Focus on Confession

Psalm 51:10–13

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God

 and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence 

and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation

and sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your way 

and sinners will be converted to You.

God uses confession:

-to restore the broken relationship and us,

-to bring darkness of sin into the light,

-to lead us to acknowledge our unholiness,

-to lead us to peace,

-to lead us to enjoy spiritual renewal.

Psalm 51:1-13 The Appeal (Psalm 51:1-2) The Confession (Psalm 51:3-5) The Restoration (Psalm 51:6-9) The Inward Renewal (Psalm 51:10-13)

HOW TO ENJOY SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

• Confess your sins, (1-6).
• Seek God’s gracious forgiveness, (7-9).
• Petition God for spiritual renewal, (10-12).
• Petition God for a clean heart / a faithful will, (10).
• Petition God for a sense of His protecting, (11).
• Petition God for His guiding presence, (11).
• Petition God for the joy of your salvation, (12).
• Petition God for a submissive attitude, (12).
• Commit to share God’s gracious forgiveness, (13).
• Commit to plea for sinners to turn back to Him. (13).

Confession means: Agree with God about our sin.

In this study we will be talking about a Psalm of King David in which he confesses his sin:

King David committed several sins.

The story is recorded in 2 Samuel 11.

David’s road to forgiveness included:

• Recognizing his sin.
• Feeling a godly sorrow for the sin.
• Confessing his sin.
• Enjoying God’s restoration.

NOTE:

2 Samuel 11:1-27 lists the sins committed by David.

-He didn’t go into battle with his men as he should have. Instead he stayed at home and became the prying observer of a beautiful woman taking a bath.

-He directed his servants to bring Bathsheba to his palace.

-David slept with this beautiful woman and she became pregnant.

-David said to himself, “How do I hide my sin?”

-David deceived Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

-David murdered Uriah.

-Then he behaved as if he had committed no sin.

Psalm 32:3-5 and Psalm 38:1-18.

How did David feel about his sin?

What did he do?

Note:

A Psalm to guide Believers seeking restoration.

David broke several of the Ten Commandments.

Believers comforted that our sins are forgiven.

Believers enjoy full participation in service to God.

The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people:

-Can appeal to God for forgiveness,

-Can appeal for moral restoration,

-Can appeal for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service,

-IF he/she comes with a broken spirit.

-IF he/she bases an appeal on God’s compassion and grace.

A. Introductory prayer (51:1–2)

David appealed to God’s love and compassion as he petitioned the Lord to forgive him by grace and cleanse him from sin.

B. Confession (51:3–6)

David confessed that he had sinned against the Lord (vv. 3–4), and then lamented his moral impotence (vv. 5–6).

C. Petition (51:7–12)

In connection with his confession, David petitioned God first for forgiveness (vv. 7–9), then for inner renewal (vv. 10–12).

D. Vow of praise (51:13–17)

David promised God that if He forgave him he would participate fully in His service. The requests in these verses are for things that result from forgiveness, and so they form indirect requests for forgiveness.

E. Prayer for prosperity (51:18–19)

These verses have often been considered a later addition to the psalm because they do not readily relate to the psalm’s theme.

1. Content of the David’s appeal to God:

that God would create in him a right/steadfast heart;

that He would renew in him a steadfast spirit,

Note: 51:10–12. As a corrective for his sinful nature, David petitioned God for:

-inward renewal of his heart attitude (v. 10),

-preservation in service (v. 11),

-restoration of joy (v. 12).

He was aware that he had become indifferent in his attitudes.

He was aware that Saul was removed from the kingship for his sin.

He was aware that God could take away His Spirit and depose him too.

In the New Testament:

The Spirit does not leave believers; at the moment of salvation He indwells them.

But a Christian may be cast aside from service because of sin (1 Cor. 9:27).

David was also aware that in order to experience the joy he once had in his salvation, He needed God’s inner spiritual renewal.

David wants a radical change of heart and spirit,

David wants more than a restoration,

A steadfast spirit: fixed / resolute in its allegiance to God,

A steadfast spirit: unmoved by temptation.

Essentially here David is surrendering his heart to the Lord.

2. Content of the David’s appeal to God:

that God would NOT cast him away from His fellowship;

that He would NOT take His Holy Spirit from him.

Note:

Ps 51:11 shows that he had not lost God’s presence and Spirit.
David prayed that he might not be cast away from God’s presence.

The Spirit of God came upon David when he departed from Saul (1 Sam 16:13).

David apparently feared that, because of his sin, he might be deprived of God’s favor and deserted by that Spirit which supplies comfort and guidance to believers.

3. Content of the David’s appeal to God:

that God would RESTORE him to his joy,

that He would SUSTAIN him with a willing spirit.

Note: 

He had lost the joy of his salvation (Ps 51:12).

While the prayer of verse 10 for steadfastness was obviously fitting, after so great a fall, the earnest plea for a willing spirit may strike us as less relevant.

Sin has destroyed David's sense of assurance.

He prays for that deliverance knowing God can and will grant him.

He desires to be upheld from falling in the future by God’s free or willing Spirit.

4. Content of the David’s promise to God:

that David would TEACH His ways so others repent.

Note:

David promised God that if He forgave him he would participate in His service.

The result of forgiveness produces this respond:

• David said that if God forgave him, he would teach sinners God’s ways.
• David would teach this he must first experience forgiveness.

Note:

In a spirit of true contrition, the psalmist prays for a pure heart, a steadfast spirit. Without internal renewal, David fears the possibility of divine rejection from the throne.

Spiritual renewal always leads to godliness and wisdom:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS with ANSWERS

What circumstances led to the writing of the Psalm?

[The Psalm was written as a result of Nathan’s confrontation with David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.]

What attributes of God are named by David? (Psalm 51:1)

[God is merciful and practices unfailing love. God is compassionate.]

David makes five “my” statements. What are they? (Psalm 51:1-3)

David asks God to:

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash away my iniquities.

Cleanse me from my sin.

David said:

I know my transgression.

My sin is always before me.

What do these statements tell us about David’s attitude toward his sin?

What emotions might David have been feeling?

Against whom had David sinned? (Psalm 51:4)

[David said, “Against you, you only, have I sinned.”]

Didn’t David sin against Bathsheba and Uriah, too?

How could he say he sinned only against God?

What does David say about his sinfulness? 

What did God desire? (Psalm 51:5-6)

[David said that he was sinful from birth. He said that God desired faithfulness even while he was in his mother’s womb.]

What does this tell us about our sinfulness and God’s desire for us?

What seven things did David ask God to do? 

What did David ask God not to do?

What two additional requests did David make? (Psalm 51:7-12)

David asks God to:

Cleans him with hyssop.

Wash him, so he would be whiter than snow.

Let him hear joy and gladness.

Let the bones crushed by God rejoice.

Hide His face from his sin and blot out his iniquity.

Create in him a pure heart.

Renew a steadfast spirit within him. 

David asked God not to:

Cast him from his presence.

Take His Holy Spirit from him.

David’s two additional requests were that God would:

Restore his joy.

Grant him a willing spirit.

What would be the outcome of David’s forgiveness? (Psalm 51:13)

[David said the result of forgiveness would be that he would teach transgressors the ways of God and that sinners would be converted.]

What is your attitude concerning your own sinfulness?

Do you try to make excuses for your sin or explain it away?

How should we respond to our sin and God’s forgiveness?

DAVID’S PETITION:

FOR A RENEWED HEART AND SPIRIT,

FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE,

FOR THE JOY OF SALVATION,

FOR A SUBMISSIVE ATTITUDE,

HE PROMISED TO TELL OF HIS FORGIVENESS,

HE PROMISED TO PLEAD WITH SINNERS TO REPENT.