Have Mercy on Me, O God: Psalm 51:1-4

The Trails Church

Psalm 51 is the prayer of a soul that is aware of its depths of sin and desperate need of God’s grace. These first four verses cast every hope of forgiveness on God’s mercy in ‘repentant faith.’3 The lyrics remind us about the trappings of sin, instruct us what to do with our sin, and teach us how to restore fellowship with God. As we will hear, the theme of this song is not sin. The theme of this song is mercy. I have entitled this first sermon on Psalm 51, “Have Mercy on Me, O God.” We will divide the text into three sections: 1. The Story Behind the Song, 2. The Heart of God Toward Sinners, 3. The Heart of Genuine Repentance.