The Psalms – The Language of Our Faith
Psalm 103 – Is God Mad at Me?
April 29, 2018
What do you really think about God? What is your real opinion of his nature and his personality? What does God think about us? Are we the perpetual spill in Aisle 5 that God is forever cleaning up?
The answers will determine how we worship, pray and treat others.
Psalm 103:8-14 NIV
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
This passage is a direct quote from Exodus 34 (Moses)
Romans 8:1-2 NIV
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:38-39 NIV
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This chapter starts with no condemnation and ends with no separation!
• What do we mean when we say that man is a condemned man?
Condemnation: To have a judgment against, to be put on trial and to be sentenced.
“No condemnation” is the glory of the gospel and “no separation” is the guarantee of the gospel!
• These facts are never ever going to change.
• In Christ, there is no condemnation and no separation and that’s good news (not good advice) for every believer!
If we can grasp just these two things, it will heal most of the hurts, fears and doubts that plague most believers!
• Can you imagine how happy you would be if you really believed that there was no condemnation and no separation in God?
• And these are two more facts that are never going to change because God can’t change!
• It means that he has a judgment against him and he has been put on trial and found guilty and has been sentenced and is now in the process of having the sentence carried out on him!
Grace is a gift we can’t earn, and certainly don’t deserve.
What if this is true and we really believe this? We worship!
Psalm 103:1-5 NIV
“Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits — 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”
The eagle sheds its feathers every year to grow new ones. It is when they are most vulnerable. They cannot hunt and need help.
Table:
I’ve heard stories of people spending years in prison and could not adjust to life on the outside. They were accustomed to living behind bars. The pardon came, and they were released from the cell, but they never saw themselves as free.
Psalm 103:8-14 NIV
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
