Cleanse Me From Secret Sins

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Psalm 19:12,13
Psalters: 24, 201, 384, 41
Preparatory to the Lord's Supper
  1. My sins.
    1. David speaks of two kinds of sins.
      1. ?Secret? are hidden or concealed sins from ourselves (not unknown to others).
      2. ?Presumptuous? are arrogant or proud sins which we deliberately and consciously commit.
    2. This teaches us that the number and depths of our sins and sinfulness is beyond our understanding (Jer. 17:9).
      1. Our depravity and sins are great in number, in severity, in horror ? beyond our ability to know.
      2. As long as we are sinners, we will not be able to see their ugliness.
  2. He makes two requests concerning his sins.
    1. First, ?cleanse me.?
      1. It means to be innocent or free, exempt from punishment or obligation.
      2. That we do not know about a sin does not relieve us from being punished.
      3. This prayer for forgiveness must be prayed constantly.
    2. And ?let them not have dominion over me.?
      1. Sin can rule or have dominion over one, exercise dominion over one.
      2. Deliverance from sin?s threatening dominion is by way of leaning on Christ and on grace.
  3. David received God?s answer: ?then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.?
    1. The ?transgression? is here the punishment for rebellions. The ?great? one is the ultimate punishment which is forever.
    2. God?s answer to our praying this prayer is that He declares us innocent and thus free from eternal punishment.
      1. To be ?innocent? is to free, clear and clean and thus unpunished because we are guiltless.
      2. To be ?upright? is to be complete, finished, or whole.
    3. The result is that we walk before God with a good and quiet conscience.