The Sinner's Prayer - Bible Baptist Church

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The Sinner’s Prayer

This is one of the greatest prayers for mercy in all of the Bible. David commits adultery with Bathsheba. He then kills Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. After over a year of his conscience eating him up with this sin, God uses Nathan the prophet to point the finger at David and convict him of his sin. This psalm is David’s response.

He is not an Old Testament Jew who is obeying the law for salvation. David is guilty under the law for adultery and murder, both of which require the death penalty.

David’s heart/spirit is broken (vss 1-4)

David is begging the divine lawgiver to pardon him for the corruption he’s brought into the lawgiver’s world
David pleads for mercy. If only our sin did this to us!
When was the last time your perverted behavior, your excuses, your pornography addiction, your anger, and your guilt-tripping others broke your heart?
David is completely disgusted with his sin.
David acknowledges his sin and it is constantly on his mind.
Preaching is meant to strengthen and bring out your conscience so that sin can be dealt with.
Justify God rather than justify yourself.

God desires truth inwardly like someone who is honest with themselves (vss 5-7)

That means they stop justifying the wrong they do.
Hyssop is the branch used to apply the blood to the doorposts at the passover (Exodus 12:22).
Wash me with the water of the word of God. My life became dirty when I strayed from it your words and committed adultery but let me once again follow your words. How shall a young man clean his life up but by listening and doing what God said? (Psalm 119:9).
One thousand years later, Paul wrote to the Ephesian church and told them that God’s people were washed with the water of his words (Ephesians 5).
Jesus said, one thousand years after David wrote this, that out of God’s people will flow rivers of living water. John recorded Jesus explaining this as the Holy Spirit of God.
John said in Revelation he saw a river of water of life flowing from the throne of God. Exactly as Jesus said, it would flow out of God’s people.

Restore life to me (vss 8-12)

David ties the purging of his sin to a renewed joy in his life.
Create in me a clean heart, in other words purge my conscience. Almost like a new creature.
Renew a right spirit, the spirit was wrong because the heart has participated in sin.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Free spirit and Spirit of the Lord is liberty
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Galatians 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
Galatians 5:1, 13 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. … 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Forgiveness and evangelism (vss 13-15)

(vss 12-13) – God taking his holy spirit and ceasing to uphold David by his spirit would mean David would be unable to be “evangelistic.” He wouldn’t be able to preach.
Filled with the Spirit of God meant boldness to preach God’s forgiveness
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 4:8, 31 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, … 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Forgiveness and God’s will (vss 16-17)

Broken spirit and broken heart are the same. Heart and spirit so similar.
In the Old Testament and New Testament this is what the Lord is looking for.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Forgiveness and the ability to please God (vss 18-19)

David’s sin had caused a blight on God’s work.
When the testimony is good, then the service to God is acceptable.