Take Both Sorrow and Sin--to the Same Place!
A Christian should approach God with both sorrow and sin, leaving their sorrows to His wisdom and will, and trusting in His ability to forgive and relieve them.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes the importance of bringing both our sorrows and sins to God, as exemplified by David's prayer in Psalms 25:18. He highlights that while it is natural to seek relief from our afflictions, we must prioritize the confession and forgiveness of our sins, recognizing their weight and impact on our lives. Spurgeon encourages believers to trust God with their troubles, whether great or small, while earnestly seeking His mercy for their transgressions. The sermon teaches that a true Christian values the burden of sin above their suffering, understanding that forgiveness is essential for peace. Ultimately, Spurgeon calls for a heart that seeks God's wisdom in our afflictions while urgently desiring the cleansing of our sins.
Text
"Look upon my affliction and my pain--and forgive all my sins!" Psalm 25:18
It is well for us when prayers about our sorrows--are linked with pleas concerning our sins; when, being under God's hand, we are not wholly taken up with our pain--but remember our offences against God. It is well, also, to take both sorrow and sin--to the same place! It was to God--that David carried his sorrow. It was to God--that David confessed his sin.
We must take our sorrows to God. Even your little sorrows you may roll upon God--for He counts the hairs of your head. And your great sorrows you may commit to Him--for He holds the ocean in the hollow of His hand. Go to Him, whatever your present trouble may be--and you shall find Him able and willing to relieve you.
But we must also take our sins to God. We must carry them to the cross, that the blood may fall upon them, to purge away their guilt, and to destroy their defiling power.
The special lesson of the text is this--that we are to go to the Lord with sorrows and with sins in the right frame of heart. Note that all David asks concerning his sorrow is, "Look upon my affliction and my pain." But the next petition is vastly more express, definite, decided and plain, "Forgive all my sins!"
Many sufferers would have put it, "Remove my affliction and my pain--and look at my sins." But David does not say so--he cries, "Lord, as for my affliction and my pain, I will not dictate to Your wisdom. Lord, look at them--I will leave them to You. I would be glad to have my pain removed--but do as You will. But as for my sins, Lord, I know what I want with them--I must have them forgiven! I cannot endure to lie under their curse for a moment!"
A Christian counts his sorrow lighter in the scale--than his sin. He can bear that his troubles should continue--but he cannot support the burden of his transgressions.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction
- A. The importance of linking prayers about sorrows with pleas concerning sins
- B. The need to take both sorrow and sin to the same place
- II. Taking Sorrow to God
- A. We must take our sorrows to God, no matter how small or great
- B. God is able and willing to relieve us of our troubles
- III. Taking Sin to God
- A. We must carry our sins to the cross for forgiveness and cleansing
- B. The blood of Christ is necessary to purge away the guilt and power of sin
- IV. The Right Frame of Heart
- A. We must approach God with a humble and contrite heart
- B. We must leave our sorrows to God's wisdom and will
Key Quotes
“A Christian counts his sorrow lighter in the scale--than his sin.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“It is well for us when prayers about our sorrows--are linked with pleas concerning our sins;” — C.H. Spurgeon
“Go to Him, whatever your present trouble may be--and you shall find Him able and willing to relieve you.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We should approach God with a humble and contrite heart, acknowledging our sins and leaving our sorrows to His wisdom and will.
- We should trust in God's ability to forgive and relieve us of our troubles, rather than trying to dictate to His wisdom.
- Our attitude towards sorrow and sin should be one of humility and contrition, recognizing that our sins are a greater burden than our troubles.