The Joy of Forgiveness: Part 1

The Joy of Forgiveness and the Burden of Unconfessed Sin

Again, I don't remember the last time when we've worshipped. I can't remember the last time we worshipped on 4th of July. It's been a while but nevertheless as We join in with David when we say it was good for me.

They said let us go into the house of the Lord. Let us go into the house of the Lord. Let us go into the house of the Lord. Let us not go to a barbecue. Let's not go yet. These things are great, but let us first go to the Lord of the Sabbath.

To the Lord of the Sabbath. This is where our hearts at and give him our firstfruits this lover of our soul. Amen as pastor sent me a quote this week. It said how precious is one soul. If God and Satan goes after it.

How precious is one soul? So a Brief introduction in 1993 there was a film I graduated around 1998. Shows me getting on up there, too. But nevertheless, there's a film and it keeps you on the side of your seat the whole time.

It's a action thriller 1993 and it's Harrison Ford and He comes home he's actually a doctor in Chicago and he comes home. His name is dr. Kimball, he comes home to find his wife. Being beaten and murdered by a one-armed man.

Nevertheless.

Dr. Kimball the evidence is pushed aside and he is taken into custody and he is sentenced to death in prison. He is sentenced to death in prison. There it shows a scene the train the school bus is driving With the criminals on it and it flips a train hits it and he flees and runs for his life.

He's fleeing. He's a fugitive. That's the key word. That's the movie the fugitive. But nevertheless the whole scene shows the FBI GBI and they're all Going after him. There's dogs after him running after him.

But the whole time he's showing them more and more traces and finding out more and more of the man who truly did it.

Nevertheless.

We come to a text this morning. I'm not gonna go into the background of it. It comes from 2nd Samuel chapters 11 and 12. This is the same man that pin Psalm 23. This is the same man. This is the same man that pin this verse.

It says the Lord is my shepherd. The same man that says goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Surely he said surely surely goodness and mercy but here if you will. We have if you look at this we have a shepherd.

He's a soldier. He's sovereign at one time. He's a singer. He's a songwriter. But we see their shame we see sorrowful but also he sees the Savior. People in the Old Dispensation the Old Testament say the same way today as they are in the New Testament.

Still of grace will always be of grace always been of grace. And it's nothing but God's riches at Christ expense. So we come this morning and we get to see a beautiful thing. That will be an encouragement to us all.

And if you will, please take your Bibles and turn with me to Psalm 32. Psalm 32. There's 150 Psalms. This is in the book book 1 of the first 40 Psalms. This is Psalm 32. And I've never seen the beauty of this until I've dug into this and my the Lord opened my eyes.

He opened the eyes of my heart and I want to share forth what he's been teaching me and may the Lord richly bless you. And use this. To love him more and to hate what he hates. Hear the word of the Living God.

There's 11 verses here this morning. I'm breaking this up into five the first five verses and then part two will be six through eleven. So but I think we see God's Word and I believe truly as pastor said when God says Selah twice within five verses that's enough said.

That's enough said we need to take that to heart so I we said we have to here within five verses. Hear the word of the Living God. Psalm 32 a Psalm of David a Masculine also called a contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent my bones grew old. Through my groaning all the day. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me.

My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I Acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity. I have not hidden. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Selah. Amen, let us pray our father Searcher of our hearts and lovers of our souls. It is a good day when you give me a glimpse of myself. Sin is my greatest evil, but you are my greatest good. Give me this hour Lord your spirit.

Help us Oh God. To see as you see open the eyes of my heart. Open the eyes of my brothers and sisters arts that sit here before you Lord. Give us grace this hour because when? When you are absent all sorrow is here.

But when you are present all blessings are mine. Lord we and we give you things in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Psalm 32. Psalm 32 the central theme of this is titled the joy of forgiveness the joy of forgiveness.

Many of you haven't this is the first time we've come across a word Masculine some of your Bibles may have masculine m-a-s-c-h-i-l Masculine. It's a wonderful thing. It's called to give instruction to give instruction.

And I personally believe when David made that vow in Psalm 51 verse 13 he says remember his cry Lord creating me a clean heart renewing me a steadfast spirit and restore the joy of your salvation. Restore the joy of your salvation then he says then I will teach transgressors your way.

This is his vow and promise. I believe it comes true right here. It comes true right here. This is after Psalm 32. He's older in age. He's got some battle scars on him. He's speaking now from experience the best instructors can teach what they know and have felt.

They have felt it the power of God. You have felt his transcendent power manifest itself to you and you can speak of it with power. You don't seem like a clinging similar doctor clean. You have power.

So the best instructors are those who know and have felt this first and Felt this first hand and if you're a born-again believer, you too can testify to this. So right here this scope is to instruct the convicted soul of how to obtain peace with God.

The scope of this is how to obtain peace with God. And that's our cry the gospel reconciliation. How can man be reconciled to a holy God? There was a man back in the day in his younger age. We just went through the you know, Leviticus.

It talked about slavery the laws of slavery. There was a man and you all know it. You may all know who I'm probably gonna talk about right now.

The young man.

But God struck him he became sick. God in his province struck him and he became a minister no longer slave boat captain. God struck him with a physical ailment. Led him to open up his word and became a minister of God's Word.

And he said and his dying age as his memory began to fail him. He said two things. I remember. Two things. I remember this as my memory fails me. I'm a great sinner and Jesus Christ is a great Savior.

Let that always be before you. Let this always be before you. This Psalm. Psalm 32 is the heart of a true penitent one that's broken over his sins. That he's committed before God. David is careful right here as he's given a stumbling block for others to bring reproach upon God's name.

He is so careful and his example of repentance to lift them back up and encourage them. This morning. I'm gonna spin this around real quick.

I.

Wrote this on the backside so you can keep up. Here's the outline. If you want at any time just take a look. We'll be looking into the first five verses. Part one. So the outline. Understanding this psalm within the first five verses.

If you look at verses one and two. They form a unit. Sometimes in your Bibles it actually breaks it up in units. For us we see it there. Psalm one and two. The blessedness of being forgiven. Verses one and two.

And this is profound. This is so deep. Verses three and four. We have the results of notice this word.

Not.

Then we get down here results of but this morning we're gonna show The results of not confessing sin and verses three and four and then we have David's own personal testimony.

Okay, and.

Then part two gets into the results of confessing sin. Exhortations and the portion of the two great classes of men. They each have their portion. In Job chapter 5 Job is being chastened by the hand of God.

In Job chapter 5 He said affliction does not come up from the dust nor does trouble spring from the ground. Yet a man is born to trouble as sparks fly upward. If we were open the floor this morning for discussion and share stories of pain heartache suffering and trouble.

While it is true. We all have many burdens from person to person. But there is one common denominator. We all must deal with sin and that's the cause of all our misery. And there's two types of people in this world those that are dead in sin and those that are dead to sin.

Dead in sin. This is condemned of God. This is an unbeliever. No one has unregenerate heart, which is sadly the majority. This is church entity. This is a religious systems and it's sad because the only thing a dead man can do is stink.

As we once all were. We must understand that Adam did not just break his finger. He broke his neck. He's totally depraved his eyes are shut to the things of God. He was driven out of a God's presence.

Self-deceived and denying their sin. Dead to sin. This is the redeemed of God. He's a believer washed in the blood again. He's been bathed in the blood of Jesus. Pastors in a great picture of a simple thing.

It said Jesus didn't go into the house. He looked upon the doorpost. Wasn't who was worthy inside the house. He was just looking on the outside. Also known as regenerate and heart the few. The confessors these Christians are known as confessors.

Constantly.

So look, here's what I want to get to quickly. Sin in the life of the believer must be dealt with. Must be dealt with and there's only two ways to deal with sin the arm of the flesh or God's way. The question is to it comes to all of us.

Which way will we choose? We have a choice. If we deal with sin man's way leaning upon the arm of the flesh we fall on the footsteps of our first parents. We hide it. We relish it in secret. We pretend it never happened.

This method always quenches the Spirit of God and our fellowship in communion with God is broken. It leads to disaster and first John 5 16 tells us potentially death God grades on no curve and he has no partiality.

Remember Aaron. The other method is God's way and that's the best way. It's always our best way. Always restoring us always healing us always says I will heal your all your diseases and heal your land.

Where salvation where sin has robbed us momentarily this morning. We only want to be concerned with God's way. Man, we can he needs to go. So let's this morning look at the verses 1 2 look at our text now, please.

I've done everything I could to study and I just pray this will bless you and the Spirit of God will stir you up. To holiness blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven. Whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

This word blessed. The first thing probably comes to mind is the Sermon on the Mount. Sermon on the Mount, but you remember let's go back one. Let's go to Psalm 1. This is these are called Psalms of benediction.

This is a benediction of the pardon the benediction of the pardon. This is a general brief beatitude to anyone anyone that whosoever has faith. This is who this promise and blessedness belongs to the whosoever's.

Let's always remember that we know David is the author. Paul quotes it in Romans 4 and says regarding this verse identifies David as the author. As I already mentioned David is upper in age. And we all know this is a man after God's own heart.

So the question we look at it. It can be read. How blessed is he? How blessed is he? In our in our vernacular our common day language. He's so lucky. That's our vernacular. But we want to hear from God.

How blessed is he how blessed are those? This Psalms is hard if you take this for a second, he is found pardon with God. It's like he's taking a jewel and he's taking it and he's spinning that round and round.

And he's showing it off and he can't stop uttering in one word the greatness of being pardoned and forgiven of God in the peace that overflows him and This this joy is reflecting at every angle. If you look at this if Psalm 1 describes this is key and it's beautiful to understand that Psalm 1 describes the result of holy blessedness.

Psalm 32 describes the cause of it. So you have the result of holy blessedness in Psalm 1 and now you have the cause Of holy blessedness. Psalms 1 speaks this is this is beautiful. Psalm 1 speaks of the individual that walks in covenant relationship with in fellowship with God.

Are you ready for this. Psalm 32 even speaks of a greater special blessedness? Stacked upon one another blessed and blessed. Someone only starts with one blessed. This has two blessings. How about that double benediction?

It's like a double-barrel shotgun. Psalm 32 is even more precious because it's stacked upon one another and it belongs to a man that has failed God and He has not walked in covenant faithfulness. But God's great mercy and grace has experienced covenant restoration.

This man has experienced covenant restoration where he's had failed in covenant faithfulness. And this is where the joy comes from. This is where the psalm is shining forth it beams forth. This is why Newton Augustine and Luther all said this is one of their favorite hymns.

Favorite hymns. First let's get to this sin is an abomination to God and it separates from God all sin separates. Sin makes you stupid. Sin poisons the well head. Sin is in our brain. Sin is in our hearts.

We think roaming look we love that which is evil. Sin bribes the judgment intoxicates the will and perverts the memory. You may be sitting here saying to yourself. I've never committed adultery. I've never murdered anyone.

I've never dealt drugs nor stolen from my employees. I've never committed any big scandalous sins. However, the Lord says I see them you I don't see as you see. The Lord says man looks on the outward, but I look on the heart first Samuel 16 verse 7.

My question I would ask everyone and this is a big out.

And it's humbling.

My question is have you ever gossiped? Spoken critical of others. Arbored resentment. Become impatient with anyone. Acted selfishly Worried. Been unthankful. Had jealous in your heart. Discontent. Failed to trust God in the issues of life.

Given into materialism. Ever let a sports team become an idol. Maybe even a child. Oh God, we can all hear Each one of us saying right now to each one of us. You are the man.

As.

Nathan said to the as Nathan the Prophet said to his beloved friend. You are the man you are the man. If you look at this, this is key. I don't want to help break this down for you. Blessed is he whose transgression we see the word transgression sin and iniquity.

And you say wow, this is part of a confession. I call it the Trinity of hell. I Call it the Trinity of hell transgression a little tea a Trent. Transgression sin and iniquity. This is a three-headed dog.

This is a three-headed dog, but we're literally but let's turn that the worst sin is this man that this this man is the greatest enemy. And and here it is. These are words that denote our disobedience and foulness but it's key to Understand these three words and I've never really seen you know.

We see them all over the place in Scripture if your garden equity the transgressions and then you're like, but wow. They're all right here like confession. What do we need to glean from this and I want to help you by it, but so I'm going to try my best.

First transgression. I want to try to simplify this is and make this as clear as possible. Transgression implies passing over a boundary and doing what is prohibited. It's a going away or rebellion against God and his authority.

It's.

Often summarizes the sins of omission and commission. Proverbs 29 verse 6. I'm gonna give us chapter and verse with each one of these. A Evil man is ensnared in his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

What a contrast. One's caught and he's in trouble and another sings and rejoices. That's a distinct contrast when you're caught in a trap. You're not singing and rejoicing you're crying for help. What a contrast.

What is sin. It implies missing the mark. Sin is the transgression of the law. The wages of sin is death. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it for him. It is sin. James tells us. What is iniquity.

Iniquity implies something evil perverted and disrespectful towards God. Also used to refer as a word guilt. It's the root of all original sin. Psalm 66 18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.

So what do we do with this? How will God do what? Where did we go from here? Where did we go from here? The first word I'm going to describe this. The first word transgression describes sin in the view with our relationship to God.

Okay, I'm going to go through the relations. The second word sin describes the relationship to the divine law. So the first is the relationship to God. Transgression. Sin is relation to divine law. And third the word iniquity describes sin relation to ourselves.

The word guilt it is a corruption or twisting of the right standards. So those are the relations of those three words.

The Holiness of God and the Doctrine of Sin

In Habakkuk.

Chapter 1 Habakkuk 1 the prophet goes on to affirm the holiness of God and how God cannot tolerate evil. Habakkuk 1 12 It says your eyes are purer than to see evil and cannot look at sin back up 113 that was Habakkuk 113 and this is anything but the characteristic of the human condition.

Pastor brought something to my attention and I thought this was Wonderful. Wonderful. There's 1100 in 89 chapters in the Bible 66 books. We know chapters and verses are all for our admonition. But it's good to helpful to find quickly to get to God's Word.

It's for our aid 1189 chapters in the Bible. There's only four that does not talk about a sinner and sin. There's only four. Can you guess?

Okay.

It's the book ends Genesis Revelation and this is not original please. But I so wonderful. I have to share it. So the first two chapters you have the creation by God in the last two chapters You have the consummation by Christ and those are only two chapters one in two have no sin.

21 and 22 have no sin. See that means you have eleven hundred and eighty-five verses that fills our history with sin. So is the doctrine of sin important to understand this? How can we understand our need if we don't understand the problem?

That's key sin fills our history. Yes. So I'm gonna answer that question, so how are these evils dealt with and where are we to go from here? Term will mean now quickly to Romans chapter 5. The great gulf of sin is bridged Romans chapter 5 looking into verse 12 therefore just as though one man's sin enter the world and death through sin and thus Death spread to all men because all sinned for until the law sin was in the world.

But sin is not imputed when there is no law. No, nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression Of Adam who is who is a type of him?

Who was to come? But the free gift is not like the offense for if by one man's offense many died much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Christ Jesus abound to many and The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned for the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in.

Justification.

For if by one man's offense death reigned through the one much more those who receive abundance of grace and Of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. Therefore as the one man's offense judgment came to all men Resulting in the condemnation even so through one's man righteous Act the free gift came to all men resulting in justification of life for as one man's Disobedience many were made sinners.

So also by one man's obedience Many were made righteous. There it is. Moreover the law entered that the offense may abound but where sin abounded grace abounded much more. So that as sin reigned in death even so grace might reign through the righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That great gulfed is bridged the bridge is laid Right there. That's the bridge. So if you will flip back with me to Psalm 32 That's where we go. That is the only place to go. That is the only safe place to go.

God is angry with the wicked. He is a just God.

The Blessedness of Forgiveness in Psalm 32

So.

Where we had the first three words, I call it within the confession we have. Transgression sin and iniquity here now within being forgiven. We have three words. So, where do we go and how does God deal with this?

Within these first three words. He has three words for those three words. And it's beautiful. Look at this. The Trinity of hell is overtaken by the Trinity of heaven where sin abounded grace abounded more we just heard as.

The previous words denotes our disobedience emphasized within a confession now these next three words are gifts.

Employed.

Within the concept of forgiveness. So let these words bless your soul. If you will look at verses right here I still am. I'm sorry I'm still in verse 1. This is why so loaded. So we have number one. Transgression is forgiven.

Sin is covered. Number two and Does not impute iniquity. We love the doctrine of double imputation, but how about the doctrine of non imputation? Forgiven this word is so Powerful. It literally means I'm gonna try to go through these three words and we'll combat the first three words.

I call it the Trinity of hell. Literally means to be lifted away. The burden is lifted away. And this is the heart of the gospel is to be forgiven. Finding peace with God through Jesus in his vicarious death and sacrifice.

Covered this word covered. Reminds you of the Day of Atonement. Simply is Christ's righteousness. It's faith that receives the garment of Christ and is by faith that adorns the garment of Christ. This word does not impute.

Suggests ascribing to one's account. It's like an accounting term. Well, I'm gonna break it down put it even low. It's removed from your court documents. The records are expunged. No longer to be found.

God is the judge in this he who justifies we love this doctrine of double imputation. But let us love more the doctrine of non imputation. He doesn't impute it to our records. How great and harmonious the Trinity works together to remove all defilement.

Shame guilt sorrow and punishment and replaces it with righteousness security peace joy and a returnal reward. My question is do you know this blessedness? Will you testify to it? Will you testify to it as he told the demoniac the Lord Jesus himself.

Go and tell what great things I've done for you. I want to stop right here for a second because if you've been following me I want to look into if you will turn to first John first John and Many of you.

I'm sure in your Walk and fellowship with the Lord has spent many years in these in this one verse. Just pleading this verse back to him. Look at verse 8 with me, please starting in verse 8 first John chapter 1.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us if we confess our sins.

If.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So stay with me in Hebrews chapter 8.

We have Hebrews. I don't know who the author is, but it's a man of God. We'll just say that It's a man of God in Hebrews chapter 8 verses 10 and 13. He's quoting from the New Covenant. That comes from Jeremiah 31 starting in verse 31.

Verse 12 for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I Will be merciful to their righteousness. No, no, I will be merciless to their unrighteousness. That's key and their sins and their lawless deeds.

I will remember no more. In that he says a new covenant has been made in the first is obsolete now. And now know what blessing. Now, I'm sorry. No, what is is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

And in Psalm 103 we we've spent I think I opened up one time with this. It says forget not the benefits of the Lord and the first benefit was. You remember he pardons our sins. And in Psalm 103 verses 11 and 12 later on down after the benefits are mentioned.

It says he remembers our sins no more and he forgives them as far as the East is from the West. So if you're following me, but he said we're to confess our sins, but they're not to be brought back up.

So, how are we so you would think there's an apparent contradiction here. You know one was haven't spent time reading the whole context of God's Word and sometimes even There's some heresies going around now that men don't need to confess their sins if they're washed under the blood of Jesus and I think this is a Great great fallacy that needs to be corrected.

Not that I need to correct it, but as Believers we need to speak upon this. Forgiveness falls. I want to share with you if you will. There's no contradiction here and I want to show you this that forgiveness falls within two categories two categories bless her.

Within two categories, it's judicial forgiveness and then parental. Judicial and parental if you will flip with me to turn with me to John chapter 13. And you all know this is the upper room discourse where the Lord Jesus is speaking With his disciples and he's washing their feet.

If you will look in verse 13 the look. Starting verse 5 after that He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel which he was girded with. He came to Simon Peter and said Peter.

And I'm sorry, then he came to Simon Peter and Peter said to him Lord.

Are you washing my feet?

Are you washing my feet then he then he said to Simon Peter Sorry and Jesus answered and said to him What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to him you shall never wash my feet.

Jesus answered and said to him if I don't wash you you have no part with me. Simon Peter said to him Lord. Not my feet only but my hands in my head. Goodness. Jesus said to him he who is bathed needs only to be only to wash his feet.

He who is bathed Needs only to wash his feet, but it's completely clean and you are clean, but not all of you. So here there's no contradiction. So what does that represent? Okay. It's key to understand this and this gives us wings to fly.

Judicial God is judge. We come before his bar guilty. He's the only one that can set us free from the penalty of sin. So right here when you're bathed as you have trusted in the gift that he is given for the penalty, which He laid upon his son.

That's our justification being bathed. So bathing illustrates our forgiveness from a judicial standpoint. Washing illustrates the fatherly forgiveness of our sanctification. That's our sanctification this ongoing.

Please know that ongoing confessions don't bring justification. Ongoing confession of sin is solely related to our sanctification. So it is so beautiful. You remember in Luke chapter 11. We have the Lord's Prayer really is the disciples prayer.

It's our prayer. But if you look at this remember what it says, does it say this our judge who art thou in heaven our father. Our father. Not judge our father who art in heaven as a father pities his son.

So does God pity those who fear him? This is fatherly love. This is one that we call now Abba father. Adopted into the family of God. So this is where we have parental justification and we have first number one is always judicial.

So this is where Peter he said he didn't understand this but you will later you will later. Because he who begins a good work will finish it. So let us hasten on if you will flip back with me to Psalm 32.

But that that first two those first two verses are loaded. And if you will look at this now if we look at the end of verse two. Now we have the character of the one that's pardoned has changed and who spirit there's no deceit.

What a word. What is Gaal? There's another word is Gaal. Remember we said this is the Israelite whom there's no Gaal. Here's Nathanael. No deceitfulness, but what does this mean? And this is this is where?

This is key. Another term is to see is simply this. One that is not honest with the reality and it's not serious and seer of the weightiest matters of life. There's deceit in Gaal that has flooded their character and it represents their being.

So the weightiest matters of life, what are they. I'm sure you have family members. I do. They'll never want to hear about judgment. They never want to hear about death. Heaven or hell and they dare not to think ponder one second any of those It's so sad.

It is sad. And I'll tell you why you ready why they don't want to ponder this because they know they know oh do they know. They know there's something wrong within them and they practice a crafty cleverness and a cunning indifference.

When their true character is exposed and brought to life.

Brought to light.

Their conscious alarms them and immediately the ink is cast into the water. You ready. Mindless statements are made empty religious questions are brought about. I.

Get sick of it. Quit playing games.

Go play at Six Flags. Empty religious questions regarding tradition ceremony doctrines tithes prophecies they cloud the water for their escape and Their sad song their sad song they play over and over on the radio and their head is peace peace.

When there's absolutely none. What a lying damning deception that is. How can there be peace in such darkness? How can there be peace when stripes are being laid upon your back and the chains are getting tighter and tighter around your ankles and your.

Wrist and your neck.

How is that bees?

How can it be an. Example of this is I'm sure you've all heard it from them. And in the gospel Matthew. And it's probably one of the most misused texts of our day coined the 11th commandment. Judge not that you can be not judged.

I'm gonna stop there because that's not even half the verse. That's all that they know. That's all that Satan has vomited back up through this precious vessel that he is robbed and stolen. It's not his possession.

But you hear this miss Lillian was mentioned this morning. Pity their soul hate the sin pity them. This is all they know. Judge. Not that you be not judged. How many times have you heard it if you start talking about sin?

That's not even half the verse not even a quarter of the verse. But here not only unbelievers, but even professing Christians are like we'll say this and most are professing Christians. As if Jesus tells his people.

To not make any judgments whatsoever is absurd. And Christ is is most certainly not forbidding his people from his from issuing judgments altogether. Remember the context of this scriptures the Sermon on the Mount.

It's all about contrasting true and false religion. You have heard but I say unto you in Fact Jesus in the same gospel orders us to discriminate between good and evil. We must differentiate between those.

Receptive to us from the dogs and swans in order to obey Jesus as being disciples. We have to be obedient. In summary, Jesus is warning us to be fair and humble when we make our evaluations not to be hypocritical in our judgments.

We are prone to be harder on others. Consider David's reaction to Nathan. Let me follow this with me. Consider Nathan's reaction to Nathan when he slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. The king did more evil than the man Nathan gave him in his parable.

But David wanted to chase after the speck in that man's eye. You follow me? He's chasing after the speck in that man's eye. He can't see the plank in his own eye. Sin has duped him and made him so stupid.