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Well, if you could turn in your Bibles to Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is our text this morning for the sermon time. Perhaps you were anticipating the third stanza of Psalm 119, but we are not there this morning. Taking our journey through the book of Psalms, we come now to Psalm 51. And the title of our message this morning is What to Do After Falling into Sin. What to do after falling into sin. Psalm 51. Let's read. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy, 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 may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin. Did my mother conceive me? Behold, you delight in truth, in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness. Let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, take not your Holy Spirit from me, restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it. You will not be pleased with the burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure, build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then will you delight in your right sacrifices and burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings? Then bulls will be offered on your altar. Let's pray. Father, may your word have its way in our hearts, clear our hearts and minds from distraction, and may you be glorified here, we ask, in your grace. Amen. Well, if you've ever, if you've been a Christian for any length of time, you have dealt with a great struggle against sin. Every Christian knows this great struggle that they have within themselves. Knowing that sin is wrong, but yet struggling and battling so often with temptation. The Apostle Paul writes about this struggle that we could call a tension. And he says in Romans, for I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Well, Paul is showing to us this battle, this struggle, this tension. In doing what he hated, knowing that it was wrong, is the temptation that we speak of. Every Christian knows this struggle. In fact, if a Christian says to you, they never struggle with sin, beware. Beware. Anyone who overlooks sin loses their soul to eternity. Any Christian who downplays sin in their life opens the door simply to falling into it more often. So, believer, the tension, the battle, the struggle is a good thing. It means the conscience within you is sharpened and healthy and doing what God wants it to do. It's part of fear of the Lord, and it's part of knowing and loving Him. I think the more time one lives as a Christian, and I know this from my own heart, the more one realizes the prevalency of sin. What do I mean by that? Well, a young child, for example, a young child only knows a few things not to do. For example, don't hit, don't throw food, and don't touch the stove. Three simple things not to do. And that's all the child may know in that specific context. But as the child grows, what is added to it? More things they are not to do and are to do. And when a Christian becomes a Christian, in the first few moments of conversion, you might notice a strong passion against one specific sin or two or three. Not to do this. And that's all a newly converted person knows. Until they grow in the Lord and they are introduced to a host of other sins in which they are to battle against. If you've been saved for any length of time, you know that there are more sins around you now than there were when you first became a Christian. In the very least, what you are aware of. And this is what we are speaking to. Even as you grow in holiness and you succeed in growing in holiness, you become more aware of the great sin both within and without. Everyone is sick, and God has the remedy. While there are times of rejoicing due to overcoming a certain illness of the soul, before long, what happens? The Christian falls back into needing help again in struggling with a certain sin. And notice this illustration carries forward even more so. We do not get together and sing about how good we are, do we? We do not get together and sing about how good we were before coming to Christ or how we have it all together. We gather to worship a holy God because our sin makes us sick and separated us from God. God has drawn us near to Christ. And so we gather to herald this. Salvation is to be saved from something. Salvation in God's word is to be saved from eternal damnation due to sin. Listener and believer, sin in your life does not love you. Sin does not want you to succeed. Sin wants you dead. And that prideful thought and that lustful desire, that bitter hatred wants to bring you ruin. God provides a hope amidst this. And so Psalm 51 is known as the chief of penitent psalms. It's a psalm of grave sin and failure and great sin and forgiveness. It's a mixture of gloom and restoration that only God can write. It's a psalm of tension between Christian and sin. And it shows great sorrow and great remorse for sin. In fact, for much of church history, many well-known preachers and teachers point to Psalm 51 being a great example, if not the greatest example, of confession of sin and restoration. The psalm is written by King David. And it's written by King David after his grave sin involving Bathsheba. It's to be understood within the context of 2 Samuel 11 and 12. In this context, we find David being given to laziness. He stayed home from working, he stayed home from leading his army into battle. In a time where kings were to go to battle, David did not. Further, in the late afternoon, in one particular day, he's lying on his couch. He decides to take a walk on the roof. And as he does this, he looks at what he should not look at. There's a difference between seeing something you should not see and giving your eyes to something you should not see. Well, David sees and gives himself to what he sees. And he's given to lust, and he acts upon that lust, and he commits adultery. Sin then takes hold of David. And as is the case with sin, it compounds itself. Meaning, sin is often accompanied by more sin. One lies and then lies again to get out of that lie. One's conscience is neglected once, and it easily happens again. David commits adultery and it leads to more sin. He lies, he tries to cover up his sin, and ultimately he plans and carries out the murder of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah. But as a means of grace for David, God sends him a prophet. A prophet named Nathan to confront him. And this was to show God's steadfast love for David. He wants to correct David in his sin. And so God's spirit works through Nathan to show David his sin. Notice that David did not realize his sin until someone else confronted him of it and said, David, you are that man. And what does David do in response to this rebuke? He does not harden his heart. He does not pridefully respond, yeah, but you're a sinner too, O Nathan. No, what does he say? I have sinned against the Lord. And he laments and he repents. Now in that time following his confrontation, Psalm 51 is written. Psalm 51 is penned by a grieving, broken, confessing, and lamenting David. David was not pleased with his sin. David was horrified by what he had done. David shows us true and real biblical spirit-filled response to sin, not fake remorse. You can tell a lot about a person when you see how they view and interact with sin. Some parade it in the streets. Some parade it in their own hearts. Others, like David, lament it, confess it, and detest it. David reveals to us this in Psalm 51. He does not overlook it, he does not downplay it. He is honest and he is real with his sin. And he responds in any way a believer should. Once many years ago, pastoring at another church, I heard a knock at the door one day, and I went down to see who it was. There was a man standing wearing raggedy worn clothing. I opened the door and he introduced himself to me and he began to ask for some financial assistance through the church. Not uncommon. In the process of him asking for what he was looking for, he used words and phrases that would make a Christian approve. He used words and phrases like this I believe in the Bible, I have repented of sin. And he began to list these things and state them. A few other good words and phrases. But the problem was, it was as if he was reading off a script. It was as if he was just trying to get approval by the pastor or whomever he was speaking to so that they would approve and he would get some money. It was almost like he was checking boxes. Anyone listening to him would think this. In fact, the others hearing this had the same reaction. It was not genuine. Now, before we continue, did we help this person? Of course. Of course. But I nearly merely point that out to show you true remorse is not forced, it's not insincere. This is not the case in Psalm 51. This is not David reciting a bunch of prayers so as to appease the wrath of God. If I say this prayer over and over again, God's prayer or God's wrath would be appeased. No, that's not David in Psalm 51. It's true, heartfelt penitence. Spirit-filled confession from the very believer, the very depths of his soul. There is not a thread of David's being that was not grieved with his sin, nor was there a thread of his nature that was not involved in his confession. This is a real confession of sin. This is real repentance. This is not someone playing church. This is not a silly response to being caught. This is not a box checking of, yeah, I repented of that. This is I repent because I must, I want to, sincere and genuine response to grave sin. Well, what does it include, believer? It includes a plea for mercy. David says this be merciful to me, O God. David knows he has grieved God, and so he speaks for God to withhold what he rightfully deserves, and that's mercy. David deserves something from God, and he's asking for God to withhold that. That's mercy. What has David done? Well, he's lusted. He's devised a wicked plan, he's murdered, and now he cries out for God to be merciful to him. He cries out to God to be merciful because God is a merciful God. And it is from him whom he needs mercy. According to the law of God, David deserved death. Notice David committed adultery and he committed premeditated murder. He deserved capital punishment according to the civil law of Israel. Imagine the king of Israel deserving such a punishment. Well, David knows this. He knows what he deserves. And David asks for mercy because he wants God to cleanse him and wash him of such sin. In David's call for mercy, in asking God to wash and cleanse him, these are both references to the ceremonial law and the new covenant. Firstly, the ceremonial law was all about something we could call external cleanliness. The ceremonial law of God was all about external cleanliness, looking good on the outside. If an Israelite touched something dead, there were specific laws to be followed to be clean again. If an Israelite was sick with an illness, there were specific laws to be followed in order to be clean again. They had to follow them in order to be declared clean again by the priest. Believer, all of these ceremonial laws were emphasizing external cleanliness so as to be a type of a future cleanliness, of internal cleanliness in the new covenant. External cleanliness was meant to show a greater cleanliness of the internal of the heart. And a spiritual cleanliness ought to be seen in the Old Testament ceremonial laws. David was unclean in his heart. He was given to sin in his heart. He was filled in his heart with pride and deceit. He lusted inwardly and acted outwardly, and his heart was darkened with sin. So he asked God to wash him, to cleanse him from sin. Now this prayer is also carrying with it some covenantal emphasis. And God speaks to the new covenant all over Scripture, but specifically, we read it earlier in our service, Ezekiel 34. In Ezekiel 34, in this passage, God says, in the new covenant, he will wash and he will make clean with a new heart and a new spirit. Allah, Jeremiah says, that will be written on the hearts of the people. Ezekiel 34, Jeremiah 30, 31, and all of the new covenant is in reference to what David is saying here. When he says this, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin, purge me with hyssop. What is the significance of hyssop? It's a plant that carries with it cleansing abilities. So David uses the imagery to show the future cleanliness of the new covenant of the heart. Make me clean, O God. Cleanse me from unrighteousness. Wash me, and I will be clean. He is asking God to purify his heart. Inwardly, not just externally. Well, believer, according to God's law and listener alike, we too deserve death for our sin. We are not kings in the sense that David was. But we are told that the payment for our sin is death. We deserve death for our sin. Breaking God's law results in his punishment. And as the scriptures teach, you and I have broken God's law and we have all sinned. Therefore, Psalm 51 is pertinent for us here this morning. David's plea for mercy ought to be our plea for mercy. David's plea for a renewed spirit is every plea of every new covenant believer. Each sinner believes and knows their sin is truly as grave as David's. And each believer knows their need of God's mercy. In David's confession, notice he does not run from reality. He's not running from the truth. He shows he knows the reality of his sin. He states that his transgressions are before him. Though his sin involved others, against God, he has sinned. The reality of David's sin is it was sin in his own heart. Though it took the life of another, it was against God. And so, believer, every sin, though it may include another person, is first and foremost against a holy God. One preacher said, though everyone in the world may have pardoned David, he had to confess to God to appease his conscience. Why? Because his sin broke God's law. Part of this facing a reality was also David's not blaming anyone but himself for his sin. And this is what we mean when we say David faced the reality. When Adam sinned, he blamed Eve. When Eve was confronted, she blamed the serpent. When a sinner sins, you can tell a lot about them and how they respond when they're confronted. A true repentant heart does not grasp at straws in seeking to pardon themselves. A true repentant heart offers no excuses like, yeah, but look at my situation. Or, yes, I did, but it was because you did this that I did this. Or it was this or them that caused me such turmoil, and I have sinned. A true repentant heart like David blames themselves for their sin. Because it's their sin, it's my sin, it's your sin. And the reality of it is we chose. And so each Christian mustn't blame anyone but themselves for their sin. They mustn't offer excuses like this. Well, if I had a different job, then I wouldn't struggle with such sins. Or if my child wasn't like this, then I would not sin in this area. Christian, you are the reason for your sin. Stop blaming other people for it. David chose the sin. You chose the sin. Face the reality of your sin. No. Sin is a nasty thing. It is a wicked thing. And even these exhortations feel weighty. Perhaps we hold our breath as they're offered. And I understand. And it's shown in the faces of such gross and nastiness, this sin. But in the face of it, God offers a beautiful outcome of such a thing. Only God offers such hope to a nasty, wicked thing like sin. And he does. For a few days this week for work, I spent down in the valley, over to Yarmouth, over to Shelburne County, and then up the South Shore through Bridgewater and back to Truro. And as I was driving up from Barrington upwards to Bridgewater, I noticed for a good length of time we drove through those areas in which the wildfire a few years ago damaged many, many kilometers, many, many acres. Very large areas. You can see them as you drive there, are charred, blackened power poles. In fact, some are new because they had to be replaced. Barely standing softwood trees, most still black. Really just dead, sickly looking area. No tall trees. And you can see for long distances, because there's no tall trees, they're gone. But as you drove, you could notice about a few feet above the ground was green, just as green as could be. New growth. Once scorching earth, now you see this small, yes, but it's there. New growth that was occurring. Now take note of what occurred on that ground a few years ago. And fast forward to now. New growth where once this scorching fire lived, killing everything, burning all in its path, now this new growth. Once ashes representing death, now green meaning life. Believer, this is what God does in the face of sin's wickedness. He takes what is dead, what is defiled, and it is dead, and it is defiled, and he makes something new. And this is the heart of the stone that's replaced with the heart of flesh in the new covenant. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And believer, it's God's salvation, to which David attests to in Psalm 51. Only God can take the existence of something like sin and bring about something wonderful like the new birth in Christ. In other words, in the face of such nasty sin, there is beauty in this psalm. Because this psalm is a psalm of the gospel. David does not say, I have sinned, and the psalm is done. No, he offers such hope, he offers a contrite heart, and he shows the gospel of God's restoration in his life. Why does he do this? Because he's aware of the new covenant. He's aware of the gospel. That God restores once what was given to sin and death. So one may say, I want to be restored like this in the beauty of the gospel. One may say, I want to be restored like David in the face of my sin. And it may be you are here now at that point. It may be you someday will be in the face of needing to be restored due to your sin. Wherever that is, be sharpened on this truth. While we pray that each Christian would not fall into such grievous sin as David, we understand to some extent we all battle with sin. And it may be we need to be restored, however big or little, unto God. So how is one to be restored like David here? Well, firstly, restoration requires a good crushing of sin. I say a good crushing, not a bad crushing. What do I mean by that? Well, bad crushing leads to despair. Good crushing is remorse. David in Psalm 51 has a good crushing of his sin. Bad crushing is I'm hopeless. Good crushing is I'm helpless and I need God. Paul speaks to this balance of good and bad crushing in 2 Corinthians 4. We are afflicted in every way, but we're not crushed. And so the balance of the Apostle Paul is shown there. We are, to an extent, afflicted, but not to the point of despair. Though facing such sin in opposition, we offer resilience in the face of it. This is a believer in sin. So we have a good crushing of our sin. And this good crushing involves true remorse for sin. Jesus gives a parable in Luke 7. He says, A certain moneylender had two debtors, one owed 500 deneri and another 50. When they could not pay, he canceled the record of debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, the one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. And Jesus says to him, You have judged rightly. And then he later tells Peter, he who is forgiven little loves little. This is why, believer, we must understand the good crushing of our sin leads us to loving much of our Savior. The one who is forgiven little could have used a little bit more crushing of sin. The one who is forgiven much loved much because he knew the magnitude of his sin. And oh, by the way, in a poetic way, there is no little forgiveness in God's eyes. To be restored is to be understood that one is being brought back from. So it involves a good crushing of sin and true remorse for sin. Secondly, restoration is brought about by God's spiritual renewal. Listen to David's words again. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Create in me a clean heart. Oh God, renew a right spirit within me. Believer, these are righteous, please to God from a broken sinner. They show the new birth is needed. They show the spiritual renewal needed every day. God restore me. God create in me a clean heart. Renew a righteous, clean, pure spirit within me. Create from me, cleanse me rather from all unrighteousness and forgive me. The one who is renewed in God thinks wildly differently about sin. What they once lived in desire for, they now do not want. Turn from it. Turn to God. Turn away from that sin. Repent of it. Change your mind and turn away from it. Secondly, are any struggling with the daily battle of sin? Seek restoration continually in a merciful God. Christ has given us victory over sin so that we no longer need to be enslaved in it. Seek God's renewal in Christ. Return. Repent, turn away from that sin, and turn unto God and be met with welcoming arms of His grace and mercy that He has given through Christ. May we as a church ponder such truths.