Sermon – Lent, the beginning of a Fresh Start.
Scripture Lesson - Psalm 51:1-19, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner, yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me, now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.”
Introduction – I will not spend a lot of time explaining the history of Lent. Or how the observance moved from 40 hours of fasting before Easter. To 7 days of fasting and prayer called Holy Week. And by 325 AD, the church officially made it 40 days. Representing Jesus’ 40 days of testing in the wilderness at least that is what the “Readers Digest” says about the tradition of Lent. One thing is clear, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of a season of self-examination, repentance and rededication to God. Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday on February 18, 2026, is a 40-day season of spiritual renewal, fasting, and prayer that offers a "fresh start" to break from unhealthy habits and deepen one's faith. It acts as a purposeful, reflective journey to reorder priorities and prepare for Easter, focusing on personal growth and inner conversion.
Psalm 51 is a profound psalm of repentance written by King David after his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah, as confronted by the prophet Nathan. It is a heartfelt plea for God's mercy, cleansing from sin, and inner renewal, emphasizing that true repentance stems from a broken spirit rather than empty rituals. Even the introduction to Psalm 51, a psalm of David to the director of music says, a psalm written “When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Putting that heading as a part of the song used in the temple for worship. Why can’t this just be a beautiful prayer that people can recite and say? So, David’s sin is recorded in 2 Samuel 11 for everybody to read. On top of that It is included in the worship section of the Hebrew bible. A constant reminder of what he had done.
The bible calls King David a man after God’s own heart. Yet we know he committed not just little sins, He Broke commandments. He Coveted, had a affair and then tried to cover it up and when that went wrong - he murdered. You see, Psalm 51 shows us how we can tell God that we are truly sorry for whatever we’ve done wrong. It provides a great example of an honest and heartfelt prayer of confession. It’s a great guide on how to ‘get right’ with God after we have gone astray.
So as we begin our journey of Lent, I pray that we examine ourselves and consider the hidden sin in our lives and take our sins seriously, and repent earnestly so we receive and rejoice in the good news of forgiveness and restoration. First, understand that Sin is serious!
1. Sin Is Serious. The first thing we should take from today’s psalm is that sin is serious. David’s sin is about more than eating too much chocolate or driving a few miles per hour over the speed limit – it is far more serious than that! A sinful act is any act of rebellion against our Heavenly Father, any act of disobedience against our good God, any act that is essentially selfish rather than selfless – any thought, word or deed we do at someone else’s expense.
So if we have ever lied, cheated, harmed or hurt anyone else we have sins to repent of. If we have indulged in anger, greed or lust, we have sins we need to confess. In King David’s case, he had laid eyes on a beautiful woman called Bathsheba, who was married to a soldier called Uriah. While he was away at war, David had taken Bathsheba to bed and got her pregnant. He then arranged to have her brave husband killed on the battlefield, so he could take her as his own wife. You can read about the whole sordid affair in 2 Samuel chapter 11.
In our psalm today, David uses a variety of words to refer to his great sin. Words which express different dimensions of what he had done wrong. For example, in verse 1 and 3 he talks about his “transgressions” – a word which emphasizes that sin is breaking God’s laws. In verse 2 David speaks of his “iniquity”, a word which means his behavior has deviated from God’s righteous standards. And in verse 4 David simply says his sins were “evil”. He doesn’t mince his words! Do you also notice that David makes no excuses for his sin? He doesn’t try to pass the buck or point the finger at someone else for what he did wrong. He freely admits his guilt – he repeatedly refers to “my” sins – he doesn’t search for a scapegoat. It’s easy to make excuses, but it takes real courage to take personal responsibility for what we’ve done wrong. Sin is serious!
2. Sin is personal. David is honest enough to acknowledge that his sins are personal and deep-seated. In verse 5 he writes that “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” In other words, David acknowledges that he has a sinful character. He is honest with God that he has a fallen nature – that his sins come from within him, from his imperfect heart. And it’s not just David. The Bible is clear that from Adam and Eve onwards, we have all inherited a fallen nature, we all have desires and temptations that naturally lead us to be selfish and sinful. Sin is serious, sin is personal, and sin is ever before us.
3. Sin is Ever Before Us. David is also aware of the effects of his sin on his own thinking. His troubled conscience has led him to this prayer of confession. He tells God he feels completely “crushed” and “broken” – he says his sin is “always before him” in the temple, doing worship, and even in his prayers. David’s guilty conscience is making him feel uncomfortable, anxious and restless. But it gets worse, because David also acknowledges that his sin has damaged his relationship with God as well. In verse 4 he says to God that “against you, and you only, have I sinned.” David realizes that every sin, even sins against other people, are ultimately against God. When we hurt other people, we are hurting men and women made in the image of God, creatures fearfully and wonderfully made by their Creator. David goes on in verse 4 to say to God that “you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.”
Since sin is serious, personal and ever before us, David recognizes that he deserves God’s condemnation, he realizes that he has grieved the Holy Spirit within him. He knows that he deserves to have a guilty verdict pronounced over him. Well, if the Psalm were to simply end there it would be a sad and gloomy prayer, wouldn’t it?
Make no mistake that our sin is serious. It hurts other people, it submerges us in guilt, and it damages our relationship with God. Honest and heartfelt confession should be a permanent feature of our prayers, even the prayers of the most committed Christian. Our specific sins may be different, but we are all fallen and fallible believers just like King David. We may not have a Prophet like Nathan to confront us, yet the season of Lent points to self-examination, repentance, forgiveness and a fresh start that we all need.
Thankfully, David did not stop until he found forgiveness and restoration. Because our prayers of confession shouldn’t just contain a list of our sins and transgressions. Our prayers of confession should seek God’s forgiveness and a fresh start as well. When we go to the Doctor, we don’t just reel off a list of our aches and pains – we also ask him for medicine to make us well. We go to the doctor to get a prescription, not just for listening ear. It’s the same with our confessions to God. We don’t just knock on the door of Heaven to tell him what we’ve done wrong – we should also ask for his forgiveness and grace in return.
4. Sin Has a Remedy. David uses some wonderful words in our psalm that express his desire for forgiveness and a fresh start. “Purge me, Wash me, Make me, Create in me a clean heart, Renew a right spirit within me, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, Uphold me with thy free spirit and Deliver me! Sin has a remedy. Follow them again with me: In verse 1 he asks God to “blot out” his transgressions, and in verse 2 he prays that God will “wash away” all his iniquity and “cleanse” him from his sin. In verse 10 David asks for God’s help to be good and for God to change his whole character. So, he prays that God will “create a new heart” within him, and “renew his spirit” at the same time. David is desperate for God remove the burden of guilt from his shoulders. He asks him to restore the “joy of his salvation”. In short, David’s prayer is that God will provide a solution, a remedy, a reversal of all the spiritual damage that his sin has caused. Make no mistake, David will still have to live with the consequences of his sin (Bathsheba is still pregnant and Uriah is still dead) – but he believes the Lord can undo the spiritual damage that has been done and his guilt before God can be taken away. Sin is serious, personal, ever before us, but Sin has a remedy.
Restoration Leads to Rejoicing. David even tells God what he wants to do if he’s given a fresh start. In verses 13-19 David describes what his life will be like if he’s forgiven by God: So in verse 13 he says he wants to call other transgressors to repentance, he wants to point other people to the Lord for forgiveness. In verse 14 and 15 David also promises to praise God if his guilt is removed. And in verses 18 and 19 David says he we wants to see God’s people prosper. In his day that meant the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, Zion, but for us that means using our fresh start to commit to the great commission, to commit our time and energy to building up God’s people and Kingdom.
So if you are struggling with guilt, if there is some sin you feel particularly burdened with then please take it to the Lord in prayer. Just as David did, ask for your relationship with him to be renewed, seek forgiveness for what is past, and pray for a fresh start in serving and praising him. In fact every Christian should be characterized by joyful praise and service of the Lord. If we have experienced and enjoyed God’s grace through Christ, its only right and natural to praise him for it, to tell others what the Lord has done for us and to build one another up in faith, hope and love.
Finally, this Psalm reminds us that God is ready and able to accept our confessions and restore our relationships. We like; David can be confident God will hear his confession because we know God’s character. David knew that God was pleased when his people are humble enough and honest enough to say sorry. David’s confidence in God was expressed right at the very start of our psalm, as he asks for God’s mercy “according to his unfailing love” and his “great compassion”. And then in verse 17, David proclaims with confidence that God will not “despise” a “broken and contrite heart.” We as Christians can actually be more confident in God’s grace and mercy than the Old Testament saints. We have a new Testament revelation of Salvation available in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that God was so determined to offer forgiveness for sin that he sent his Son to take our guilt upon himself. Christ went to the cross to take the condemnation we deserve. Our sin was put on his shoulders so we could enjoy a fresh start with God.
As Christians we know too, that the Risen Jesus has sent his Spirit into our hearts. A Holy Spirit who is doing exactly what David asked for all those years ago. A Spirit who is slowly changing our hearts and making us more and more like Jesus. So, whoever you are – whether you have been a Christian for fifty years or are thinking about becoming a Christian for the very first time, You can come to God with prayers of confession. Seek forgiveness of your sins for Jesus’ sake. Have complete confidence in God’s great compassion and unfailing love – just like David did! During this season of Lent, Ask him for forgiveness and a fresh start. Ask Him to “Purge you, Wash you, Make you, Create in you a clean heart, Renew a right spirit within you. Ask Him to Restore unto you the joy of your salvation, Uphold you with His free spirit and Deliver You!
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, help us to confidently come to you to confess our sins. Forgive us and give us the joy of your salvation, so that we may praise your name and tell others of your great love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
