Repentance
One of the most unfortunate aspects of mankind’s fallen, sinful nature is a blind spot in the area of self. It is so natural and easy to judge the shortcomings of those around us while doing mental gymnastics to justify our own failures. Adam and Eve were the first to fall into this trap as they looked to cast blame for The Fall in the garden but they certainly have not been the last.
This blind spot leaves a remarkably thin line between the feeling of a need to repent and self-righteousness. In the Old Testament King David fell severely from his days as a “man after God’s own heart.” He committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers who was facing the rigors of the battlefield. Then, when Bathsheba became pregnant, David tried to cover his sin with a lie. Having failed in this, he murdered Uriah, her husband. In all of these blatant sins, David still carried enough self-righteousness to feel justified to judge others. Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind when he wrote I Corinthians 10:12. “Therefore, let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Indeed, the act of repentance, though vitally necessary, is fraught with pitfalls. Some take the opposite path away from self-righteousness and cast themselves into a never-ending pit of despair that forgiveness is impossible to attain and victory will never be theirs. Still, others, treat repentance as a simple confession, never addressing their heart or their actions, and develop a callous over their heart.
How do we escape these pitfalls and find peace in our relationship with God? Join us for the next four weeks as we examine David’s cry of repentance as recorded in Psalm 51. On April 16, we will examine verses 1-4 as we consider the theme, “Who Do I Turn To?” On April 23 we will take a look at verses 5 and 6 as we try to discern, “Why Am I Repenting?” April 30th will investigate “What Do I Ask God To Do?”, through the lens of verses 7-12. Finally, we will discuss, “How Will I Respond To Forgiveness?”, in verses 13-19.
Sermon Series Schedule:
Who Do I Go To? (Psalm 51:1-4) on April 16th
Why Am I Repenting? (Psalm 51:5,6) on April 23rd
What Do I Ask God To Do? (Psalm 51:7-12) on April 30th
How Will I Respond? (Psalm 51:13-19) on May 7th