness was sufficient to

cover his adultery. Christ's righteousness was

sufficient to cover his hate -filled, murdering

heart. It was utterly sufficient, brothers and

sisters. Is it not sufficient to cover your sin

as well? Is it not utterly and absolutely sufficient

to cover your thoughts, your hearts? your transgressions,

your dispositions. It's a testimony concerning

the sufficiency of Christ to justify and sanctify

his people. So we've seen the heart behind this

appeal. But we've also examined and we've considered

thoroughly the appeal. So what do you do with

all this information, brothers and sisters and

friends? You take a good, long, hard look at

your own heart and your own life. And you ask

yourself, is my conviction driving me to Christ?

Is there true saving and sanctifying? Faith in

my life. Do I have a regenerate heart or an unregenerate

heart? Consider these realities. There's no more

important question, brothers and sisters. The

eternal destiny of your soul depends on this.

Take time. Think and pray about it. Ask the Lord

to help you, to open your eyes, to manifest to

your wickedness and your sin. Pray to him, spend

time with him. Ask him to strengthen you in the

midst of whatever struggle you have and know

that he will be faithful.