Introduction:
Tonight we conclude Psalm 19As we begin... allow me to summarize what we’ve discussed so far.
Let’s read together... vs.1-6 - Look up, look out, check your perspective and realize that you are surrounded by an awesome, great big world created by an Awesome, Infinitely bigger God and worship in the fact that He made all these things so that you would know Him more deeply and richly. God created all that is to bless you and guide you in your life of service and worship before Him. So... look up, look out, check your perspective... and worship God.vs.7-11 - Here what we’re instructed to do is look at Scripture. This goes beyond a simple reading of God’s Words. David says, “Meditate, memorize, study, and become intimately acquainted with the Words of God.” Why? Because they are perfect, because God intentionally gave us every letter, every space, every period... every jot and every tittle. In God’s Word are the promises that are meant to encourage us, the hope that meant to sustain us, and the blessing that is meant to inform our walk. So... look at Scripture with all of the intent and purpose with which it was given to you.
Transition:
Now what’s left? vs.12-14Those of us who love God, delight in His ways, love His Word, cherish His fellowship, stand in awe of His greatness, and rest in His kindness—we still sin... we’re still prone to fall away... to lose our focus and turn from God’s intention and plan for our life towards our own.How do we deal with that? And that's what this text is about.
Two Ways of Sinning
What David says in verses 12 and 13 is that there are two ways to lose our focus and fall into sin.The first is described in vs.12 - Unknown or Unconscious sin.There are different reasons why this might be the case for different people or different sins.One is that we simply may not yet have been taught clearly from Scripture that what we are doing is wrong.What would rectify that? Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word.Another reason is deception... and this might be self-deception or a type of deception that comes from false teaching.How would we rectify this? Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word for ourselves.The other reason might be familiarity with our sin. This happens when we know an act or an attitude or a way of communicating is sinful, but it has become so much a part of us over the years that it comes out before we realize it.And it may be a week before the Holy Spirit pricks your conscience so that we realize what we’ve done and like Paul end up saying, "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." Then we go about the process of humbling ourselves, asking for forgiveness and repairing the damage that we may have caused.By the way, how would we rectify this? Knowing God, being aware of His holiness and our own imperfection... so it’s a perspective thing.Also, knowing God’s Word for ourselves.David also gives us a hint, on how to deal with this type of sin, in his prayer... he says, “cleanse me from secret faults.”The word "cleanse" means "acquit me, render me guiltless, forgive me." Or, as the apostle Paul would say, "Justify me, reckon me righteous, do not impute my baffling, hidden sinfulness to me, cancel it out."Ok... that's the first way of sinning: you are baffled by it and the act or attitude or word sneaks up on you because its sinfulness is somehow hidden from the eyes of your heart for a time.
The Second Way of Sinning
The second way of sinning comes out in vs.13 - Intentional or Conscious sin.These are sins that we commit because we presume to know better than God or presume that sin is no big deal. The point is not that there is a special category of extra-bad sins, like murder, rape, treason, and so on... the point is that there is a special category of sinning—namely, sinning in arrogant defiance of a known law. It's not so much what you do that puts sinning in this category as whether you do it with forethought, defiance, and rebellion. This is what David calls presumptuous sins. They are fully intentional, with our eyes open, and with a heart that says, "I know God says this is wrong and harmful, but I just don't care what God thinks; I'm going to do it anyway."Now... with this type of sin we have to assume an awareness of God and we also have to assume an awareness of God’s Word.So, how do we deal with this type of sinful rebellion in our lives?And the key to answering this question, again, lies in the way that David prays here...David prays "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me." This is not a prayer for forgiveness and acquittal of baffling sins already committed; it's a prayer for power not to commit the presumptuous sin.The first prayer is a prayer for pardon; the second a prayer for power. Pardon for sins committed, and power not to commit sins.
Careful Conclusion:
Now let's be very careful with the text. I want to avoid a misunderstanding of what I have said. The text does not say that we shouldn't pray for power over baffling sins and hidden faults. And the text does not say that we shouldn't pray for pardon for a presumptuous sin we commit and later feel remorse for. We absolutely should... however, what David is telling us here is this...First, he is saying that as long as we live, the old sinful nature (that has been crucified with Christ and should be reckoned dead) is going to continue to baffle us and at times frustrate us and anger us by sneaking up on us and causing us to do things and say things and feel things that we don't really mean and don't plan and hate as soon as we recognize them. Therefore pardon is utterly indispensable for a life of joy and hope and peace. We must believe that these sins are covered and forgiven when we pray, "cleanse me from secret faults."Guilt is very often what keeps us from continuing to walk in and grow in our lives with God... Paul would call them bad cargo items that are to be thrown overboard, not to weigh us down or detour us.Second, he is saying that we must and we can get victory over presumptuous sins. The focus here is on praying for power: "Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me." I believe we can experience triumph over presumptuous sin, and that presumptuous sinning must cease to be the characteristic of our lives. God calls us to this and gives us the power to accomplish it through the Holy Spirit.
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