Sermon Outlines

By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist

PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS

1. It is awe-inspiring:
   1. To note how seriously David took sin
   2. And how he prayed for forgiveness
2. In the words of our text we learn the nature of the forgiveness:
   1. God's mercy is the Divine basis of the forgiveness of our sins
   2. Also, forgiveness is perpetual when even the memory of sin has been blotted out

1. Nature of the forgiveness of sin:
   1. Forgiveness is the inward and outward cleansing from sin
   2. It is blotting out a record of debt that is against us - that is outward - says the Lord, "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins; return unto me, for I have redeemed thee" - Is. 44:22
   3. Blotting out our sins indicates that God has a record of them - "Thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord" - Jer. 2:22; "For mine eyes are upon all their ways; they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes" - Jer. 16:17
2. Simple child-like trust in the goodness of God:
   1. Is the foundation of forgiveness - Examples: David had that trust - Ps. 32:5; the thief on the cross had that trust - Luke 23:42-44; the Samaritan woman had that trust - John 4:28-29; Mary Magdalene, too, had that trust - Matt. 26:7-10
   2. Says the prophet Micah, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because He delighteth in mercy. . . He will subdue our iniquities and thou will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" - Micah 7:18-19
   3. Said King Hezekiah, "Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back" - Is. 38:17

1. This petition by David shows:
   1. That the consciousness of salvation is accompanied by a greater or lesser degree of joy, that is so because not all people express their feelings in the same manner
   2. Yet, our blessed Lord says, "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold your reward is great in heaven" - Luke 6:23; "rejoice because your names are written in heaven" - Luke 10:20; says the Psalmist, "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing" - Ps. 126:1-2
   3. To restore the joy, indicates, however, that it was absent for a time - that most have been true in the experience of the prodigal when he left his father's environment - wasted his life in sin - Luke 15:11-32
2. On what ground can we pray God to restore what we have sinfully lost?
   1. That God is the author of all renewal and our hope of salvation
   2. This renewal comes through the gift of the Holy Spirit - only He can restore the fruit of joy in the soul - Gal. 5:16-22; Rom. 8:14-17
   3. Prayed David, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me" - Ps. 51:11; that is what God had to do with Saul after his great transgression - I Sam. 16:14
   4. David realized that the recovery of joy was necessary for constancy and reassurance
   5. Doubt, and continued sorrow, remorse paralyze all the powers of prayer, action and resistance to evil
   6. Joy and gladness of the soul, are the health of the soul
3. How deep and how reassuring is the knowledge of the forgiveness of our sins? and how wonderful it is to have the Lord restore us to the former joys of salvation:
   1. Salvation is the great divine mystery into which the angels love to look
   2. It will be the great theme of all ages and why not