Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 14, 2008
“It’s Time to Get Your Sins Forgiven”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
My wife and I watched an old movie about David and Bathsheba last night.
David was played by Gregory Peck. Now that man had the pipes…Gregory Peck!
We watched as they built this illicit relationship on sin and deception. Their actions were despicable, illegal, and under the law of Moses, worthy of death.
At one point they showed them in this loving embrace, making big commitments to one another. Never mind that they were married to other people.
I turned to my wife and said, “A lot of people do that kind of thing, but I don’t know what they’re thinking. The relationship can never be whole. When it starts in sin like that, no matter what happens it will always have a piece missing. It will just never be whole.”
Then I stopped and thought for a second. “Well,” I said, “I guess I can’t discount forgiveness. God can take all kinds of brokenness and make it whole when there is forgiveness.”
Later in the movie there is a dramatic scene where David goes into the tabernacle and bows before the Lord, completely humbling himself, confessing his sins, and actually preparing himself to be killed for them.
But he is not killed. He is forgiven.
This is the same David who wrote Psalm 32:
1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD"—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
My friend, it’s time to stop carrying around the weight of your sin. Like David said, it causes you to waste away. Your life is not what it should be, not what it could be. Sin saps your strength. It chips away at your being, it gnaws away at your soul.
But there is an easy solution to the sin problem.
I like that little phrase David used in Psalm 32:2. He said, “…in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
This is where it starts. See, most of the time we deceive ourselves about our sin. We tell ourselves that it isn’t actually sin, or that it isn’t that bad, or that it’s not really a problem. But to do anything about our sin, we have to start by being honest. We have to fan away that fog of self-deception so we can see clearly the way it is.
We have sinned.
Okay. That’s easy enough. I’ve sinned. Now what?
Look what David said in verse five. “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’”
So to deal with our sin, we start by being honest with ourselves, that we have sinned. Then we are honest with God, and we confess our sins to Him.
I loved that part in the movie, where a humble and contrite David fell on his knees and confessed his sins to God. It was wonderful to see him go from the hardness of his sin to the softness of his repentance.
Second Chronicles 7:14 paints this picture. To deal with sin, we humble ourselves and pray. We draw near to God and we turn from our wicked ways. Then God brings forgiveness.
Repeatedly the Bible talks about repentance and forgiveness in the same breath. Luke 24:47 says that “repentance and forgiveness of sins” will be preached in Jesus’ name to all nations.
Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”
Acts 5:31 says that Jesus, the Prince and Savior, gives us “repentance and forgiveness of sins…”
So we recognize our sins and confess them to God. We repent of them. We turn away from them and towards God.
And now look at First John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
So today, it’s time to stop carrying around that sin. Whether you realize it or not, it’s taking its toll. It’s time to take an honest look at your life, and recognize the sin. Then come before God and humble yourself. Confess your sins to Him and repent.
Then through Jesus Christ you will receive this most wonderful gift – forgiveness.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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