Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-08-22
CONFESSION AND FoRGIvENE,


LESSON TEXT-n Samuel 12.,s ii
Psalm 51:1-3. 9-13: 1915.
GOLDEN TEXT-Confess your FAM.
one to another. and pray one for anosI
er. that We may be healed.-James HI
II the Bible told us only of perfecl
people, we would recognize il n
being not true to life and assuredJ
of no help to us who know our owd
sinful natures. The Bible, however
I tells us in all truthfulness Of thl
bad as well as the good, the weaI
as well as the strong. the humbd
as well as the mighty.
1t honestly portrays the sins A
its greatest characters, revealnd
the heart Of man as ''deceitful abovs
all things, and desperately wicker
(Jer. 17:9. It tells us of a gr,l
cious God (when man repents and
forsakes his sin) who invites hs
sinner to come and be delivered
from his sin.
The lesson centers around David
the humble shepherd boy who be
came king; and in the height ii
his glory, being tempted Of his owl
| evil desires, fell into the lowest II
sin, which he then sought to cover
by well-planned murder. He finds
no peace until he. repents and re.
turns to God. Three words sum-
Marie the lesson.
1. Sin (II Sam. 1918, 1N.
That little three lettered word
seems to have the hiss Of the ser1
pent in it-sin-the cause Of all
mans woes and the heartache Of I
loving God.
David had tried to hide his sid
and he said, my bones waxed Old
through my roaring all the day lonsa
For day and night thy hand wal
heavy upon me" Cps. 80: 3, a. 'B3
sure your sin will find you out
Mum. 1929 is just as true todaj
as it was in David's time.
The nature of sin is described
Psalm 81, and If we may anticipat
bit, we note that it is describe
by three words: ''transgressiOn
meaning a rebellious "steppin'
over" Gods boundaries; ''iniquity
from the same root as our won
Unequal" meaning crooledness
heart and life; and ''sin, rdTs
means missing the mark, life 9
ing the wrong way.
Note that sin, while it may bri1
sorrow and trouble to US and tho4
round about US, is "against y
Lord" ". Is and Ps. 51:4). The Sd
ner must face and answer to Cd
for his sin.
Nathan's Straightforward dealinE
with David brought him to
II. Repentance Cps. 51:1-3, 9-l1,
What David expressed to Natha
ct have sinned against the Lord
lis more fully expressed in thi
great psalm Of penitence which W
know as Psalm 81. DIR. Wilbur N
Smith well says that probably these
verses have brought more comfort
and assurance Of forgiveness, and
hope for a renewed life after somd
terrible transgression, to a greater
number Of Gods children down
through the ages than any other SIM
gle passage in the pages Of hq
Old Testament"
To acknowledge ones transgresi
sion before God is to open the food
gates Of His mercy, to receive Ill
grace in forgiveness, cleansing, resi-
toration, new joy. and (note it weAj
renewed usefulness ". 49,. Cog
does not cast His people off because
Of their sin, nor cut off their use|
fitness when they repent.
Observe. however. that God dig
not permit David's sin to go UNI
punished. God is forgiving, but eVel
repentance cannot wipe out the 70
suits of sin QI Sam. 12:14. Cog
chastised David to declare befor7
the people all Of His divine hatre3
Of sin. To sin against God is ~
light and casual thing. 1t cuts deep
ly into life, and only the grace o
God is sufficient to bring man
out of that pit. But there is
iii. Forgiveness FPS. $3.50.
How tender and sweet is that Worq
forgiveness. It speaks of the RI
moval Of guilt the breaking DOW
of the barrier which sin has createq
and the restoration Of feHowsmp
Where all had been wrong and troy
bled, all has become right and Z
peace.
These things are true even in 10y
forgiveness of one man toward az
other who has offended, but minnie
ly- greater when the heart OF GoI
meets the repentant sinner. he
so ready to meet such a man mal
even while he is thinking OF co1
Tossing, God sees the attitude OF nl
heart and forgives. "At this m1
ment, without sight or sound wa
mortal ear can detect, or attltuol
that the eye Of man can observe
even before the thing is said, wnel
make up my mind to COMES
thou forgavest the iniquity OF ni'
sin'l Do you wonder that when u1
man was going to write q pSanI
about this matter, he had to begll
o the blessings Of transgressic'
forgiven, and sin covered?" "
Campbell Morgan).
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