Grosey's Messages

Revelation 21, 22  The New Heaven And The New Earth

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,  and God himself will be with them as their God.  4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

The New Jerusalem

 9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 15 And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.  Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits  by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. 18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 22

1 Then the angel  showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYOmBe_4m2Q

1. How can a city also be a bride? Who or what do you think this city-bride is?
2. What does it mean to be God's people? How important is that concept in the Old Testament? The New? What is the difference between the Old Testament people and the New Testament people of God, if any? Why do the city's gates have different names than the city's foundations?
3. Explain in a sentence why the city has no temple.
4. Why are the nations and the kings mentioned living in the eternal state?

"God is the King of all the earth." Psalm 47:7. He is a King upon his throne. "God sits upon the throne of his holiness." Psalm 47:8. He is "the high and lofty One."

Remember these words from Rev 20 : 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.

He is great in His power. He "made heaven and earth," and can unmake it. Psalm 124:8. With a breath he can crumble us to dust; with a word he can unpin the world, and break it in pieces.  He is Lord who does whatever he wills. Psalm 115:3. He weighs "the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance." Psalm 40:12. "The Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty." Psalm 93:1. "He has on his vesture a name written, KING OF KINGS." Rev 19:16. 

"His kingdom rules over all;"Psalm 103:19. "He puts down one and sets up another." Psalm 75:7.

What will heaven be like?

There are many aspects of the description of heaven that are laid before our eyes.

After the rapture of the church, after the thousand year, millennial, reign of Christ on earth centred on Jerusalem, after the great white Judgment throne of Christ, when Satan and all who have not received Christ in this life are sentenced forever to the Lake of fire, God will bring in a new heaven and a new earth.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

9 Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels.

It will be like a city.

16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia.  Its length and width and height are equal.

It will be beautiful and glorious within.

18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald

The river of life will be there. 

22: 1 Then the angel  showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.

But what will heaven be like for you and I?

It implies a freedom from all the struggles of nature. We need food to nourish us, clothes to cover us, sleep to refresh us. But in the kingdom of heaven there will be no need of these things.  Rev 22:5. The saints shall be freed, in the heavenly kingdom, from these necessities of nature to which they are now exposed.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the imperfections of nature. Since the fall, our natural knowledge is imperfect; it is chequered with ignorance.  Socrates said on his death-bed, that there were many things he had yet to learn. Our ignorance is more than our knowledge. Our divine knowledge is imperfect. "We know but in part," 1 Cor 13:9, 12 "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."  We have but dark conceptions of God. "Can you by searching find out God?" Job 11:7. Our narrow capacities would no more contain God, than a little glass cup would hold all the water in the sea. We cannot unriddle the mystery of the incarnation, the human nature assumed into the person of the Son of God; the human nature not God—yet united with God. We see now in a glass darkly, dimly; but in the kingdom of heaven the veil shall be taken off—all imperfection of nature shall be done away. We shall have a full knowledge of God, though we shall not know him fully.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the labors of this life. God enacted a law in paradise, "in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread." Gen 3:19. "All things are full of labor" (Eccl 1:8); but in the kingdom of heaven we shall be freed from our labors. "They rest from their labors." Rev 14:13. As when God had finished the work of creation, he rested from his labors; so, when his saints have finished the work of sanctification, they rest from theirs.

(4) In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from original sin, which is the root of all actual sin. Sins will be gone because the iniquity of our very nature will be gone. Our inward bias towards sin will be gone.  Won't it be a blessing, never to grieve God's Spirit any more! Nothing enters there, which defiles. Rev 21:27. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all sorrows. "There shall be no more sorrow." Rev 21:4. Our life here is interwoven with trouble. Psalm 31:10.  Losses grieve us,  unkindness breaks the heart.

 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,  and God himself will be with them as their God.  4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Augustine said "What is long life—but long torment?"

But, in the kingdom of heaven, sorrow and sighing shall fly away. Here the saints sit by the rivers weeping—but one smile from Christ's face will make them forget all their sufferings.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be beyond the reach of temptation. Satan walks about tempting . It is a great grief to a believer to be followed with temptations to sin.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all worrying cares. The Greek word for care comes from a word which signifies to cut the heart in pieces. Care tortures the mind, wastes the spirits, and eats out the comfort of life.. but in the kingdom of heaven we shall shake off care. There is the tree of life, bearing all sorts of fruit.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all doubts. In this life, the best saint has his doubts.

Perhaps as believers we can lose our sense of assurance. But, when the saints shall come into the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no more doubting. Now I know that I am passed from death to life, now I am in my Savior's embraces forever!

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from the wicked. "The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil." Matthew 13:41.

In the kingdom of heaven—we shall be freed from all signs of God's displeasure. Here He may discipline His children in anger. But in the kingdom of heaven, there shall be no spiritual eclipses.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,  and God himself will be with them as their God.  4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

We shall have an immediate COMMUNION with God himself, who is the inexhaustible sea of all happiness. This divines call "the beatific vision." The psalmist triumphed in the enjoyment he had of God in this life. "Whom have I in heaven but you?" Psalm 73:25. In the kingdom of heaven we shall see him "face to face." 1 Cor 13:12. We shall have an intellectual sight of him; we shall see him with the eyes of our mind; we shall know him as much as the angels in heaven do. Matthew 18:10; we shall know as we are known. 1 Cor 13:12. We shall have a full knowledge of God, though not know him fully; as a cup in the sea is full of the sea, though it holds not all the sea.  To see and enjoy God will be our greatest delight and satisfaction; to see and enjoy him, therefore, will ravish the soul with delight. We shall see God so as to love him, and be made deeply aware of his love.

In the kingdom of heaven we shall see the glorified body of JESUS CHRIST.

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb

The Lord Jesus in His prayer before His crucifixion prayed "That they may behold my glory." John 17:24. When Christ was transfigured upon earth, it is said, that "his face did shine as the sun, and his clothing was white as the light." Matthew 17:2. If the glory of his transfiguration was so great, what will the glory of his exaltation be!  "In him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Col 2:9. "We shall be like him for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:1-3.

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

In the kingdom of heaven we shall enjoy the society of "an innumerable company of ANGELS." Heb 12:22. 

In the kingdom of heaven, we shall enjoy the communion of the glorified SAINTS. Oh! what a blessed time will it be when those who have prayed, wept, and suffered together—shall rejoice together! Some have asked whether we shall know one another in heaven? Surely, our knowledge will not be diminished—but increased! The judgment of Luther and Anselm, and many others is, that we shall know one another; yes, the saints of all ages, whose faces we never saw! And, when we shall see the saints in glory without their problems of pride and passion—it will be a glorious sight.

In the kingdom of heaven there shall be incomprehensible JOY.  What joy having passed from death to life, when we are as holy as we ever would wish to be, and as God would have us be! What joy to hear the music of angels; to see the golden banner of Christ's love displayed over the soul; to be drinking that water of life! What joy, when the saints shall see Christ clothed in their flesh, sitting in glory above the angels! We "shall enter into the joy of our Lord." Matthew 25:21. Here on earth, joy enters into the saints; in heaven "they enter into joy."

In heaven you will have a royal crown. Rev 2:10. "I will give you a crown of life." 

 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

' Set your affections upon things above,' Col. iii. 2.

Think often of heaven.

"Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

Perhaps you do not have your part in heaven.  The Lord Jesus invites you to take of the water of life freely. Without Payment.   That means there is nothing you can do to earn heaven. It has already been purchased for you with the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has paid the price for you to have heaven. Each of the glories of heaven has been purchased for you through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He invites you to take of the water of life freely. Without Payment. The Lord Jesus said "Come unto Me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He invites you. Come to Him. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved!

Thomas Watson: A Body Of Divinity

Easley: Holman New Testament Commentary on Revelation

Revelation 20   The Judgment

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXwYt8e1guQ

Why do you think talking about hell has fallen out of practice in contemporary culture? among many Christians?

How does the cross show us that Jesus believed in the reality of hell?

Why is eternal punishment for sins just on God's part?

What is the connection between hell and the glory of God?

How would your life look different if you lived in light of eventually giving an account to God for every thought, word, and deed?

What does it mean that "revelation brings responsibility" in regards to eternal punishment?

In what sense is God absent from hell if He is omnipresent?

How should Christians preach the doctrine of hell to unbelievers?

Akin: Christ-Exalting on Revelation

Rogers: The Final Judgment of the Unsaved Dead

The SOLEMN SUMMONS (Revelation 20:12-13)

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

The people who are called to the judgment:

¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne,

All Sinners Will Be There

All Self-righteous Will Be There

All Self Satisfied Will Be There

All Slow-deciders Will Be There

They intend to be saved one day.

They know they are sinners and are not antagonistic to the Gospel, but they just do not intend to give their hearts to Jesus today.

All Sunday Christians Will Be There

The places from which they are called:  Revelation 20:13

¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

Death has the body; Hell has the soul.

The graves and tombs will give up their dead.

Out of the seas and desert sands they will come.

Wherever men have died, they will be raised.

When someone dies without Jesus Christ, his soul immediately goes to Hell, but he is not yet at the judgment.

THE SECRETS DISPLAYED (Revelation 20:12)

¹² And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Our lives are recorded in God's book.

Nothing has escaped His knowledge.

Secrets that have been repressed:

Secrets that have been recorded:

Matthew 12:36 We will give an account for every idle word, every time we have taken the Lord's name in vain.  Exodus 20:7

Secrets that will be revealed: 

There is coming a judgment day when we will face the record.

THE SOBER VERDICT

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Hell Is An Awful Place

Hell Is An Agonising Place

Hell Is An Always Place

No Excuse

No Exception

No Exemption

No Escape

THE SEVERITY OF THE SENTENCE (Revelation 20:14-15)

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Sureness of the final sentence:

The Severity of it

The Sadness of it.

Revelation 20:1-10  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

4Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

 5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Youtube Sermon:   https://youtu.be/W_HdZv0C-b0

Zoom Online Bible Study Meeting Tuesday evening at 7:30   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2402286476

Revelation Studies Video Channel https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCNs0iOkWo_sL2u7vLPOCQ2Q

From Dr. Adrian Rogers

THE FINAL REBELLION OF SINNERS (Revelation 20:7-9)

 God, who is always sovereign, will release Satan from the pit for one final fling.

This is God's final testimony to the wickedness of the human heart. It is mankind's final test.

Latent sin will still be down in the human heart if it is not washed by the blood of Jesus.

God has many children but no grandchildren.

Just because your parents may have been Christians does not mean that you are a Christian.

In the Millennium, there will be God's children, but there will also be those who are children of God's children who have never been saved.

After a thousand years, these will rebel against God when Satan is let loose.

God is demonstrating two great principles during this final rebellion:

Punishment is not the final answer.

Prisons are necessary, but they are not the final answer.

Environment is not the final answer.

After one thousand years of peace and righteousness, latent sin down in the human heart bubbles forth.

It was in the Garden of Eden that man got into trouble in the first place.

Only Jesus is the answer.

THE FIXED RESOLUTION OF SIN (Revelation 20:9-10)

Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire.

Sin will be finished; the problem of sin will be fixed forever.

 The rebels in the final rebellion will experience a fiery death.

This is not Armageddon.

This is the final resolution of sin.

What does this mean to us?

It means encouragement. The Gospel has not failed. We are not trying to make the world better so that Jesus can come; we are waiting for Jesus to come.

It means anticipation.

Jesus Christ can come at any moment. Matthew 24:44

It means evangelism.

We need to tell people about Jesus.

It means examination.

Are you saved? You can be saved today. Ephesians 2:8-9

Grace is God, in love, reaching down to you. Faith is your hand reaching up to God. When you put your hand of faith into God's hand of grace, that is salvation.

• What do you see are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the premillennial view of the end times?
• What do you see are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the amillennial view of the end times?
• What do you see are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the postmillennial view of the end times?
• Do you agree that the premillennial position makes the most sense of the biblical data?
• How is God's sovereign power and authority shown in this passage?
• Why do people continue to sin even when Satan is bound?
• What does it mean that believers will reign with Christ? How will our reign relate to His?
• In what ways is the millennial reign like the garden of Eden before the fall?
• Why does God release Satan for a final rebellion?
• Is it just for God to punish someone (even Satan!) for eternity? Why?

Questions from Akin, A Christ-Centred Exposition of Revelation

Powerpoint adapted from Rick Griffith  Singapore Bible College

Biblestudydownloads.com

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up  as by the heat of summer.
— Selah

 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
— Selah

 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
— Selah

 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 9  Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
 11  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

In Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Tell-Tale Heart" the main character committed murder. He buried his victim in the basement of his house. Unable to escape the haunting guilt of his deed, he begins to hear the heartbeat of the victim he has buried in his basement. A cold sweat covers him as he hears the beat-beat-beat of a heart that goes on relentlessly. And it is drawing  nearer each night ascending the stairs towards his bedroom where he lay restlessly awake, hearing this beating heart. Ultimately the heartbeat drives the man absolutely mad. He assumed that the beat –beat –beat of the heart was creeping up the stairs from the body in the basement. He heard it drawing nearer and nearer to his bedroom door. It was the noise of his own heart within his own chest. And that's why the beating was louder. So it is with a guilt ridden, unforgiving conscience.  You may not be consciously aware of your sin, but hour by hour it seems to beat louder within your own chest as the Day of Judgment draws daily nearer. We try to ignore our guilt. But we cannot. We are daily aware that our judgment is closer each day. Home or Away!

Sin will take you further than you want to go.

It will keep you longer than you want to stay.

It will cost you more than you want to pay.

It will require of you more than you want to give.

David was guilty of a horrible sin, a heinous sin, and a hellish sin.   David had taken another man's wife. We are familiar with the story. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. But David was not only of taking another man's wife, but on top of that, David was guilty of taking another man's life. David had Uriah put in a position on the battlefield that guaranteed he would be killed. David was guilty of shameful sin of adultery and the sinister sin of murder.

Austrian Psychiatrist Victor Frankl who was imprisoned in a Nazi prison camp has pointed out that "no animal except man experiences guilt." Mark Twain said the same thing in a more homely way when he declared, "Man is the only animal who blushes --or needs to." The reason we feel shame is because we have within us the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. The Apostle Paul declared in Romans that where there is no law, there is no sin -- but that each one of us has God's moral law engraved upon our hearts. Philosopher Immanuel Kant observed, "Two things astound me -- the starry heavens above and the moral law beneath." Authentic guilt is described by one writer as "a negative emotion experienced by a conscious mind that passes a personal moral judgment upon itself." And that moral law writte within pronounces condemnation upon us.

Psalm 32 is the Psalm that takes us from the depths of our sin to the realization and joy that comes from knowing God's pardon.

Sometimes that journey takes a life time.

The great theologian Augustine said that the beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner. It is no surprise then that Psalm 32 was the favorite of this brilliant man. As he lay dying, he had it posted next to his bed, so he could constantly remind himself not only of his need to admit his sin, but be reminded of God's forgiveness. Knowing that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and that God offers His mercy to those who confess their sin should be the greatest delight of every person. God's provision of forgiveness is the theme of Psalm 32.

1.    The Folly of Deceitfulness

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up  as by the heat of summer.
— Selah

Sin is Disobedience (v. 1)  "Transgression" The sinner rebels and disobeys God.  "Transgression" depicts a defiant disobedience toward God, a revolt against the Almighty.   It means rebellion against authority and disloyalty.  A child says "No" to a parental command.

"Sin" is missing the mark, often intentionality—God's expressed and revealed will.  One misses out on the true goal of life and is marked by crookedness of character.  "Sin" means to miss the mark of God's perfection either through acts of commission or omission.

Merciful Father,  we have strayed from your ways like lost sheep.  We have followed too much the schemes and desires of our own hearts and have broken your holy laws.  We have left undone what we ought to have done,  and we have done what we ought not to have done. ..

2.  Deceit (v. 2)  "In whose spirit there is no guile (deceit)"Iniquity is a moral impurity.  It means "twisted" for this is what is within.  The image is of a tree that is gnarled and twisted.  "Guile" is the same word as deceit and means fraudulent—insincerity.  The words here do not necessarily signify four distinct kinds of sin, because the synonyms overlap.  The Psalmist declares that the forgiveness of sin, of whatever kind—whether against God or man, whether great or small, whether conscientious or inadvertent or whether by omission or commission--is to be found in God.

"There is more evil in a drop of sin than in a sea of affliction."

3.  Despair (v. 3)  "My bones grow old...my groaning all the day"—The description of the anguish of suffering is compared to the wasting away of "bones" (cf. 6:2) and the sapping of strength (cf. 22:15; Prov. 17:22).  In hopelessness and meaninglessness of life apart from the grace of God.  Before I humbled myself, and confessed my sin, my soul was under the deepest horror, "I roared all the day long:" and felt the hand of God heavy upon my soul.    "Sin is not only always wrong, it is also never worth while."

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  you made all things,  and you call everyone to account.

With shame we confess  the sins we have committed against you,  in thought, word and deed.

We rightly deserve your condemnation.  We turn from our sins  and are truly sorry for them;  they are a burden we cannot bear.

4.  Drought (v. 4)  "My vitality was turned into the drought of  summer"—David tried to deny the truth for a period of time, but it only made him miserable.  He complained that his strength "was sapped as in the heat of summer."  David found that out the hard way.  God's discipline weighted so heavily that the Psalmist nearly succumbed under its pressure.  It was also continuous (""all day long," "day and night," vvs. 304). 

Psalm 32:3  "When I kept silence." David was saying that he had kept his mouth shut about his sin. In other words, he was admitting that he has said nothing about his sin and done nothing about his sin. He had committed sin and concealed that sin. And he had tried to cover up his sin. But the guilt of that sin lay heavily upon him.

William Wordsworth said, "From the body of one guilty deed a thousand ghostly fears and haunting thoughts proceed."

There are many that are haunted by the ghost of guilt. There was some sin that was committed. There is some past failure that haunts them and harasses them.

Seneca said, "Every guilty person is his own hangman."  What you did, how you failed, when you sinned, puts a noose around your neck every day of your life. Your sin and failure takes you to the gallows each day. The memory of your sin makes you your own hangman.

The British author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, was known as a practical joker. On one occasion, as a practical joke, he sent a telegram to 12 of his best friends. He sent it as anonymous. The telegram read, "Flee at once, all has been discovered." In 24 hours all 12 had left the country.

Rather than hide your sin and cover it, the Lord calls us to confess it.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sns and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2.    The Duty of Disclosure

5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
— Selah

There's a funny song by Anna Russell that satirizes the influence of Freudian psychology today. It says: "I went to my psychiatrist to be psychoanalyzed, / To find out why I kicked my cat and blackened my friend's eye. / He laid me on a comfy couch to see what he could find, / And here's what he delivered up from my subconscious mind. / When I was five my mommy locked my dolly in a trunk, / And so it follows naturally that I am always drunk. / When I was eight I saw my father kiss the maid one day, / And that is why I feel the urge to have things my own way. / At nine I felt resentment toward my older brothers, / And so it follows naturally I've poisoned all my lovers. / But I'm so happy now to see the lesson this has taught, / Everything I do that's wrong is someone else's fault!" True repentance says, "I am guilty, and I take responsibility for my sin." Repentance begins when you admit you're responsible for your sin, but there is more than just admitting it mentally.

The Lord chastened David for almost a year and made him miserable until he stopped lying, humbled himself before God, and confessed his sins. Chastening isn't a judge punishing a criminal; it's a loving Father dealing with His disobedient children to bring them willingly to the place of surrender.

The Alcoholic needs to see he has a problem he cannot control, so that he seeks complete help for his problem. Covering up doesn't work.

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David to confront him with his sins and bring him God's word of forgiveness (2 Sam. 12). David's confession "I have sinned against the Lord"21 was answered with, "The Lord also has put away your sin" (2 Sam. 12:13 nkjv). The king didn't have to do penance or go on probation; all he had to do was sincerely confess his sins, and the Lord forgave him (1 John 1:9). The burden of transgression had been carried away, the debt was canceled, the twisted was made straight, and the Lord didn't put David's sins on the record. Instead of imputing our sins, the Lord puts the righteousness of Christ on our account, and we are accepted in Him (see Rom. 4:3ff.; 5:13; 2 Cor. 5:19–21; Gal. 3:6). David offered no excuses; he admitted that he had sinned and was guilty before God. Guilt is to the conscience what pain is to the body: it tells us that something is wrong and must be made right, or things will get worse. The promise is for everybody ("godly" = chosen ones, God's people; 4:3), and we must confess our sins immediately, when we find them out and while God may be found (69:14; Isa. 55:9; Prov. 1:24–33). The waters of chastening will only get deeper and the storm increase, so don't tempt the Lord!

"He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Prov. 28:13 nkjv).

Be sorry about your failure:

This involves your emotions

Jeremiah wrote about his sorrow over sin, "After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth." (Jeremiah 31:19)

To be sorry for your sin doesn't mean you are sorry you got caught. It means your heart is broken over your sin and rebellion against a loving God. This step affects us emotionally. It's what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are those who mourn." (Matthew 5:4). When we see our sin the way God sees our sin, you'll experience Godly sorrow which leads to repentance. Notice these first two steps—you can realize mentally that your action or attitude is sinful, but until you experience Godly sorrow over it, you're not on the pathway to repentance.  A.W. Tozer understood repentance. He wrote: "We have reduced repentance to a change of mind. It is a mental act, indeed, but I point out that repentance is not likely to do us much good until it ceases to be a change of mind only and becomes a wound within our spirit. No man has truly repented until his sin has wounded him near to death, and he sees himself as the one who nailed his Saviour on the tree. Until we allow the consciousness of sin to wound us, we will never develop a fear of evil. Do a thorough job of repenting. Do not hurry to get it over with. Let godly sorrow do her healing work. (Man: The Dwelling Place of God).

3.    The Glory of Deliverance

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. — Selah

It is an unpurchasable blessing

"How can I be pardoned?"

"I will seek to amend my ways. In the virtue of the future I will endeavor to atone for the follies of the past."

That doesn't work. Who will atone for all the past sins?

Who will atone for all the present failures?

"By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight."

"I will seek to humble myself before God. I will cry and lament and I hope, by deep penitence, heart-felt contrition and by perpetual floods of tears, God may be induced to pardon me." O man, your tears will not blot out a single sin! Your sins are engraved as in brass and your tears are not a liquid strong enough to burn out what God has thus inscribed.

"Could your tears forever flow, Could your zeal no respite know, All for sin could not atone. Christ must save, and Christ alone."

You might weep till your very eyes were wept away and until your heart was all distilled in drops and yet not remove one single stain frm the broken commandments! There is no atonement in tears or repentance! God has not said, "I will forgive you for the sake of your penitence." What is there in your penitence that can make you deserve forgiveness?  You have no claim upon God.

What, then, can be done? "If God does not damn me, He ought to."

Man cannot help us. Angels cannot help us—the greatest archangel can do nothing for us. Where shall we find forgiveness?

But from the very Throne of God, I hear it said, "I am the Substitute." And looking up there, I see, sitting on the Throne, a God and yet a Man— a Man who once was slain! I see His scarred hands and His pierced side. But He is also God and He says, "I have forgiveness, I have pardon—I purchased it with My heart's blood. I had to die— 'the Just for the unjust.'

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered"?

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven."—

"Happy the man to whom his God No more imputes his sin But, washed in the Redeemer's blood, Has made his garments clean!"

We need to go often to Mount Calvary and see your Saviour with His hair plucked by the persecutors, with His cheeks made moist with the spittle of His enemies, with His back lacerated by the deep furrows of knotted whips and Himself in agony, emaciated, tormented—then if you would stand at Calvary and watch Him dying, "the Just for the unjust"—and having seen these bitter torments, remember that these were but little compared with His inward soul-anguish, then you would come away and say, "Blessed, yes blessed is the man who has been loved by Jesus and purchased with His blood! 'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.'"

It is immense. 1 Peter 1:18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

It is instantaneous. The moment God gives me faith, I become justified and, being justified by faith, I have peace with God! It takes no time to accomplish this miracle of mercy. Sanctification is a lifelong work, continuously effected by the Holy Spirit, but justification is done in an instant! It is as complete the moment a sinner believes as when he stands before the Eternal! Freed from its damning power, delivered from all his guilt and iniquity in one single instant! It is a marvelous thing beyond our comprehension! God pardons the man and he goes away that same instant perfectly justified—as the publican did when he prayed, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," and received the mercy for which he prayed.

it is irreversible.   We are justified and pardoned, but then the mercy is that we can never be unpardoned—we can never again be condemned!

"Here's pardon for transgressions past, It matters not how black their cast! And, O my Soul! With wonder view, For sins to come here's pardon too!"

It is complete pardon that Jesus gives—for that which is to come, as well as for that which is past—

"The moment a sinner believes, And trusts in his crucified God, His pardon at once he receives, Redemption in full through His blood!"

Full atonement can it be? Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

We believe that if He did pay the penalty for our sin, God cannot by any means exact payment for the same debt twice! "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect," if God has justified and Christ has died? When He justifies, He justifies forever and nothing can separate us from His love!

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!   My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, & I bear it no more,  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!   It is well, with my soul,  It is well, with my soul,  It is well, it is well, with my soul.

God will cover our sin. 32:1

GOD HAS COVERED MY SHAME. Adam and Eve first felt the shame of their nakedness after they had sinned. They made garments of fig leaves, but that wasn't adequate. God had to shed blood to cover their shame with an animal skin. In the same way, there's nothing we can do ourselves to cover our shame. But through the death of Jesus, God covers our shame. He doesn't just cover it like someone throwing a tarp over a pile of dirt. He covers our shame by giving us a robe of righteousness.

Listen to how the apostle Paul quotes this passage in Psalm 32 in Romans 4:4-8:

Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,

And whose sins have been covered. 8 "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account."

The prophet Isaiah describes forgiveness with these words: "I rejoice greatly in the Lord, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness." (Isaiah 61:10 CSB) On the cross, Jesus exchanged His perfect righteousness for our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." There on the cross, Jesus traded garments with us. He took our soiled and stained garment of sin and placed on our shoulders a perfect garment of His perfect sinless righteousness. And today, when God looks at you, He doesn't see your sin; He sees the perfect righteousness of His Son.

God Will Cleanse Us From Our Sins.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 9  Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

God not only covers our sin;

God cleanses our sin.

GOD'S GRACE EDUCATES

Titus 2:11  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

What to Leave (A Life of Separation)

"Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should …" (2:12a).

How to Live (A Life of Dedication)

1. "We should live soberly."

2. "We should live righteously."

3. "We should live godly lives."

 4. We should love rejoicing.

Oh happy day that fixed my choice on Thee my Saviour and my God.

Where to Look (A Life of Expectation)

"Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (2:13)

Full and total forgiveness is a sweet experience and a precious gift.

1) Trust in the Lord. 32:10

Sorrows, many sorrows, is the life and destiny of the wicked.

In stark contrast, the one who trust in the Lord, "mercy (NIV, "unfailing love) shall surround him." The word is hesed, noting the unfailing covenant love and loyalty Jehovah showers on His children.

2) Be glad in the Lord. 32:11

Three commands of praise are set before us: 1) Be glad, 2) rejoice and 3) shout for joy. (cf. "songs of deliverance in v. 7).

Conclusion: Psalm 32 was Augustine's favorite psalm. It is reported that he had it inscribed on the wall next to his bed before he died that he might meditate on it better. Why did he like this psalm so much? Because he said, "the beginning of knowledge is to know oneself to be a sinner." Yes that is the beginning, but it need not be the end. In Christ you can be a forgiven sinner.

There's within my heart a melody Jesus whispers sweet and low:

Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,  in all of life's ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife, discord filled my heart with pain; Jesus swept across the broken strings, stirred the slumbering chords again.   Refrain: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

Reverend Benjamin Carvosso, a Methodist clergyman at the Tasmanian Port Arthur convict prison wrote in his journal in 1826:

Within the last thirty hours I have attended on the scaffold the execution of fourteen fellow men! .. Blessed be the God of mercy, I have seen ... [revival] here in a common prison ... when I looked around me under these circumstances no less gracious than singular, I could not but join with the Revd Mr Bedford (a laborious and honoured instrument in this good work) and gratefully exclaim, 'What hath God wrought!' [The convicts'] sense of sin was strong, their cries for mercy piercing, and their peace and joy in believing abundant.