On the subject of confessing our sins, many Christians fall into one in every of two errors — each of which steal pleasure, disrupt peace, and undermine assurance.
On one facet are these we would name non-confessors, Christians who hardly ever confess particular sins to God. Possibly the reason being theological: “Christ has already lined all my sins, so why maintain confessing them?” Or possibly, having a skinny grasp of grace, they can’t endure the publicity and disgrace confession brings. Or possibly they merely don’t take the time to pause, look at themselves, and convey their sins earlier than God. Both manner, they seldom say something like, “Father, I’ve lusted” — or gossiped, envied, overeaten, fumed — “and I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
On the opposite facet (a facet I do know effectively) are these we would name repeat confessors, Christians who convey the identical second repeatedly earlier than God, repeatedly asking for forgiveness. They sin, they really feel conviction, they confess — but they nonetheless really feel unforgiven. So, they confess once more slightly later, after which once more, maybe three or 4 (or extra) occasions, simply to be secure and certain. As typically as not, nevertheless, their repeated confessions do little to blunt the sharp blade of conviction. Their guilt is a demon solely time can forged out.
To each sorts of Christians, Psalm 32 speaks a wanted and blessed phrase. “Confess,” it says to the primary group, “and obtain once more the reward of God’s pardon.” “Confess as soon as,” it says to the second group, “and pay attention for the shouts of God’s mercy.”
Following the psalm, we would describe wholesome confession in 4 components: Heed God’s hand. Title your sins. Obtain God’s forgiveness. Be glad in him.
1. Heed God’s Hand
Day and night time your hand was heavy upon me. (Psalm 32:4)
Psalm 32 sings of sins forgiven and guilt forgotten, of a King who reigns in grace and welcomes sinners with favor. However early within the psalm, David additionally laments the sorrows of those that, for no matter motive, refuse to stroll by way of the one door that results in such joys: confession. Wanting again to his personal season of unconfessed sin, David writes, “I saved silent” (Psalm 32:3). And what a depressing silence it was.
David doesn’t share his particular sin with us, nor does he say how lengthy his silence lasted. However he does inform us that his unconfessed sin started sabotaging each soul and physique, turning his bones brittle and sapping his power, dogging him by day and mendacity down with him at night time (Psalm 32:3–4). The Lord’s hand lay heavy upon him.
You probably know one thing of the sensation. A shameful remark escapes your mouth, possibly, or a twisted thought tempts you into darkish locations, or a session of scrolling sends you spiraling into jealousy or self-pity. For an hour, a couple of minutes, even a second, you flip away out of your God. Then guilt rises — however you instantly smother the sensation. No, you say to your self, that wasn’t sin. Or possibly Sure, it was sin, however let’s simply transfer on. However you possibly can’t transfer on. Time passes. Conscience presses. Consideration fails. Sleep flees. “Your hand was heavy upon me” (Psalm 32:4).
And then you definately keep in mind: this hand, this heaviness, is mercy. Your offended God has not left you alone, has not handed you over and allowed sin to sear your conscience. He disturbs you as a result of he loves you. He disrupts your peace to remind you of your disrupted communion with him — and to ask you again. He calls you to admit.
“Confession is God’s personal reward for restoring communion with God.”
Some, to make certain, endure from an overactive conscience that smites them when God doesn’t. For such Christians, distinguishing between God’s hand and their very own hand (or Devil’s hand, for that matter) takes knowledge and counsel from others. However many people, particularly those that confess sin much less typically, can study from David to heed God’s hand, nevertheless evenly or closely it rests upon us. And we will let that hand lead us to what David does subsequent.
2. Title Your Sins
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I didn’t cowl my iniquity; I mentioned, “I’ll confess my transgressions to the Lord.” (Psalm 32:5)
David could have remained silent in his sin for much too lengthy, however as soon as he opens his mouth, he doesn’t maintain again. In a single verse, David makes use of three teams of three to press upon us the honesty and earnestness of his confession.
Be aware, first, the threefold repetition of my: “my sin . . . my iniquity . . . my transgressions.” Regardless of the extenuating circumstances, and whoever else could have been responsible as effectively, David is aware of that his sins are his, and so he owns them with out excuse. In an echo of Nathan’s rebuke, he says earlier than God, “I am the person” (2 Samuel 12:7).
Second, take into account the three phrases he attaches to his deeply private guilt: sin, iniquity, and transgressions. David wouldn’t (as we so typically do) name sexual immorality “stumbling,” or hatred “irritation,” or lies “errors.” He takes biblical phrases upon his lips and names his guilt as God does. Many have described confession as agreeing with God about our sin — and so David does right here. Every phrase is blunt, humbling, unvarnished, and true.
Third, observe the 3 ways David describes his speech towards God: “I acknowledged . . . I didn’t cowl . . . I’ll confess.” He doesn’t mumble his “I’m sorry”; he doesn’t deal with God distractedly. As an alternative, he totally, freely, and thoughtfully exposes his coronary heart earlier than God.
A confession like David’s is likely to be quick or lengthy; it would take many phrases or few. The specifics will rely, partly, on the severity of our sin and the size of our silence. However whether or not quick or lengthy, the hot button is to look our sin full within the face and confess its ugliness outright. David offers significantly together with his sin right here. And he discovers, as Charles Spurgeon as soon as mentioned, “Once we deal significantly with our sin, God will deal gently with us.”
3. Obtain God’s Forgiveness
You forgave the iniquity of my sin. (Psalm 32:5)
David has now confessed. He has ended his cussed silence, bowed his weary head, and named his sins earlier than God. After which, into the quiet of his confession comes a response as gorgeous as it’s easy: “You forgave.” God forgave — similar to that? Identical to that the heavy hand was lifted? Sure, similar to that. David could have waited to admit; God didn’t wait to forgive.
We all know from David’s different psalms (like Psalm 51) that a while could go earlier than we really feel totally forgiven. We additionally know from David’s life that God’s forgiveness doesn’t all the time take away deeply painful penalties (as with Bathsheba and Uriah). However on this psalm, David would have us keep in mind and embrace the promise virtually too fantastic to be true: God is able to forgive as rapidly as we confess. He wants no lengthy penance; he requires no probation. Our confession and his pardon belong in the exact same verse (Psalm 32:5).
The transient finish of verse 5 — “you forgave the iniquity of my sin” — pithily stresses the purpose. However for these liable to linger in guilt even after earnest, open confession, David captures God’s forgiveness from a number of different angles as effectively. Certainly, as diversified as Scripture is in its vocabulary of human evil (sin, iniquity, transgressions, and extra), we discover simply as many descriptions of divine mercy.
“David could have waited to admit; God didn’t wait to forgive.”
If we really feel burdened, heavy laden with guilt, he forgives (a phrase meaning “to hold away”). If our sin appears to face boldly earlier than us, he covers it (Psalm 32:1). If we can’t overlook our former failures, he pledges to not depend them as we do (Psalm 32:2). Once we really feel uncovered, he’s our hiding place; when endangered, he preserves us; when besieged with accusations, he surrounds us with shouts of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).
We now have no guilt for which God has not a corresponding grace. For in Jesus Christ (the Messiah David hoped in however didn’t but know by identify), God has eternally out-mercied our sin.
4. Be Glad in Him
Be glad within the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for pleasure, all you upright in coronary heart! (Psalm 32:11)
David, freshly forgiven, ends his psalm with a shout of pleasure. And anybody who has felt deep guilt cleaned can perceive why: the forgiveness of sin brings a larger freedom than any prisoner has felt upon launch, even when confined for all times. But take into account David’s ultimate line carefully, and you will note that his highest pleasure comes from one thing even larger than forgiveness.
A forgiven husband rejoices not merely within the absence of guilt however within the restored presence of his spouse. A forgiven pal offers thanks not just for these phrases, “I forgive you,” however for the following days of misplaced friendship discovered. And a forgiven Christian sings not merely of a clear conscience however of a reconciled God. We’re “glad,” David says — in forgiveness, sure, however way more deeply “within the Lord” (Psalm 32:11).
Confession, in different phrases, is God’s personal reward for restoring communion with God. Confession is a doorway out of distress, the prodigal’s path residence, a river that appears black as loss of life however lifts us onto brighter shores.
If we consider as a lot, then we’ll rapidly heed the hand of God that bends us to our knees. We are going to identify our sins, starkly and thoughtfully and with out excuse. We are going to obtain God’s forgiveness, believing him to be pretty much as good as he says and as variety as he guarantees. And we shall be glad in him, the God who condemned our sin on the cross and now delights to forged it from us so far as east from west.
