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a song of ascents. Out of the 
depths I have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your 
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you, 
Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But 
there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. I wait 
for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I do hope. My 
soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the 
morning. Yes, more than those who watch for the morning. O 
Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, 
and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from 
all his iniquities. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we come to you now and we pray for the guidance 
and the ministry of your Holy Spirit. We pray that you would 
give us understanding into the psalmist's words. We pray that 
we would have a fresh appreciation for the cross. We all know ultimately 
that the psalmist lived, he ministered, he wrote in light of that coming 
reality. And how we thank you for the 
Lord Jesus and how we thank you for the forgiveness of sins that 
we receive through him. We ask now that you would bless 
our time together and encourage our hearts and strengthen us 
with might in the inner man. And we pray through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen. I want to focus this evening 
specifically on verses three and four under three particular 
considerations. The first is strict justice. The second is pardoning mercy. And the third is gospel fear. The psalmist is rehearsing the 
grace of God, the mercy of God, the kindness of God. We see the 
specific occasion for his psalm is indicated in verse 1. He says, 
Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my 
voice. Let your ears be attentive to 
the voice of my supplications. This wasn't some temporal trial 
that had him down. This wasn't some physical challenge. This wasn't some external calamity 
that was affecting this man, but rather it was severe distress 
in light of his own sin, in light of his own waywardness, in light 
of the fact that he was not consistently keeping the law of God. This 
is the experience of all the people of God to varying degrees. I don't know that all of us would 
stay up all night necessarily and weep over our sinfulness, 
but there is that conviction, there is that understanding when 
God the Spirit begins to work upon the heart. I'm not suggesting 
that God the Spirit is just beginning to work on this man's heart. 
I think he's rehearsing He is giving us something of God's 
redemptive dealings with His people. But the experience is 
simply this. When we are brought face to face 
with a holy God, when we are confronted with His holy law, 
when we are confronted with His holy standard, the specific result 
or effect is what is found in verses 1 and 2. Out of the depths 
I have cried to you, O Lord. When you compare the scripture, 
you will see that very sort of thing. When Isaiah is brought 
into the presence of the throne room of God, he sees the Lord 
exalted. He sees Him high and lifted up. He sees the train of His robe 
filling the temple. And he sees the attendant angels 
crying out, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole 
earth is full of His glory. What does the prophet Isaiah 
then declare? He says, Woe is me, for I am 
undone. He says, I am a man of unclean 
lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes 
have seen the Lord of hosts. When the prophet Ezekiel is given 
that view of the glory of God, what do we read concerning him? 
He fell as a dead man. When John the Apostle sees the 
glorified Christ according to Revelation, Chapter 1, he tells 
us that he fell at his feet as a dead man. You see, when sinners 
are confronted with the holiness of God, the response is not, 
hey buddy, or hey friend, or hey pal, but rather, out of the 
depths I have cried to you, oh Lord. And there is this petition, 
this supplication, this casting ourselves upon the Lord, Lord, 
hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to 
the voice of my supplications." So the occasion of this man's 
rehearsal of God's redemptive mercy is the remembrance of his 
own sinfulness, his own waywardness, his own ungodliness. And then 
that brings us to verses 3 and 4. Notice first of all what I 
call strict justice. He says, "...if you, Lord, should 
mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" It's a terrifying 
statement, isn't it? If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? Now, the thought here is simply 
this, that God doesn't immediately require punishment from every 
violator of His holy law. The idea is not that God is unconscious 
or God doesn't know or God doesn't see the particular sins and the 
waywardness of these creatures, but the idea seems to be more 
upon this reality that if you should mark it, if you should 
execute your vengeance upon it, if you should visit every iniquity 
and every transgression, he says, oh Lord, who could stand? It 
is a universal statement, and it highlights this reality, that 
all men everywhere are sinful. All men everywhere have transgressed 
the law of God. He says, if you, Lord, should 
mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? There's not a man, 
there's not a woman, there's not a boy, and there's not a 
girl who could stand before God as one who had never committed 
sin. The Bible is certain, the Bible 
is clear, the Bible is crystal clear on this reality that all 
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In fact, you 
can turn to Romans chapter 3 just to explore this reality. If you, 
Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? What 
we find in Romans 3 is the summation, Paul's capstone in his argument 
that begins at chapter 1, at verse 18. You see, before the 
apostle gets to the good news of the gospel, before he gets 
to justification by faith alone, before he gets to the pardon 
of sin and the imputation of righteousness, he sets the context, 
he sets the stage, he highlights the reality that both Jew and 
Gentile, all men everywhere, under God's curse due to their 
sin. He begins in Romans 1 18, for 
the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness 
and unrighteousness of men. He then catalogs the sin of the 
heathen, those who are outside the covenant people, those who 
are outside those who receive the oracles of God. And what 
we find in chapter 1 is a detailed explanation of what our society 
looks like, what man apart from the gospel looks like. All manner 
of wickedness, all manner of sin, owing back to that primary 
emphasis in chapter 1. verse 21, who although they knew 
God, they did not honor God, nor were they thankful. It's 
because of their idolatry, it's because of their pre-commitment 
elsewhere, that all of those vices and iniquities flow. And then in chapter 2, the apostle 
deals with more of the moral sort of fellow, and he deals 
with the covenant community of Israel. He essentially says to 
them, you're no better. You've received the law, you've 
received the oracles, you've received the benefit of God, 
and yet you live in rebellion, and you transgress. You see the 
Apostle is mounting his particular argument to highlight this reality 
that we find beginning in verse 9 of chapter 3. He says, what 
then? Are we better than they? Not 
at all. For we have previously charged 
both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none 
righteous, no, not one. Now, you can't wiggle out of 
that. You know, some might be tempted 
to say, there is none righteous except me. You don't know me. No, not one. Not a one. Nobody here. Nobody out there. Nobody in other churches. There's 
nobody on earth. There's no inhabitant in Adam 
that can say they're without sin. Every man everywhere has 
this commonality. This is the tie that binds each 
and every one of us. We may be different colors. We 
may be different races. We may live on different continents. 
We may be different age groups. We may be different genders. 
But this one thing we have in common. We are sinners. This is what Paul is bringing 
to a close. There is none righteous, no not 
one. There is none who understands. 
There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, 
no not one. Their throat is an open tomb. 
With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison 
of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing 
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed 
blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way 
of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before 
their eyes. If you have a Bible like mine, 
you'll notice that the text is italicized. That means that Paul 
is quoting from the Old Testament. So what's the emphasis here? 
Both the Old and the New Testament, the common consent and the common 
testimony is simply this. Verse 19, now we know that whatever 
the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every 
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before 
God, or liable to God's wrath, liable to God's punishment. You 
see, this is indeed bad news. This is what the psalmist is 
highlighting in verse 3. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? Notice what Paul then says in 
Romans 3.20. Therefore, by the deeds of the 
law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. You see, that's 
what Paul is dealing with. He's not talking about, are you 
an upright, moral individual in your neighborhood? Would the 
people who lived alongside of you on Elm Street vote for you 
as neighbor of the month? They might do that, but what 
Paul is dealing with is justification in the sight of God Most High. That is what the rub is, that 
is where the emphasis lies, and this is what he says. By the 
deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight, for 
by the law is the knowledge of sin. So you see, if you, Lord, 
should mark iniquities, oh Lord, who could stand? Before he gets 
to that wonderful statement concerning pardoning mercy and gospel fear, 
he sets it in its proper context. You know, when we come to the 
table tonight, we're not coming as those who are being rewarded 
for good behavior. When we come to the table tonight, 
this is not sort of a hocus-pocus event. There's no magic in the 
elements that convey power in our lives. We come to taste and 
feast upon that one alone who gave his life on our behalf. 
It is a time to acknowledge the reality like we find there in 
verse 3 of Psalm 130. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? It doesn't stop there. He then 
goes on to highlight pardoning mercy. He says, but there is 
forgiveness with thee. Isn't that beautiful? There is 
forgiveness with thee is what the psalmist goes on to say. 
That is the gospel. That is the truth. That is the 
essence of the message of the Bible. God's plan in Christ to 
save his people from their sins. Again, going back to Romans chapter 
3. He starts his exposition with 
the bad news in chapter 1 verse 18. The wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man. Similar 
to what we find there at the beginning of Psalm 130 verse 
3, If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could 
stand? The psalmist goes on and Paul 
goes on. The psalmist says it this way, 
But there is forgiveness with thee. Paul goes on in Romans 
3.21 to say, But now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is 
revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. And 
the righteousness of God in this context is what we read about 
this morning in our study of the confession of justification 
in chapter 11. This righteousness that is in 
view is not necessarily the rightness of God, though that's included. 
The righteousness of God in 321, just like the righteousness of 
God in 117, is that righteousness which God demands from His creatures 
and which God supplies in the Christian gospel. It is that 
righteousness that avails with Him that is imputed to us and 
received by faith alone. So Paul says, but now the righteousness 
of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by 
the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through 
faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there 
is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the 
glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the 
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is an amplification 
of what we find there in Psalm 130, that there is forgiveness 
with you. How is there forgiveness with 
you? It is justification freely by the grace of God through the 
redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Specifically, verse 25, 
whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, 
to demonstrate His righteousness. because in his forbearance God 
had passed over the sins that were previously committed to 
demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might 
be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. So you see, the psalmist and 
Paul are doing the very same thing. First, the bad news. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? and then the good news. But there 
is forgiveness with you. And brethren, that concept of 
forgiveness, that truth and blessing of forgiveness. I know I've said 
this before. If you've been here when I've 
said it, I apologize. But this is one of the chief 
boons of redemption. The chief privileges. You know, 
Paul says we've been blessed with every spiritual blessing 
in the heavenly places. in Christ. We are justified. We are, you know, effectually 
called. We're justified. We're being sanctified. We'll 
ultimately be glorified. Well, in there comes this idea 
of forgiveness. That's what justification is 
all about. Remember our study this morning. 
Let's just summarize it in the Shorter Catechism. What is justification? Justification is an act of God's 
free grace. Isn't that beautiful? God gives 
it. We don't earn it. We don't deserve 
it. How could a sinner described in Romans chapter 3 or described 
in Psalm 130 verse 3 earn salvation? Justification is an act of God's 
free grace wherein He pardons all our sins. Isn't that beautiful? He pardons every single one of 
them. Past, present, future. Now we are not to take that doctrine 
and abuse it. What shall we say then? Shall 
we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be! 
Those who by God's grace have tasted and seen that He is good, 
those who understand Golgotha, those who have come to feast 
upon the Savior by the grace of God through faith in Him, 
they don't want to go out and sin that grace may abound. They 
want to pursue those things which are pleasing in the sight of 
God. But the reality of it is, is that justification is an act 
of God's free grace wherein He pardons all our sins. He paid it all. Every single 
one is dealt with in the blood, in whom we have redemption through 
his blood. Not a partial payment, not a 
90-10 situation, not a Jesus sets me on the right path trajectory, 
but he paid it all. Every single sin is answered 
in this doctrine of justification. because they were imputed to 
the Son. They were heaped up upon Him, 
and God punished His Son in the cross. So you see, justification 
is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, 
and He accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness 
of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. We have 
forgiveness, and we have a righteousness. We have that blessing of being 
able to lay our heads on our pillows tonight, having been 
forgiven. It's not the blessing of salvation, 
one of them. Having your sin dealt with. You 
know, guilt's a horrible thing, isn't it? That bad feeling, that 
severe distress, that which makes one say out, of the debts I have 
cried to you, O Lord." You know what it's like to carry sin in 
your bosom? You know what it's like to carry 
guilt in your life? You know what it's like to be 
a stranger to that understanding that Jesus paid it all? You know 
what it's like to be a stranger from that scanza and that blessed 
hymn that says, My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, 
my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I 
bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Guilt and shame 
and the nakedness associated with sinfulness is a horrible 
reality. But there is forgiveness with 
you, is what the psalmist declares. There is forgiveness with you, 
is what Peter or Paul preaches in Pisidian Antioch, in the book 
of Acts, in chapter 13. Therefore, brethren, let it be 
known to you that through this man is preached the forgiveness 
of sin. There is full free forgiveness 
to be found in a full free Savior named Jesus Christ the Lord. 
When we eat this bread and when we drink this cup, let us realize 
There is forgiveness with Him. The blessed truth that God Most 
High, this Holy, this Glorious, this Spotless One, who if He 
marked iniquities, no man could stand. But there is forgiveness 
with Him. There is mercy to be had. There 
is grace in the Gospel. There is full and free forgiveness. 
Remember the way the Apostle Paul puts it in 1 Timothy 1, 
15. This is a faithful saying. It is worthy of all acceptance 
that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save. And then 
he goes on to say, of whom I am chief. He's already rehearsed 
in 1 Timothy 1.13 what that looked like in his life. He was a blasphemer. He was a persecutor. He was an 
insolent man. He was one who knew what it was 
to be in the depths of depravity, to be in sin, to be a violator 
of God's holy law. And yet he's able to rejoice 
in the reality that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners 
to save. There is forgiveness with you, 
is what the psalmist says. This is what the saints, glorified 
in heaven, will be rehearsing as they stand before the Lord 
God Almighty. Revelation 5.8, Now when he had 
taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four 
elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden 
bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 
And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll 
and to open its seals, for you were slain. This is Christ. This is His death. This is Calvary. This is that event, that crucifixion, 
where Man sinfully say away with him, away with him, crucify him, 
which works according to the predetermined plan of God. Remember 
the divine initiative in the crucifixion. Isaiah the prophet 
says God, Yahweh, was pleased to bruise him. putting him to 
grief. Peter says that this happened 
according to the predetermined plan of God in Acts 2.23, who 
ultimately was behind the crucifixion. It was the Father of the Son 
who sent him. to do this task. He says, you 
have redeemed us, or they say, you have redeemed us. That idea 
of purchase, that idea of redemption out of the slave market of sin. 
Certainly the concept of forgiveness is present. Out of every tribe 
and tongue and people and nation and have made us kings and priests 
to our God and we shall reign. The earth they are celebrating 
they are rejoicing in they are delighting in this reality But 
there is forgiveness with you If you are here tonight, you 
have not come to that fountain of forgiveness. May I say it's 
wonderful May I say there is no one in this room? Who is upright? There was no one in this room 
who was perfect. There was no one in this room 
who was marching to heaven unaided from on high. Every single one 
in this room who names the name of Christ was dead in trespasses 
and sins. Every single one. I don't care 
if you were brought up in a Christian home, and all the externals were 
in place. I don't care if you were catechized 
from your father's knee. Until such time as you were born 
again, you were dead in your trespasses and sins. You were 
at enmity with God. You despised Him, and conversely, 
He despised you. Or you could have been a real 
vile sinner, one of those prodigals that takes his share of the father's 
loot and he goes to a distant country and there he wastes every 
bit of it. You see, it really doesn't matter. 
Sin is sin. But those who by the grace of 
God who have come, who have by His grace believed, who have 
received Him and rested upon His righteousness, know the blessing. of forgiveness. There's nothing 
better. There's nothing more joyful. 
There's nothing more delightful than having God say, you are 
forgiven. That makes one happy. That makes 
one healthy. It's not early to bed, early 
to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. It's the forgiveness 
of sins that promotes that. You see, when you're forgiven, 
you've got everything. When God and sinners are reconciled, 
that is everything. When you have peace with God 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, having been justified by faith, 
there is nothing better. There is everything to be had 
in coming to Christ, believing in Him, looking to that gospel, 
and owning Him as Lord and Savior. So the psalmist rehearses strict 
justice, pardoning mercy, and then he speaks of gospel fear. Gospel fear. He says, there is 
forgiveness with you that you may be feared. And the fear here 
is not the run and hide underneath the piano sort of fear. This 
isn't the sort of fear that drives the sinner away from God. Remember 
when Adam and Eve transgressed, they were afraid and they ran 
away. This fear is that fear which, 
in God's mercy, affects the soul in such a way so that we run 
to Him. There is reverence. There is 
awe. There is esteem. There is a recognition 
of who He is and what we are beforehand. And we approach Him 
in an acceptable manner. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with 
you. that you may be feared. You see, God forgives people. 
God applies gospel benefit. God takes that redemptive work 
of the Lord Jesus, and by His Holy Spirit, He applies it to 
His elect, so that they'll fear Him, so that they'll revere Him, 
so that they'll worship Him, and so that they'll glorify Him. You have been saved to worship. You have been saved to serve. You have been saved to eat this 
bread and drink this cup. You have been saved to go out 
into this world and to shine as lights in a crooked and perverse 
generation. You have been saved in order 
to direct sinners to consider the glory and the majesty of 
God. You may not be a preacher. You 
may not stand on the steps downtown and proclaim this gospel. But 
the idea is simple. When someone looks at you and 
they say, wow, God saved you, there must be hope and mercy 
for me. It's like trophies, right? You ever been to somebody's house 
and they had trophies? Maybe it's a bowling trophy, 
or maybe it's a baseball trophy, or it's a football trophy, or 
here in Canada, it could be a curling trophy. They got a broom, a figurine 
with a broom. When you see that trophy, do 
you glorify the trophy? Do you bow before the trophy? 
Do you recognize its majesty? Do you recognize its excellence? No. The trophy reflects something 
about the one who won it. You say to your pal, you say 
to your friend, you say to your neighbor, wow, you must be a 
great curler, you must be fantastic at golf, you must be splendid 
at baseball, because this trophy standing on your mantle testifies 
that there is something about you, there's a quality about 
you that is consonant with this trophy. That's how God's people 
are. When people see that wretches 
like us are actually Christians, when people see that wretches 
like us are actually saved and heaven-bound, who are they giving 
glory to? Or they should be giving glory 
to is God. They ought to say, there is hope, 
there is mercy, there is grace to be had in that wonderful message 
concerning Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There is forgiveness 
with you that you may be feared. You see, strict justice, pardoning 
mercy results in gospel fear. That's what the psalmist is rehearsing 
in Psalm 130. He casts himself upon the living 
God. I wait for the Lord. My soul 
waits. And in his word, I do hope. It 
is the word of God. It is that revelation of God. It is the speaking God that we 
worship. Remember that Israel, the old 
covenant nation, was a people of the word. They were forbidden 
of making images. You saw no form on Horeb, but 
rather you heard the Word. You see, the people of God who 
have come into contact with the living God, who have received 
this forgiveness of sins, who hearts are framed to fear the 
Lord, are a people who hope in His Word. He says, My soul waits 
for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning. Yes, 
more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in 
the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy. Beautiful statement. I defy anyone who ever says, 
Oh, that Old Testament is only filled with wrath and with judgment 
and with God killing people. When God gives a revelation of 
His glory to Moses, what does He show him? He shows him His 
grace. He shows him His compassion. 
He shows him His long-suffering. He shows him and underscores 
this truth, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will 
have compassion on whom I have compassion. The sweet psalmist 
of Israel here says, In Yahweh, for with Him there is mercy, 
and with Him is abundant redemption. It's good news for abundant sinners, 
isn't it? We need abundant redemption because 
of our abundant sin. We need abundant grace because 
of our abundant wickedness. Isn't this what Paul rehearses 
in 1 Timothy 1? His exceedingly abundant grace. Essentially, he says, overwhelm 
my sin. And then he speaks this statement 
with confidence. A confidence that we see fleshed 
out in that passage we read. from Revelation chapter 5, and 
he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. The Lord God 
Almighty has purpose to save a great multitude that no man 
can number. In the New Covenant, we learn 
that that body, that group, that people are called the Israel 
of God. They are made up from every tribe, 
and every tongue, and every people, and every nation, consistent 
with the promise to Father Abraham. Look to the north, look to the 
south, look to the east, look to the west. I am giving you 
this for your inheritance. In you all the nations of the 
earth shall be blessed. In you all the families of the 
earth shall be blessed. Well, lo, in the fullness of 
the time God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the 
law, to redeem those under the law. So you see, the psalmist 
understands not only experientially for himself, but he understands 
experientially for the Church that God Most High is going to 
redeem His people. Brethren, let us feast tonight 
in the reality that if God should mark iniquities, none of us could 
stand. But we have received forgiveness, 
and may we indeed respond in the fear of the Lord and in service 
to our great and holy God. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, 
we thank you for your word and we thank you for these statements 
concerning your character, your nature. We thank you for that 
blessed reality that there is forgiveness with you, that you 
may be feared. We know, God, those who have 
tasted and seen that you are good, those who have received 
and rested upon Christ will be those who fear the Lord. God, 
increase that fear. Increase our reverence. Increase 
our worship. Increase our delight and desire 
in you. God help us always to remember 
that our salvation is because of Jesus. It's what he's done 
on our behalf. And our Father, as we eat this 
bread and as we drink this cup, let us indeed proclaim the Lord's 
death until he comes. And we pray through Christ's 
name. Amen.