Hello Church!
I have been encouraging a large Christian ministry through some morning devotions with their staff recently and tomorrow I will be talking to them about Psalm 51, that great psalm of repentance. There is a lot that I intend to say but verses 1-2, caught my attention as I read through the psalm again. Here is what it says;
“Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!”
Did you notice that David uses three different words for “sin” here? In the English they read – transgressions, iniquity, and sin. Each word is different in the Hebrew as well. It is likely that David is just trying to emphasize the fact that he is completely sinful and needs God to completely transform him if there is to be any hope of forgiveness. But the fact that each word conveys a different aspect of sin is interesting.
The first word “transgression” (pesha in Hebrew) carries the sense of rebellion. Meaning, those sins which violate God’s sovereignty – those which make us rebels against our King. The second, “iniquity” (awan in Hebrew) refers to those “unknown sins” that we commit without even knowing we are committing them. And the last word, “sins”, (hattah in Hebrew) is the most common word for sin in the Old Testament and it means a wilful, intentional sin. What strikes me about David’s use of terms is how meticulous he is in diagnosing his heart. He is aware (as the whole of Psalm 51 shows) that he is thoroughly sinful, even having been conceived in sin (51:5), and this conviction drives him to lay all his sins bare before God. The contrite heart, knowing that it has wronged God above all (see 51:4), falls at the feet of God and desires that no souvenir of sin be left in his heart. The heart of repentance is less concerned with suffering the consequences for its sin as it is concerned with healing the relationship that the sin marred through repentance. David knows he will suffer consequences for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah (see 2 Samuel 12), but here his sole focus is on being right with God.
Read this psalm again and reflect on how your transgression, iniquity and sin have wronged a God who loves you so much that he was willing to bear the cost of those sins in Himself. We serve a Great God! Praise belongs to Our Lord alone! Let His virtues be praised in our hearts and from our mouths and through the works of our hands!
In Christ,
Pastor Carl
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REGISTRATION IS OPEN for church this Sunday, August 22 at 10:00 am. Please click here or on the 'Registration' graphic above to register for the service. If you are unable to attend in person, please watch us LIVE on Facebook!
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IF YOU ARE A YOUNG ADULT (18-29 yrs old-ish) then join us at Redeemer on September 1* at 7pm (*Please note the new date!) for a bonfire and discussion about our Young Adults ministry/group. This is a time of getting to know each other and discussing the future of Redeemer's Young Adults ministry. We would love to see you there!
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Join us at the church for a time of conversation and fellowship on Thursdays in the summer, continuing TOMORROW at 12:00 pm. Bring your lunch and a lawn chair as we gather on the front lawn for a time of connecting together, weather permitting. Registration will be required upon arrival and social distancing protocols will be in place. If you would like more information, please call or email the church office!
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Sunday, August 15, 2021
In-Person Attendance: 135
Fabulous and 50+ Event Attendance: 98
Weekly Offering: $9,468
Weekly Budget: $8,667
Thank you for your faithful stewardship!
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