Well, I do invite you to turn to Psalm 130 this morning. As we read that short psalm, our particular focus will be verses 3 and 4, which also served as our assurance of pardon, once again, that we confessed together. Psalm 130. Now, Psalm 130 is considered a song of ascents, as it says in my Bible here. It's included there, one of the psalms of ascents that the people sang on their way up to worship in the temple. It's also one of the seven great penitential psalms in the Psalter. And some have even called it a Psalm of Paul, in a sense, because it very quickly reflects the teaching of Paul throughout the New Testament, including what Paul teaches about the condemnation of the natural man, that we are condemned because of our sin. And also, as Paul points out, teaches of the free mercy of God. And then also that redemption is the work of God and God alone. Psalm 130, as we hear this Word of God. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness. Therefore, You are feared. I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. And in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning. More than the watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love, and with Him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. Verses 3 and 4 again. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, how do you view your sin? How do you think about it? You might say, oh, pastor, here we have come to church this morning to be encouraged, and you're calling us sinners. Yes, I am. Myself included. Because I trust that not one of us here this morning is ignorant about this. Not one of us here would actually think that we ourselves are sinless. I trust that even the young boys and girls here this morning know that even the most righteous person among us has had at least one sinful thought or one sinful desire or one sinful attitude of selfishness. And that person, I trust, would say, no, there have been many. And I trust that we all understand, too, the seriousness and the deadly danger of even one wrong motive, even one wrong desire, even if that wrong motive or desire has never even been acted upon, never even been carried out. You see, boys and girls, even one tiny sin, one wrong thought, as we might think of it, disqualifies us for heaven. It says, you can't go. You don't belong. and instead makes us worthy of the eternal punishment in hell. See, the simple fact is, beloved, is we cannot deny our sin. Oh, we can try. We can try to water our sin down, but that does not make our sin less true. It does not make it less serious. We are sinners. And that's what makes the invitation that we have been given to the Lord's table next Sunday that much more amazing. we have been given a special invitation this morning, but it's an invitation that's not for everybody. It's an invitation that is only for those who know the truth of their sin and who then know the truth of a Savior from sin and His salvation and who then desire to serve Him with hearts filled with gratitude. That invitation to the Lord's table is only for those who are like this psalmist of Psalm 130 who deals with these three things. He deals with sin, salvation, and service, guilt, grace, and gratitude. This psalmist in this psalm, in this text, he asks that tough question. And then he gives a most comforting answer. And therefore, we notice that this psalmist is confidently waiting for redemption. He is confidently waiting for redemption, conscious of the urgent need for redemption, first of all, and secondly, confident of the undeserved outcome of redemption. First of all, the psalmist is conscious of the urgent need for redemption because of his sin and guilt, sin that has been committed against the offended one. And he clearly points out who the offended one is in the text. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? O Lord, and O Lord, now to you and me as we read the NIV, it seems the same he just simply repeats oh lord for in the hebrew language he uses two different titles for god yahweh and adonai in that way the psalmist emphasizes that the awesome sense that he has of god's power of his glorious majesty of his holiness as well the psalmist's own dread of god's justified wrath. See, God is justified in His anger. And the psalmist here emphasizes that this God is a covenant God who is faithful to His Word. He is faithful to His promises as well He is the Master and He is the ruler over His people and over all things. And He is also the lawgiver. He is the one who has given His law for the benefit and for the protection of His people. and we have sinned against His law. We have violated His holy law. We have gone away from His way for us, which is the right way. And beloved, we have gone our own way, which is the wrong way. It is the dangerous way. Our sin is a fact. And the thing that we need to understand here is that there is indeed a record of it. Make no mistake about that. There is a record of it. The psalmist must say with David in Psalm 51, against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. The psalmist knows that he is guilty because of his sin. His sin which has no excuse in the sight of God. Now we know that man tries to make excuses for his sin. We've all done it. Man tries to make excuses for his sin. Well, I didn't know that. Well, I didn't mean to. You see, man tries to make it seem like his sin is someone else's fault. And he tries to justify it by saying, well, people do it all the time. Everybody's doing it. But of course, we all know the fallacy of that. That's no excuse to sin. And Jesus points out in Matthew 25 in His story about the sheep and the goats, He points out this very thing that wicked mankind tries to make excuses for his sin. If we had known it was you, Lord, we would have done all those things. If only we had known it was you. But God does not. And He will not accept excuses for sin. Excuses cannot justify sin. And excuses will not remove His wrath and His punishment for sin instead. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. Confess our sin before Him because He is our only hope for sin that eternally condemns us. See, boys and girls, the only thing that sin earns, that sin can buy, is separation from God and His blessing. And that's a guaranteed purchase. It can only separate you and me from God and His blessing. Paul says it this way, the wages of sin is death. And that includes everybody. All have sinned, he says, and fallen short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not one. All of mankind sins, and not one gets by with it without being condemned in the sight of God. Not one. But there are some. There are some in whom the Holy Spirit works. To whom He gives the gift of a new heart and faith. He gives spiritual eyes to see the truth. And with those spiritual eyes then to see the truth, their sin drives them to the depths of despair. As they see the truth of it, they recognize the horrible nature of sin. They recognize who it is that has been offended. And like the psalmist, they must exclaim, Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. When the psalmist is talking about the depths here, he's talking about a terrible distress. As if he is sinking in deep water. As if the water is coming over his head. And think about this. It's not for the people in Palestine, those who lived in a desert region, it's not like you and me who enjoy the waves of the ocean and to enjoy those waves as they come pounding over us and we topple around for a while. We come up laughing. We enjoy it. For those in the desert region, that was a terrible distress to even think about the water coming up over their heads, up to their chin, up to their eyes, above their head. And the point here is that this distress, the depths of distress that the psalmist found himself in, along with that, there was no prospect of escape. The psalmist didn't see any way out. And the nature of this trouble is that it was not some sort of depression that was due to illness or homesickness or persecution or a loss of a job or not getting that raise that he wanted or anything of that nature. But he was in the depths because of guilt. Guilt because of his sin. Sin that he had committed against a holy God. You see, beloved, as hard as it may be to understand for one who has been given the eyes of faith to see the truth and to see the seriousness of sin, as hard as it may be to understand the effect that a true knowledge of sin is to have is that it makes one utterly miserable so that that one sees that there's no way out. Is that true for you? You see, as we examine ourselves to come together to the Lord's table, first of all, we are called to examine our lives, examine our sin. And as you think about your sin, as I think about my sin, apart from the work of Jesus Christ, apart from that work, it is to make us miserable. We are to see no way out in and of ourselves. Because there's only one place to turn. O Lord, hear my voice, the psalmist says. Verse 2, let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. The psalmist recognizes that there is only one place to turn, and that is to the merciful God. He is the only hope because of helplessness. The psalmist's helplessness. If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? And his helplessness is transparent in the question. It's plain to see in the very question, Oh Lord, who could stand? And as we have said here on occasion in connection with the assurance of pardon, that very question expects a negative answer. No one, not one, could stand if God kept a record of sin. You see, beloved, the inevitable consequence of the fact of sin is the destruction of the sinner. Because no one can stand against the justice of God. No one can stand in God's presence and say, I deserve to be here. No one can look God in the face and say, I'm the kind that you want in your heaven. The psalmist can only cry out with Isaiah when Isaiah saw the Lord. He says, woe to me, I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty. The psalmist clearly recognizes that he deserves this depth. He deserves this misery. And he understands that there is no self-help available. You see, in our day of a do-it-yourself mentality, with all the do-it-yourself manuals that there are on the bookstore shelves, there's not one man-made manual that can help you or me out of this mess of sin the psalmist clearly understands that even his best works are like filthy rags he understands that he can only add offense to offense to offense he can only increase his sin and shame and guilt daily he understands that no man can stand in his own works he understands that there is only one way to be right with God to be righteous before God and that is to be pardoned to have his sins forgiven. To be given the righteousness from someplace else, from another. It's only possible by looking outside of oneself. You and I need another. Now again, we need to understand here that the psalmist is not saying here that God is unaware of our sin. He is not saying that God is ignorant. That God has no clue with regard to your sin and my sin. God knows every single detail of your life and mine. He is not clueless. Far from it. He knows everything perfectly. But God does not keep a record of the sins that have been atoned for, that have been paid for, in order then to charge those sins against that sinner who has had his sins paid for. God does keep a detailed record of the sins of those who reject Him. The psalmist was given confidence, I trust, through the sacrifices. As he sacrificed to God, he was given confidence through those sacrifices which pointed to the great sacrifice, which pointed forward to the Redeemer. And he had confidence and he waited patiently for the redemption that God would send. And beloved, we look back and we celebrate that redemption that has already come through Jesus Christ. Who has taken the sin of those who believe on Him. He has taken all of that sin upon Himself as if He had committed every last bit of it. And He took on all the punishment of God against that sin. So that now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. None. It's gone. And that means, beloved, that means that on Judgment Day, one day, our comfort is that God will not take out when you stand before Him or I stand before Him, He will not take out of His back pocket, as it were, a list of your sins or my sins and say, remember when? Remember when you did this to Me? Or remember when you didn't do this for Me? You owe Me. He will not say that to those who are in Christ Jesus. That record is remembered no more. But even now, even in this day, that's what we look forward to on Judgment Day, but even on this day with the psalmist in the second place, we can be confident of the undeserved outcome. But with you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared. You see, boys and girls, the psalmist had the confidence of the watchman. We read about the watchman. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning. More than watchmen wait for the morning. The night watchman was one who kept guard. He had to stay awake and keep guard against any advancement of the enemy to help protect the people. The night watchman knew that the morning light would come. He wasn't concerned that the morning light wouldn't come. He knew that it would come. But he couldn't wait for it. He waited patiently for it. He anxiously anticipated the light of the morning to come. In the same way, the psalmist anxiously waited for that redemption to come. And he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he knew that forgiveness from God is just as certain, even more certain, than the coming of the morning light. He was confident of the undeserved outcome of redemption that comes only from the throne of grace because he had the comfort of knowing God, that God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God who keeps His Word. And in many ways, he expresses the merciful character of God already in the question, if you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, that little two-letter word, if, is the very word that gave hope that God would not count sin against Him. If, oh, you might not, Lord, If this is what would happen, but you might not. You see, beloved, how terrible if we could only expect God to keep a record of our sins. But you see, there is good news. There is the Gospel. And in this way, the psalmist, in a sense, points out the comfort of knowing our sin. Now, please let me explain that. It's not that our sin is comforting. Not at all. As we said a moment ago, our sin is to drive us to the depths of despair. But you see, you and I can't. We won't know the truth of our sin without knowing the truth of God, who alone is able to save from sin. We cannot truly know sin apart from new birth. And therefore, beloved, truly knowing your sin and misery is evidence of being born again. And for the believer, the comfort of knowing your sin is that it points to, it drives you to the only Savior from sin. The psalmist had confidence in the certainty of forgiveness and that none who repent, not one who repents, would be denied. God pours out His mercy upon His people instead of His justice because His justice has already been poured out against Jesus Christ. And we know that there are so many who reject God's call to repentance, to repent of their sins and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So many outright reject it because they don't understand the hideousness of their sin. But for those who call on Him, they will not be denied. None who to Jesus came were ever sent away as we sang. And as John says in 1 John 1, verse 9, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Forgiveness. Boys and girls, what does that mean to be forgiven? It means to be freed from guilt. It means to be freed from the penalty of sin. That means that one is no longer considered guilty. That no more is there an eternal death sentence against the one whose sins are forgiven. It means that God says to you who are forgiven, I will no longer hold your sins against you. I will no longer hold you responsible for your sin. You see, we might not find that with people, but we will with God. David says that in Psalm 103, beginning at verse 8, the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His love for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Beloved, that is the undeserved outcome of redemption and it is for full forgiveness. I don't know how else to say that. Full, complete, perfect forgiveness, however you can describe it. But as we come to a close, I want to leave you with four characteristics, beautiful characteristics that we find here of forgiveness, of God's forgiveness. First of all, God's forgiveness is inclusive. It's inclusive. Not exclusive. And this is what I mean. I'm not talking about for every person indiscriminately. Trust you know that. But it's inclusive in that it is not just for this particular sin or that sin or for this certain kind or category of sin only. But God sets no limit. His forgiveness is for any sin by anybody who comes to Him in repentance and faith. Not one sin is too great that He cannot and will not forgive. And maybe you're here this morning and you're here because you find peace in what you consider to be the house of God, but you have not yet looked to Him because you feel this way. That you have been simply too bad. That certainly God cannot love you. That He can never look past your sin. Friend, take comfort. Because your sin is not too great. He is able and He will forgive. Secondly, God's forgiveness is for now. Now. The psalmist says there is forgiveness with you present. That means, beloved, that we don't have to wait and see if there's enough forgiveness to go around. We don't have to wait and see and anxiously wonder if Christ's atoning work is going to run out before we get there. We don't have to wait and see if God will feel like forgiving us on Judgment Day. It's for now. And as well, we don't have to work for it. We don't have to earn it. And it does not depend on if we feel like we are forgiven. Praise God. Because our feelings are also stained with sin. It is for now, this very moment for those who repent. And that means that we can die one day when the Lord requires our life, we can die at that present moment in this comfort that our sins are forgiven. Third, God's forgiveness is for those who desire it. For those who desire it. For those who have been born again. For those who have been brought to see the terrible nature of their sin and their offense and brought as well to see the greatness of the only Savior, Jesus Christ, and who desire His forgiving mercy. In Psalm 32, David confessed his sin. He stopped covering it up and he had the assurance that his sins were forgiven. And the psalmist here in Psalm 130, he knew that he had no claim. He had nothing with which to go to God and say, hey, I bring this before you and I claim your forgiveness. He had no claim for God's forgiveness, but he asks for God's mercy. Don't leave me with what I deserve. He asks for the mercy of God, believing and trusting that there is forgiveness with you. Therefore, you are feared. And we too, beloved, we confess in the Apostles' Creed, we confess the beauty of forgiveness, that it is a reality. It is true today. And a desire for forgiveness is evidence that one is in Christ Jesus. And then the last characteristic, very important, God's forgiveness leads to godly living. God's forgiveness leads to godly living. And that doesn't mean that you and I will commit no more sin. But it does mean that for those who have the joy, the assurance of forgiveness, they will strive to live gratefully before God. Therefore, you are feared, the psalmist says. See, God's forgiving grace does not lead to more wickedness, as some say, as Paul dealt with. No, we shall not go on sinning that grace might increase. But God's forgiving grace leads to higher reverence for God. You see, without the comfort of God's forgiving grace, God's judgment will only bring one to hatred for Him. But God's forgiveness implies a relationship with Him. Those who love and worship and serve Him give evidence by that, that they have confessed their sins, that they have trusted in the only Savior and that they have been given the assurance of forgiveness. Beloved, holy reverence for God is drawn from those who know that they have been loved and saved by God in spite of their sin, in spite of their rejection of Him. The forgiven are softened and humbled and overwhelmed by God's undeserved mercy and therefore they desire not to sin. They are determined not to sin. And instead, they delight in God's holy law through which you and I reflect His holy character. This is how it is for those who are truly forgiven. Again, many are ignorant of salvation. Either because they don't think they need it and therefore against them they must know that there is a clear record of their sins. Or they're ignorant because they believe that salvation is hopeless for them. If you are here this morning and you fall into either one of those categories, you are being urgently, sincerely called in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to humble yourself, to look away from yourself, to confess your sins, to repent of your sins and look to the only Savior, Jesus Christ. And Paul's words are clear. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It's a guarantee. And beloved, it's really so simple. Some want to make salvation so hard, but it is really so simple. Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes we think witnessing is so difficult. It ought not be because the way of salvation is so simple. Repent and believe and God will drive away the despair of sin. Only those who find themselves in the depth of despair because of their sin, only they will find hope in the Lord and He will lift them up from the lowest depth to the greatest height of joy. And that's our only hope both in this life and for the life to come. And that means too, beloved, that we must have the comfort of God's Word of Salvation. We must hear God's Word of Salvation again and again and again because His Word alone sustains us and may it be that we would never tire of hearing it. If your spouse stops saying to you, I love you, honey, isn't it true that you start to wonder? Does he or she still love me? And the same is with God if we don't hear His Word. Not because of Him. But because of us, because of our wandering hearts, we must hear of His love and salvation in Jesus Christ over and over and over again. And beloved, He has revealed His love for us. He has revealed His forgiveness of us in the cross of Jesus. There we see our desperate need for redemption. And there we see the undeserved outcome that Jesus Christ took it all on Himself that we might have life and have it abundantly. And therefore we can sing with humble confidence, My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought, is that my sin, not in part, but the whole, has been nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Only God's word of salvation drives away all fear and unrest of sin. And beloved, may this be the comfort that the Holy Spirit gives to you and me every moment of every day, but in a particular way. May this be the comfort He gives to us from a fruitful examination as we prepare to come to the Lord's table. A table where the clear and visible Word of God says, with Him there is forgiveness for Jesus' sake. Amen. Let's pray together. O Lord God, our Heavenly Father, with deep humility we bow before You with thankful hearts for Your Word, for a hard reminder of our sin. Placing before us a difficult question, if You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? That comes with a harsh reality that not one of us can stand. but yet with the most comforting answer that with you there is forgiveness and therefore you are feared. Father, help us to live in the joy of that forgiving grace every moment of every day. Let it be that we would not simply confess the truth of that forgiveness but as well it might be demonstrated in our lives as we walk from day to day in your service. Help us to be content with our lot in life, O Lord, knowing that you are our God, you are our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And prepare us, we pray, for that glorious day when you will take us forever to be in your presence. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.