A Cry For Forgiveness

Psalm 130:1-8

"If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."

1. Psalm 130:1-8

I. A cry for God to hear (130:1-2).

A. Out of the depths.

1. The depths of despair, indicating feelings of abandonment?

2. The depths of water (used figuratively, such as the sea), indicating he was drowning in his sin?

B. The psalmist realizes he has a God who will hear his cry. Because we have that same God, we have a God who will hear our cries.

1. His ears are open to the prayers of the righteous (I Peter 3:12).

2. We have a high priest who was tempted in all points like as we are (Hebrews 4:15).

II. A plea for God’s help (130:3).

A. Consider the many ways man attempts to deal with his sin.

1. Rely on the passage of time, failure to admit the sin, failure to accept responsibility, etc.

2. The only proper way for us to deal with sin is to repent and ask God for forgiveness.

B. The psalmist asks, "Without forgiveness, who shall stand".

1. Who shall stand to live with the guilt of their sin?

2. Who shall stand before God on the day of judgment? Consider II Corinthians 5:10.

III. Reason for hope (130:4-8).

A. God is willing to forgive.

1. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).

2. Nehemiah describes God as ready to pardon, gracious and merciful (Nehemiah 9:17).

B. God’s word provides us with an assurance that God will forgive.

1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (I John 1:9).

2. When we repent and ask forgiveness, God remembers our sin no more (Hebrews 8:12).

1. Psalm 130 reminds us that, though we may be drowning in a sea of sin, God is willing to forgive us when we repent.