Question: "Will God have mercy on us because of our sin?"

Psalm 51 is a very familiar Psalm to us. We preach it, quote it, sing it, and think of it often. I mean, as a believer, it's good to know that God still hears and responds to our cry for mercy!

In this particular Psalm there are three key players that cause this Psalm to be so important to us. They are the Preacher, the Sinner, and the Saviour. I want us to undersand why these three key players are so important concerning our cry for mercy.

1. The PREACHER. We see the importance of the preacher pointing out sin. David's cry for mercy came only because there was a God-fearing preacher named Nathan who was not ashamed to point out a person's sin, even if it was the King of Israel's sin. With that said, may God allow us to never lose sight of how important it is to have a God- fearing preacher in our lives who is not afraid to tell us when we are wrong.

Just think about it. If the preacher never warned David about his sin before God, David may never have repented; and if David had never repented, his life would have been out of the will of God and full of anger, bitterness, and grief. We cannot afford to shut up our ears to the cry of the preacher man!

2. The SINNER. David gives us the perfect example of how we are supposed to react to the preacher's biblical warning against our sin. David did not seek to crucify the preacher who was without, but rather, he sought to crucify the sin he knew to be within. David's example teaches that the first step to gaining mercy is to admit one's guilt before the Holy God. We must comes to grip with the reality that we are not perfect, and we are very able to sin. But on the flip side, we must also realize that if we are saved, God's grace hath saved us, and that same grace that saved us from sin eternally will save us from sin presently as we cry out for mercy!

3. The SAVIOUR. Please notice in your Bible, that the preacher pointed out that David's sin was against God. Also consider how David's plea for mercy was not toward the preacher, but toward the LORD. David knew Who he must humble himself before if he was to gain the mercy he was seeking for. May we seek the LORD today that mercy may be found!