Resources: Lesson Manuscript, PowerPoint, and Devotional
Franklin Heights Church Connect Groups: https://franklinheights.org/connect/groups/
Review: Last week we looked at how God convicts us and the anguish that comes along with that. God uses those to bring us to a place where we respond by asking for and receiving His forgiveness. God can use the possible consequences of sin as a means of us turning from sin and basking in His grace.
Title: God’s Forgiveness
Text: Psalm 32:1-11
Key Verse: Psalm 32:1, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.”
Theme: Experiencing God’s forgiveness leads to worship.
Introduction: Has there ever been a time where offering forgiveness or asking for forgiveness was a challenge? There is nothing like experiencing the freshness of forgiveness and knowing there is nothing between us and our Savior.
Main Points:
- Joy (vv. 1-2)
Blessed [ a joy and contented happiness in once’s circumstance; This comes from a maturing trust in God and His word.] is the one whose transgression [This aspect of sin highlights the rebellious nature of sin.] is forgiven, [Praise God! Means literally “lifted up,” or carried away. God removes the burden from off our shoulders completely. Sin is burdensome isn’t it; it weighs us down and creates a heaviness. This term is a poetic parallel to “covered,” meaning God puts our sin and it’s offensiveness out of sight.]]
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, [CSB, “…the LORD does not charge…” meaning the just charges against us are completely dropped and we are free to go free.]
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
2. Forgiveness (vv. 3-5)
3 For when I kept silent, [This means the psalmist refused to respond to God’s conviction, refused to ‘fess-up, refused to own the sin he had committed and confess it to God.] my bones wasted away [CSB, “became brittle…”]
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah [CSB, “drained”; As hard and painful as these descriptors are—so identifiable after the recent heat wave we went through—these are in fact a mercy from God, a blessing that draws us to Himself in renewed fellowship once again.]
5 I acknowledged my sin to you, [The Hebrew “yada” can have a breadth of meaning, and here it’s recognizing guilt and making confession.]
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave [Lifeway notably says, “Guilt is not a subjective feeling about sin, but a liability for punishment. When God removes the sin, he also removes the guilt (punishment).”] the iniquity of my sin. Selah
3. Instruction (vv. 6-11)
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly
offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;
surely in the rush of great waters,
they shall not reach him.
7 You are a hiding place for me; [This hiding place specifically is a place of forgiveness and refuge from the psalmist’s sin and its consequences.]
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, [These animals depict stubbornness, that refusal to own up and admit and confess the sin. Refusal of the animal to the master only leads to more heartache and pain and consequences.]
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
or it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
but steadfast love
[Gospel: CSB, “faithful love”; When we as God’s people experience His faithful, covenant-keeping love toward us it stands in stark contrast to and far surpasses the fleeting pleasures of sin and it’s consequences that would burden us. God’s loyal “hesed” love is truly unconditional thanks to the fact that ultimately Jesus took the punishment, the existential payment for our sins on the cross. Praise be to Him.]
surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! [What a correct response to God’s forgiveness this is!]
Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is God’s Purpose of Grace.
Lifeway says, “Believers may fall into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and temporal judgements on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.”
I John 1:7-9, “7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Gospel:
Discussion Questions:
- How can and should believers express their joy in response to His granting forgiveness to us?
- How can you turn verse 5 into a prayer?
Big Takeaway(s):
- The fact that when we ask for forgiveness God no longer counts them against us is cause for great rejoicing.
- We can turn to God and count on His forgiveness when we are weighed-down by our sins.
- Believers who have been forgiven are to tell others how they can be forgiven, too.
Caleb Walker 
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