How To Get Up When Sin Drags You Down

Sermon – “How to get up When Sin Drags You Down”

Ps 51:1 (A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.)

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Introduction: Almost a year after Uriah’s death on the Battlefield, King David had married Bathsheba and she had given birth to a son. The child became ill and die as a part of God’s judgment for David’s sin. The Psalm came about after the Prophet Nathan confronted David about his great sin. David’s sin of adultery, deception, and murder was exposed. God sent David a wake-up call. It took a divine message from God through a well-crafted parable to arouse the dormant conscience of David. David was indeed guilt! In a state of utter brokenness, shame and fear, David penned this Psalm. He was a great king, very passionate, the commander-in-chief, with a heart after God, yet Satan trapped him in the net of sin. David reigned in an era where most king did what they wanted, when they wanted. God’s king must operate by a different standard. When David’s conscience was awakened, he expresses a heartfelt desire to be right with God.

Many may attempt to make excuses for David’s sinful act, others may try to justify his actions, but God see his sin clearly. Maybe David could have avoided sin if he had gone out to battle, or if Bathsheba had not bathe in an open pool, or if Uriah had gone home to be with his wife, but all the what ifs in the world cannot blot out or cover David’s great sin. Satan himself was in the middle of this plan tempting David to wander from the path of righteousness. Satan tempts us to sin by telling us, “You deserve this” “You can get by with it!” No one will ever know about it.” Then, when we give in to the temptation and fall into sin, he says, “You’ll never get away with it.” “Everyone is going to find out.” “And you call yourself a Christian.”

When believers are genuinely saved, Satan knows that he can never have their souls, so he seeks to drag the believer down, discourage them, and cause them to live defeated lives. Satan delights in leading Christians into a backslidden condition, to steal their peace, power, and joy. Then he accuses them of being hopeless and a disgrace. “You have sunk so low, you will never get back to your place in God.” He says, but remember, Satan is a liar! There is always a way, when you have a gracious heavenly Father. The songwriter says, “We fall down, but we get up! A saint is just a sinner who fell down and got back again.” Yes, we not only can get back up, we can get back in line, in our place and complete our assignment.