I Know My Sin (Psalm 51)

Read Psalm 51 and 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13.

Sin will take me further than I want to go.
Sin will keep me longer than I want to stay.
Sin will cost me more than I want to pay.

• Why do you think you sin (1 Jn 2:16; Eccl 6:7; 5:10)? Is sin a big deal?
• Can a man reveal your sin (Jn 16:8)?
• Do you commit adultery and murder like David? See Exo 20:13-14, 17; Dt 5:17-18, 21; Mt 5:21-22, 27-28; Prov 5:20; 6:24-25; Rom 7:15, 17, 18, 19, 23. Did David break any other commandments?

1. What are 3 words in reference to God (Ps 51:1)? 3 verbs for cleansing and 3 nouns for sin (Ps 51:1-2)? 
• What is the basis of David's plea (Exo 34:6-7; Mic 7:18)? Why (Eccl 7:20; Rom 3:23)? 
• What is the difference between mercy and grace? Does he deserve mercy? Is mercy a license to sin?
2. How did his sin affect him (Ps 51:3, 8, 12; 13:2; 38:2, 6)? Who is ultimately offended by his sin (Ps 51:4; Gen 39:7, 9)? 
• How bad do you feel about your sin (Ps 51:17)?
• Does this challenge you to look at your life and sin differently (Num 32:23)?
3. What did he realize about his sin (Ps 51:5; Gen 8:21; Jer 17:9; Isa 64:6; Rom 5:12)? About God (Ps 51:6; 19:14; 139:24)? 
• Did he try to hide his sin (2 Sam 11:5, 14-15)? 
• What happens when you hide your sin (Ps 32:3-4; Prov 28:13a)? 
• How did God expose his sin (2 Sam 12:1-10)? 
• Did he make excuses for his sin (2 Sam 12:13-14; Ps 32:5)?
4. How spotlessly clean do you sincerely desire to be (Ps 51:7-10; Lev 14:6-7)?
• How very close to God do you really want to be (Ps 51:11)? 
• How did Isaiah feel in God's very presence (Isa 6:5)? Paul (Rom 7:24)?
• Have you lost the joy of your salvation (Ps 51:12; Gal 5:22-23)?
5. What is the evidence of genuine repentance (Ps 51:13-15; 32:8)? Do you desire to teach others about God (Mt 28:19; 4:19)?
6. What does God ultimately want [and not want] from you (Ps 51:16-17)? Why (Ps 50:8-14; Dt 6:4-5)? Can you truly love God and others without repentance? How do you cultivate a broken and contrite heart?
7. Who else would your sin affect (Ps 51:18; Exo 20:5)? When does God welcome sacrifices and offerings (Ps 51:19; 50:14, 15, 23)?
• How does David's prayer for Zion and Jerusalem translate into your prayers for your children, church, community, city and country?

• How can you implement the teaching of Psalm 51 in your daily life?
• How does Psalm 51 challenge your notions of sin, confession and community?
• What do you need to do about confessing sin?
• Will you teach others about God and sin?
• What can you do before the power of sin (Rom 7:24-25; Lk 18:9-14)? 

No Joy Apart from a True Confession of Sin (Ps 51:8, 12).

When You Know You Sinned and Disobeyed God (Ps 51:3-4).

When You Find Yourself in a Place of Sin (Ps 51:1-2).

When Trapped in a Place of Sin.

From March 2018.

• Consider the reason(s) why you may be unhappy. What do you usually do to resolve your unhappiness?

• What are the costs and benefits of keeping secret something you have done wrong versus admitting it?
  

• Identify a recurring sin that you have not yet eradicated from your life. If so inclined, what plans will you make to rid yourself of that sin?
  

• Describe David's sin in 2 Samuel 11.

• How did Nathan confront his sin in 2 Samuel 12:1-12? 2 Samuel 12:13 is David's response and Nathan's reply. Why do you think David found it necessary to compose Psalm 51 (David's reaction to Nathan's confrontation)?

• Read Psalm 51 slowly and thoughtfully in at least two translations. How would you describe David's reaction? What are some words or phrases that are meaningful to you? What is a verse that you would like to remember?

• What three things does David ask God to do (Ps 51:1-2)? Why did David dare to ask for these things (51:1)?

• What terms does David use to describe himself and his wrongdoing (51:1-5)? What is David’s attitude toward his sin (51:3-5)?

• How do you feel about unconfessed sin in your life?

• How honest are you about your sin? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10.

• As Christians, we know we are sinful. Why then, is it still so painful to be confronted with a specific sin?

• What role does honesty play in our receiving forgiveness and what part does denial play in our remaining guilty (Ps 32:3)?

• Are you ever tempted to rationalize your sin? How should you view your sin?

• Why did David verbalize his sorrow and confession so specifically? What can we learn from his example? 
  

• Why do you think sin has become an unpopular and little-used word today?

• Why is sin that involves another person chiefly a sin against God (Ps 51:4)? Does this make our sin against another person less serious?

• If we are born as sinners (51:5), sin must be something more than doing wrong things. What else is it?

• What does David infer to be the opposite of sin and guilt (51:6)? Can sin and truth coexist in the heart (your inner being)? Why or why not?

• How would you answer the person who says, “I’ve never done anything as bad as what David did. Psalm 51 doesn’t really apply to me.”?

• How does David ask to be restored (51:7-12)? What does David seems to most desire (51:1, 2, 7, 9)? How confident is David that God can do this for him (51:7)? Why do you think David places so much value on being clean, not just forgiven?

• Where does God desire the work of cleansing to begin (51:6, 10)? What is the significance of this? [In Biblical terms, create means to “make something out of nothing” and in Scripture, only God creates (Gen 1:1). In light of these facts, what is the significance of David’s request (51:10)?]
  

• What positive things did David expect God to bring out of his whole ordeal (51:13-15)? Is this a by-product of a forgiven life? [What experience have you had with forgiven sin that could help someone else?]

• What are some ways that won't work in dealing with guilt and sin (Ps 51:16)?

• What characteristic is God looking for in us (Ps 51:17)? Why do you think this is important?

• What do you consider a broken and contrite heart to be (51:17)? What is your experience with this condition? When are you likely to come to God with an “offering” for sin (51:16) instead of a broken and contrite heart? Why?

• First David says that God does not delight in sacrifices (51:16) and then he says that sacrifices do delight God (51:19). What makes the difference?

• Does forgiveness and cleansing mean we will not suffer the consequences of our sin?
  

• What, specifically, does Psalm 51 have in common with 1 John 1:9? Why do you think we are sometimes hesitant to confess our sin, even when we know God will forgive and cleanse us?

• How often do we need to make good on God’s offer in 1 John 1:9?
• Have you ever struggled with a sense that your sin was so great that you could never be fully forgiven? What hope do you find in David’s prayer?
• On what basis can you plead and claim God’s mercy and forgiveness for your sin?