Psalm 51:1-5

Psalm 51, we're going to read verses 1 through

5. Be gracious to me, O God, according to your

lovingkindness. According to the greatness of

your compassion, blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse

me from my sin. For I know my transgressions

and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you

only, have I sinned and done what is evil in

your sight, so that you are justified when you

speak and blameless when you judge. Behold, I

was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my

mother conceived me. As we continue looking at

Psalm 51, There's a few things I need to make

known at the beginning with regards to the content

of Psalm 51. As we look at Psalm 51, it's important

to recognize, it's important to understand that

it's primarily directed to the saint. It's primarily

meant for, intended for the believer in Jesus

Christ. But that does not mean it's irrelevant

for the unbeliever. And here's why. As Psalm

51 encourages the Christian to consider true

repentance and faith, it's describing and presenting

faith and repentance. And as it does so, It's

describing the very instrument by which a sinner

is justified. So the only difference between

the Christian and their application of Psalm

51 and its repentance and faith is that its repentance

and faith for sanctification, for fellowship,

and for holiness. It's ongoing. It's repeated.

It's continual. But for the unbeliever and the

unregenerate sinner that does not know Christ,

you still need repentance and faith. You just

need it to be justified in the sight of God.

You need initial repentance and initial faith.

You need to experience saving faith and saving

repentance that you might be delivered from the

very wrath of God. So this is not irrelevant

for those who don't know Christ. I would encourage

you to listen closely and learn about what repentance

is, what it means to cry out for the mercy of

God. If you don't know Christ. Listen well to

what the text says about faith in Christ and

his sacrifice and his mercy. What it means to

trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.

But I'd also encourage the Christian today as

we look at this text to thoroughly consider their

life. This is something that is an essential.

part of the Christian life. Faith and repentance.

Confession and dealing with sin before God. This

is something, brothers and sisters, that you

will deal with the rest of your pilgrimage in

this life. You will deal with this day in and

day out. If you don't deal with it every day,

then I fear for your soul that you don't know

Christ. So this is very relevant for the Christian

and the non -Christian. Today we're going to

look at three things in this text. We're going

to look at the motives for dealing with sin.

We're going to look at the manner and the method

of dealing with sin. And then we're going to

see the merciful result of dealing with sin.

We won't have any application following this

just because of the very practical nature of

the text itself. It's help for our lives as we

examine it. So beginning first with the motives

for dealing with sin. We read in verse 3, the

second half of verse 3, And my sin is ever...

Before me. David is saying. Listen. My sin. I

can't get rid of it. It's always on my mind.

It's always in my consciousness. I'm always aware

of it. It's always before me. It's stuck with

me. It's grabbed a hold of me. And I can't shake

it. So my question is. Why is that? Why can David

not shake it? Why is his sin ever before him?

Why is there an ongoing, a constant awareness

of his transgression, of his sin in his mind,

in his heart, in his consciousness, in his life?

What is it that is keeping his sin before him

at all times? What is it that's constantly pulling

his soul down? What is it that's constantly poking

him and pricking him and jabbing him? The text

gives us several things that keep David's sin

before him at all times. It's the ongoing sense

of uncleanness and impurity. He says, wash me

thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from

my sin. There is an ongoing, a perpetual, and

a continual sense of uncleanness and impurity

and unholiness in his life. Listen, he's been

dwelling and wallowing in this sin for a long

time. That means the effects of that sin are

going to linger in his soul. It's going to linger

in his mind. It's going to linger in his body.

It's going to linger in his memory. So there's

this ongoing, unending sense of impurity and

uncleanness in his mind and his heart because

of the iniquity he has taken part in. It's the

judgment and condemnation of God's Word. Upon

his life, upon his conscience. We see in the

second half of verse 4. So that you are justified

when you speak. Blameless when you judge. David

has been dwelling and living and wallowing in

his sin for a long time. And now, he no longer

hears. The promises of God's word. Now when he

hears the law of God, when he hears God speaking

to him through his word, what does he hear? He

hears the warnings and the threats of God's holy

and righteous law. It turns into a dagger that

cuts his conscience over and over. The word of

God. is convicting him and heaping judgment upon

his conscience and heaping condemnation upon

his life because he's been concealing his sin

for so long. That's what happens when a person

lives and dwells and breathes in unrepentant

sin, brothers and sisters. The word of God convicts

you. The word of God hurts you, but it does so

to help you. It does so. It hurts you that you

might be healed, that you might be restored.

So the word of God is heaping judgment and conviction

and condemnation upon his conscience and upon

his life because he's been living and dwelling

in his sin. We also see it's a disciplinary hand

of God upon His life. Look at verse 8. The second

half of verse 8. Let the bones which you have

broken rejoice. What's David talking about there?

He's talking about God's judgment. God's discipline

against him. We read in Psalm 32 of the same

thing. When I kept silent about my sin. My body

wasted away. Through my groanings all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.

My vitality was drained away as with the fever

heat of summer. What was it that kept David's

sin ever before him? It was the disciplinary

hand of God that was opposing him. God disciplines

those he loves. God disciplines those who are

unwilling to let go of their sin. God disciplines

and opposes those who willingly keep hold of

the transgressions that they have taken part

in. He opposes them. And there's a weight, there's

a burden that's upon the life of the person that's

in opposition to God and that God is in opposition

to them. David says, it's sucking all my energy

out of me. It's causing me to waste away. Our

body and our soul are connected, brothers and

sisters. God has made us whole people. So whenever

you are spiritually desolate, it affects. Your

whole person. So when God disciplines a sinner

who's living and dwelling in unrepentant sin,

it doesn't just affect their soul. It doesn't

just affect the spiritual man. It affects the

whole person. It affects the whole of your life.

It's a fearful thing to refuse. Repentance for

sin. It's a fearful thing to have the disciplinary

hand of God upon your life. But it's meant for

the good of God's people. We also see that it's

David's ongoing knowledge that he has committed

evil in the sight of God. We read in verse 4.

Against you, you only, I have sinned. And listen.

And done what is evil in your sight. What is

it that keeps David's sin before him? It's the

knowledge that he has willingly committed evil.

In the sight of God. His redeemer. It is the

knowledge. That he has done. Such a horrendous

thing. Against the God. Who covenanted with him.

A God who has been so gracious. And merciful.

And kind to him. All of these things. Prick the

sinner. All of these things remind the sinner

that something is wrong. All of these things

keep sin ever before him. All of them are powerful

influences, aren't they? Every one of these things,

it's mighty in our life. It affects us. We're

aware of it. We have knowledge of it. We sense

it. But that doesn't mean it's bad. Just because

it's painful and uncomfortable and it hurts us

doesn't mean it's bad. The world wants us to

think all of those things are bad. The devil

wants us to think all of those things are bad.

The disciplinary hand of God. The judgment and

condemnation of God's word when we're living

and dwelling in sin. An ongoing sense of impurity

and unholiness. The knowledge of what we've done

before God. Most of Christianity wants to avoid

those things. Don't preach on things that are

making people uncomfortable. Don't talk about

things that bring conviction. Don't use words

that cut and hurt and exhort, that convict. Because

in their minds, those things are bad. Make the

people comfortable. Soothe them. But brothers

and sisters, I tell you, these things are not

bad. These things are very, very good. These

things are graces. Why? Because they are meant

to keep your heart in an unsettled state until

you deal with sin in your life. They are meant

as warning signs in your life. Something is wrong.

You're in the wrong place. You're doing the wrong

thing. You're saying the wrong thing. You're

not glorifying God. You're dishonoring him. You're

bringing shame to Christ. You're bringing disrepute

to the name of your Lord. These things are meant

to be alarms. They're meant to shake you, rattle

you. They're meant. To act as motives for you

to deal with sin in your life. Brothers and sisters,

when you sin, when you break God's law, when

you take part in iniquity, you should feel bad

about it. Do you understand that? When you sin

against a holy and righteous God, you should

feel guilty. You should feel shame when you have

rebelled against Almighty God. And God has given

us these things as good. graces in our lives

to remind us to deal with the sin in our lives,

to get right with Him, to come and seek restoration

of fellowship with Him, to repent and to confess

our sins, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ

again, to trust in His sacrifice again. They

act as warning signs. So I say, lean into them.

Don't avoid them. Lean into them, brothers and

sisters. Embrace the guilt and shame and see

where it drives you. Because it ought to drive

you to Christ. It ought to drive you to repentance

and confession. It ought to drive you to deal

with your sin and your life. Lean into them.

But it's also important to recognize that these

things, are not infallible because they're part

of us. More than our conscience, more than a

sense of judgment and condemnation upon our life,

we need to constantly be exposing ourselves to

the Word of God and letting the Word of God to

tell us when we are in sin. Our conscience, our

sense of impurity and unholiness because of sin

or whatnot in our lives, these things can fluctuate

and change because of the nature of our flesh.

They're not infallible guides, but the Word of

God is. The Word of God is very clear. about

when we are in sin and when we are not in sin.

So we need to constantly be exposing ourselves

and reading the Scriptures and studying the Scriptures

and meditating on the Scriptures and learning

the Scriptures so that we know when we need to

deal with sin in our lives and that way our conscience

and our mind is formed and molded according to

the Word of God. So we are given graciously these

motives for dealing with sin in our lives. So

here is what we need to do. We need to listen

to those motives. If you're here today and you

are living and you are dwelling in unrepentant

sin, listen to the shame and the guilt in your

life. Hear it out. And let it drive you and motivate

you to deal with that sin in your life. Let it

motivate you to go to Christ. To turn away from

it and forsake it, to confess it and expose it

to God and His holy presence. This leads us to

the second thing we must look at this morning.

The manner and method of dealing with sin. When

I say the manner and the method, the manner is

I speak of more of a demeanor or attitude in

which we deal with our sin, in which we go to

God to deal with our sin. When I say method,

that's very straightforward. It's what we are

to do. It's the means, the steps we are to take

to deal with God that we see David taking. To

deal with God. So what's the manner that we ought

to approach God's throne when we seek to deal

with sin in our lives? Because that's what we

see in this text. In verses 1 through 5, we see

the word transgression, iniquity, and sin nine

times. And the variation and the allusions, much

more than that. What do we find in these first

five verses? We find David. wrestling with his

own iniquity, wrestling with his own sin and

his own transgressions. He's dealing with the

sin he's held so dearly for so long. So the manner,

it's important. The manner in which we go to

God is important. The way we approach him, our

attitude, our demeanor, it is important. David

comes to the throne, he comes to God with antagonism

toward his own sin, toward himself. He doesn't

come to the throne antagonistic and argumentative

with God. He doesn't have an iota of rebellion

in him. He's coming to God who is sovereign,

who is holy, who is merciful, who is compassionate,

who is full of loving kindness. He's in full

and absolute submission. Total sincerity and

honesty. He is willing to accept whatever comes

in his life. Because he's dealing with these

things at the heart level. David is not simply

talking about external reformation or conformity.

David is dealing with sin and it's personal.

It has to do with his heart and the depth of

his being. If you come to God and you are unwilling

to deal with sin in you, in your heart, brothers

and sisters, you're not ready to deal yet. If

you come to God and you say, I'll change my behavior,

but I'm keeping this in my heart, you're not

fully ready for grace. We have to be willing.

to deal and address the issue inside of us at

the root, at the core, at the foundation of the

problem, our desires, our longings, our wants,

our very hearts. Brothers and sisters, this is

why dealing with sin is a distinctly Christian

duty. Non -Christians do not deal with sin. Unbelievers

do not deal with sin. Sin deals with them. Your

sin is dealing with you if you don't know Christ.

Your sin holds the reins and you are subject

to it. But the believer, who's a new creature

in Christ, who has a new heart, a new mind, a

new will. The believer can deal with their sins

in experimental godliness, as Dustin said this

morning. Because the Spirit of God dwells within

us, and sin no longer reigns in our lives. Because

we've died with Christ, and we've been raised

in the newness of life with Him. Christians.

Deal with sin. Sure, non -believers can conform

their behavior. They can change things up on

the outside because they're fearful that there

might be repercussions from God. But brothers

and sisters, if you don't know Jesus Christ,

you are not dealing with your sin because it

grieves the heart of your Lord and your Master.

You're dealing with sin for a selfish reason.

With a selfish motive. To protect yourself. To

keep yourself safe from the wrath of God. Not

because it transgresses the holiness and the

righteousness of a sovereign God who saved you

and redeemed you. Christians deal with their

sin. And Christians must deal with their sin.

Christians must address the sin in their lives.

It's not optional, brothers and sisters. We're

commanded to. Do you want to grow in the grace

and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do

you want to know your risen Lord more and more?

Do you want to be more godly tomorrow than you

are today? Do you want to be more holy tomorrow

than you are today? Do you want to honor the

Lord Jesus Christ tomorrow more than you did

today? Then you must deal with sin in your life.

It's necessary. It's required. It's an absolute

necessity. So what is the method that we deal

with it? The first thing we do in dealing with

our sin is we must recognize sin as sin. This

is exactly what David does. He uses the terms

transgressions, sin, iniquity. He recognizes

it as God recognizes it. What does he call it

in verse 4? What has David done in verse 4? Evil.

Evil. That which is opposed to all that is good

and holy and righteous. This is what David has

done in the sight of God. He recognizes his actions.

as that which God views as evil and offensive.

How does David define his sin? He defines it

as God defines it. He takes God's view of his

own actions. He adopts God's recognition of what

he has done as his own. He recognizes sin as

sin. He doesn't rationalize it away, does he?

He doesn't lessen it and say, well, that's what

all the kings are doing these days because that's

what all the kings were doing. He doesn't rationalize

it into failure, into error. Into a mess up.

No he says transgression. Iniquity. Sin. Evil.

Which God hates. Which God despises. And that

is what he has willingly taken part of. All spiritual

growth. All godliness and holiness, renewal and

restoration with the Lord, brothers and sisters,

it begins with the right view of sin. It begins

with knowing what you're doing is wrong and accepting

that it's wrong and saying that it's wrong. We

live in a day where black is called white and

white is called black. But the Christian church

must always, always define sin as sin. The Christian

who is seeking to know Jesus Christ more and

better must always define sin as sin. Don't tell

me... that the world hasn't creeped in to our

minds. Because it has. There's always a tendency,

because of the inclination of our flesh, to lessen,

to rationalize, and to redefine our actions.

We can't do it, brothers and sisters. God tells

us what we do is wrong or isn't wrong. A transgression

of his law or obedience to his law. God defines

sin and God alone because sin is transgression

of his good character. Not ours, not our neighbor,

but him. So we define it and we recognize it

as God does. And we must. And we must continue

to do so. If we are to deal with our sin, it

means recognizing your actions as sin. Your desires

and your longings as sinful when they break the

law of God and they're not in accordance with

His law. Recognize it as God recognizes it. So

David recognizes his sin as sin and we must do

the same thing. We see secondly, Taking full

responsibility for sin is necessary. David says

in the text three times, my, my, my. Then he

says, I, I, I. He is accepting fully, completely.

Absolutely. Fault and responsibility for what

he has done. He's not trying to get out from

under it. Part of taking responsibility for sin,

as David has done, is willingness to accept the

consequences and repercussions because you know

your guilt and your culpability in the matter,

regardless of what it means. But you're willing

to accept it and you're willing to deal with

it. David didn't get off scot -free, friends.

Just because he's restored with God doesn't mean

he got off without any injury, without any harm,

without any pain or suffering as a consequence

of his sin. His child died because of his sin.

His kingdom shattered and fell apart. His family

turned on him. Why? Because of his sin. But he's

still willing to accept full responsibility for

it. Because it's the right thing to do before

God when you're responsible for it. And this

is what he does. If we seek out grace and pardon

and forgiveness and mercy and compassion, who

needs that? A guilty party. Somebody who's at

fault. If you're going to the throne and you're

unwilling to accept your responsibility, you

don't want grace. You don't need grace. You're

going to the throne and you're saying, hey, look

at me, I did pretty good. I messed up a little

bit, but for the most part, I'm good. If you

want forgiveness of sins, brothers and sisters,

then embrace the reality that you are a guilty,

wicked sinner. Because those are the people that

need it. God opposes the proud, but gives grace

to the humble. We must accept full responsibility

for our actions and their consequences before

God Almighty. He knows who's responsible. He

knows exactly who's responsible. Why? Because

it was committed in his sight. It wasn't like

David did this deed and he committed this iniquity

and he was out of the sight of God and God didn't

see what was taking place. God knows full well

who's responsible. He knows who's guilty. It's

our responsibility to take full responsibility

for our sins. James 1. Says, let no one say when

he is tempted, I am being tempted by God. For

God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself

does not tempt anyone. Listen, but each one is

tempted when he is carried away and enticed by

his own lust. Then when lust is conceived, it

gives birth to sin. And when sin is accomplished,

it brings forth death. What's the source of sin?

What's the source of iniquity? What's the source

of David's transgression? His own lusts, his

own desires, himself. There's no room to blame

God for our transgressions and our iniquities

when we come to him. We must take responsibility.

for our sins, our iniquities, and our transgressions,

before an all -knowing, sovereign, holy God.

Because those are the ones who need another righteousness.

Those are the ones who need mercy and grace.

Those who are at fault. Those who are guilty.

So David recognizes sin as sin. He takes full

responsibility for his sin. And he openly confesses

his sin. Look at the first part of verse 3. For

I know my transgressions. He's acknowledging

his sin. He's confessing his sin. In Psalm chapter

Psalms 32 · chapter mention

32. Sister Psalm to this with regards to his

transgression. We read, I acknowledged my sin

to you and my iniquity I did not hide. I said,

I will confess my transgressions to the Lord

and you forgave the guilt of my sin. David openly

declares. and expresses his guilt to God. He

confesses and uncovers and opens that which he's

been concealing and covering and hiding for so

long. Sometimes you have to fully open up the

wound in order for the healing salve to be applied,

don't you? The same is true with regards to our

sin. We must lay our souls bare before our God.

We must confess to him that we are indeed guilty,

that we are sinners, and we have done that which

is evil in his sight. Confession. is very, very

important, actually, with regards to the Christian

life. We read in 1 John, with regards to fellowship,

1 John 1, 5 -10, this is the message that we

have heard from Him and announced to you, that

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness

at all. God is light. He's holy. He's perfect

knowledge. He's absolutely pure. If we say that

we have fellowship with him and yet walk in the

darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light, as he himself is

in the light, we have fellowship with one another

and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us

from all sin. If we say that we have no sin,

we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not

in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful

and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse

us from all unrighteousness. God is light. God

is holy. God is purity. He's perfect. He's blameless.

And those who have fellowship with him, not those,

not those. who are justified, this is in the

context of fellowship, communion with the Lord.

Those who have fellowship, communion with him,

must walk in the light and the truth as he is

light. Meaning, if we want to have ongoing fellowship

and communion with God, we must walk in a manner

that is consistent with his character. So when

we consistently get out of the light and walk

in the dark, what do we need to do to return

to the light? Confess our sins. It's a dependent

clause. It's contingent. Our fellowship, our

communion with God, not our justification, our

atonement, our salvation, but our warm, sweet,

unbroken fellowship with that God who justified

us by grace. is dependent on confession of our

sins. That's why Jesus tells us to ask for forgiveness

in the Lord's Prayer. We don't need to be forgiven

in order to be justified. We need forgiveness

that we might be right with God in our fellowship

and relationship with Him. In our communion with

Him. David confesses his sin. In order to deal

with it. And we must do the same. We must. Lay

our souls bare. Before God. But all of these

things. Recognizing it. Taking full responsibility

for it. And confessing it. Must be. With the

intention. Of forsaking it. Of letting it go.

Of throwing it behind us. Of turning our backs

on it. on giving it up. Proverbs 28, 13 says,

he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

but he who confesses and forsakes them will find

compassion. Carries the idea of abruptly letting

something go. A lot of people try to coddle sin

and gradually let it go. Just slowly open a hand.

Maybe it'll fall away. That's not what this text

is teaching us, friends and brothers and sisters.

This text is teaching us to drop it, to forget

it, now, immediately. without hesitation, and

leave it there with no intention of ever picking

it back up again. Do you know why this is so

important? Because if you are willingly living

in unrepentant sin, you are willingly rejecting

Christ. If you are embracing your iniquity and

your transgression, You're not embracing the

Lord of glory who died and spilled his blood

for you. Forsake your sin to lay hold of the

Lord Jesus Christ. Give it up and gain him. Is

he not worth forsaking your sin? What pleasure.

In this world. Is better. Than the blessed son

of God. What attitude. And action. Is worth more.

Than his infinite and eternal blood. What is

greater than his death. And his sacrifice. What

is more precious. Than the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Who ministers to the saints. At the right hand

of God right now. What do you hold so dear in

your life that you're unwilling to give it up

to have sweet fellowship with the Lord Jesus

Christ? It's not worth it. It doesn't have that

value. It's not good for you if it's not good

for your fellowship with Him. Drop it. Forsake

it. Get rid of it. Leave it alone. Never pick

it up again. Lay hold of the Lord Jesus Christ

by faith. Enjoy the blessed grace and mercy that

comes from His throne. The Spirit of God working

in your soul. Hope. Confidence. Love. The manifest

fruit of the Spirit in your life. It's not worth

it. Forsake it and give it up and lay hold of

Christ. He is worth giving up anything in this

life. Nothing in this life is so dear that we

ought to forsake him. So we must forsake our

sin in addition to recognizing it, taking responsibility

for it, and openly confessing it. These things

must be done unto the Lord. You're not simply

dealing with yourself. You're not working within

the confines of your own mind and your own heart.

These things are to be done unto the Lord in

prayer. And these things are the ground of spiritual

profit. And holiness and godliness and sanctification

in your lives, brothers and sisters. This is

the ground on which you grow in the grace and

the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. This

is the ground where joy does in fact grow. Dealing

with your sin. This is the ground where confidence

and boldness and assurance of faith actually

grow and blossom. The ground of dealing with

your sin. And this is where you find mercy. This

is where you find grace. This is the last thing

we see in this text. The merciful result of dealing

with our sin. We see in verses 1 through 2. That

David's crying out for mercy. He says the great

compassion. According to your great compassion.

Your loving kindness. Have you considered in

this text, why does David cry out for compassion,

grace, and mercy? Why is it that he's compelled

to cry out for those things? Because he's dealt

with his sin. It's because he's come to the realization

that there is nothing in himself that can save

him. He has come to the end of himself. In dealing

with his sin. And he's been forced. To look outside

of himself. To the Lord Jesus Christ. In dealing

with sin. Genuinely. Sincerely. In a heartfelt

manner. With authenticity. We will always. Always.

Be driven to the cross. Every single time we

will be driven to the blessed person of Jesus

Christ. Because when you deal with your sin,

what are you claiming? To be guilty. You're claiming

fault. You're recognizing that you have in fact

done that which is evil on the side of God. How

could you stand on your own basis? What hope

do you have in the presence of God by yourself?

You don't have any. You must go to Christ. You

must run to him. He alone is your refuge and

your fortress. He alone is your shield, your

mighty bulwark. He alone is your place of safety

and help. If we are dealing with our sin in a

manner that does not drive us to the person of

Jesus Christ, then you're not dealing with it

correctly. If you are dealing with your sin in

such a way that it's pointing you somewhere else

other than Christ, then you're not really dealing

with your sin. Because dealing with your sin

empties yourself of you. And it points you...

To the Lord Jesus Christ. It shows you your poverty.

The fact that you are a beggar. And that you

have empty hands. And that only empty hands receive

the fullness of grace. The cross is never changing.

It's never going to go anywhere. It's never going

to disappear for the believer. The sacrifice

of Christ is never going to be insufficient.

It's never going to be inadequate. It's always

going to be effective. It's always going to be

present. And the person of the Lord Jesus will

remain and continue. His sacrifice will continue

to be utterly perfect and utterly effective for

the forgiveness of sins. It's as though there's

a banquet that's always taking place. If only

the prodigal would return home. We have to realize

that when we're dealing with our sin, it's not

that the Father goes anywhere. It's not that

the Lord runs away. But who is it that goes somewhere?

It's us. It's our hearts. It's our flesh. It's

our desires. It's our longings. It's our sin

that takes us away from God. So brothers and

sisters, the cross is there. Christ's sacrifice

is there. Run to it. Trust in it. Believe in

it. Rest in it. His righteousness remains. Your

justification remains. Recognize your sin as

sin. Take responsibility for it. Openly confess

it. Forsake it. And experience the blessed grace

of the Lord Jesus Christ that comes from his

life, his death, and his resurrection. And enjoy

it. And revel in it.