“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.” (Psalm 32:5, NIV84)
There is a serious problem among many in this world. I hope this problem does not extend to you. People refuse to admit their sins. They are too prideful to ask for forgiveness. Some blame others. Some can’t admit they are wrong. Some won’t face up to their errors in judgment. Some refuse to believe God grants forgiveness. All too many don’t even believe in a gracious God.
The news reports are full of this brazen sinfulness.
A black woman struck a white woman when she passed by. After she was charged, she claimed that the white woman deserved it for being white. She refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing saying that the white woman deserved it out of “white privilege”. The act was racist. It was vengeful. It was hateful. Her response is arrogant. She feels her violence is justified. She refuses to admit any sinful behavior.
A grandmother and grandfather objected to the overtly sexual relationship between their 16-year-old granddaughter and her 19-year-old boyfriend. The young couple had enough. They beat the two elderly grandparents to death with a hammer and baseball bat saying later that they “basically had enough” of them. They also planned other murders of family members with whom they had disagreements. Then, they invited friends over to “party” at that very house while the bodies of the dead grandparents rotted in another room. The two young lovers were eventually caught and charged when they attacked other family members, could not cover up the smell of death, nor could explain the whereabouts of the elderly couple. But the young couple has no remorse to this day for the murders.
A lawyer was given “special perks” for purposefully charging and taking to court persons deemed a threat to those with political grudges. This lawyer was promoted multiple times for such personal attacks. She sees her actions as justified as the people were found guilty of minor offenses, though they never would have been charged if not for her self-serving bias.
A young woman talked her boyfriend into killing himself. She grew sick and tired of his depression and told him to just “end it and get it over with and stop complaining”. He did commit suicide just after her words. To this day, she sees nothing wrong in her actions, claiming he would have just “offed himself” someday anyway.
A Christian woman moved in to “aid her aging parents” as they dealt with multiple debilitating illnesses. While “caring” for them, she slowly but effectively emptied their bank accounts. When accused by other family members of stealing, the woman claimed she deserved the money for all her help and her parents wanted dearly to give it to her. Now, her parents have little money left and are in a nursing home. The Christian woman has moved on, blaming her sisters for “sibling rivalry”.
There are billions of big and little ways that people sin. While the faithful confess their sin, many people refuse to admit their culpability in sinful behavior. They explain the sin away. They blame others. They refuse to take responsibility. They ignore the consequences.
Don’t let this be you.
In Psalm 32, the author “acknowledged his sin” to God (32:5). He came clean. He did not hide behind lies or explain away his responsibility. He openly admitted his error, “confessing his transgressions to the Lord”. What happened next? Psalm 32:5 ends with that tidbit: God “forgave the guilt of his sin”. What would have happened if he had refused to admit his sin? What would have happened if he neglected to confess his sin to God? Based on the words of this verse, it is easy to surmise that his “guilt” or “iniquity” or “sinfulness” would still hang over his head. Forgiveness and grace would not occur.
That is the problem with being too prideful about your sin or trying to ignore your responsibility in sinful behavior. When you do not confess your sin, you cannot be forgiven. Grace from God does not free you. Your “sin guilt” remains with you. You cannot get away from it. It hangs over your life like a dark cloud. You will never feel forgiveness and peace with that past.
Many people walk around with sin-guilt hanging over them. Even Christians are living with unforgiven sin. All unrepentant sinners have wrecked the lives of others, blamed the innocent, shamed the good person, and darkened the heart of the guiltless. Along with pleading their purity, these sinful people have foisted their guilt upon others. Others are paying for their own sinful behavior. Our world is constantly darkened by their refusal to confess their sin to God and their subsequent rejection of forgiveness and grace.
Ever wonder why our world is full of sin, treachery, violence, and pain? Behind every single negative thing in the world is this refusal to confess one’s sin and come back to God. Forgiveness and grace the world over are stunted by the prideful sinner with the hardened heart.
Are you “fessed up”? Have you offered up your sin to Almighty God? Have you been faithful in accepting God’s forgiveness and grace? Let no cloud of past iniquity hang over you today!
The news reports are full of this brazen sinfulness.
A black woman struck a white woman when she passed by. After she was charged, she claimed that the white woman deserved it for being white. She refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing saying that the white woman deserved it out of “white privilege”. The act was racist. It was vengeful. It was hateful. Her response is arrogant. She feels her violence is justified. She refuses to admit any sinful behavior.
A grandmother and grandfather objected to the overtly sexual relationship between their 16-year-old granddaughter and her 19-year-old boyfriend. The young couple had enough. They beat the two elderly grandparents to death with a hammer and baseball bat saying later that they “basically had enough” of them. They also planned other murders of family members with whom they had disagreements. Then, they invited friends over to “party” at that very house while the bodies of the dead grandparents rotted in another room. The two young lovers were eventually caught and charged when they attacked other family members, could not cover up the smell of death, nor could explain the whereabouts of the elderly couple. But the young couple has no remorse to this day for the murders.
A lawyer was given “special perks” for purposefully charging and taking to court persons deemed a threat to those with political grudges. This lawyer was promoted multiple times for such personal attacks. She sees her actions as justified as the people were found guilty of minor offenses, though they never would have been charged if not for her self-serving bias.
A young woman talked her boyfriend into killing himself. She grew sick and tired of his depression and told him to just “end it and get it over with and stop complaining”. He did commit suicide just after her words. To this day, she sees nothing wrong in her actions, claiming he would have just “offed himself” someday anyway.
A Christian woman moved in to “aid her aging parents” as they dealt with multiple debilitating illnesses. While “caring” for them, she slowly but effectively emptied their bank accounts. When accused by other family members of stealing, the woman claimed she deserved the money for all her help and her parents wanted dearly to give it to her. Now, her parents have little money left and are in a nursing home. The Christian woman has moved on, blaming her sisters for “sibling rivalry”.
There are billions of big and little ways that people sin. While the faithful confess their sin, many people refuse to admit their culpability in sinful behavior. They explain the sin away. They blame others. They refuse to take responsibility. They ignore the consequences.
Don’t let this be you.
In Psalm 32, the author “acknowledged his sin” to God (32:5). He came clean. He did not hide behind lies or explain away his responsibility. He openly admitted his error, “confessing his transgressions to the Lord”. What happened next? Psalm 32:5 ends with that tidbit: God “forgave the guilt of his sin”. What would have happened if he had refused to admit his sin? What would have happened if he neglected to confess his sin to God? Based on the words of this verse, it is easy to surmise that his “guilt” or “iniquity” or “sinfulness” would still hang over his head. Forgiveness and grace would not occur.
That is the problem with being too prideful about your sin or trying to ignore your responsibility in sinful behavior. When you do not confess your sin, you cannot be forgiven. Grace from God does not free you. Your “sin guilt” remains with you. You cannot get away from it. It hangs over your life like a dark cloud. You will never feel forgiveness and peace with that past.
Many people walk around with sin-guilt hanging over them. Even Christians are living with unforgiven sin. All unrepentant sinners have wrecked the lives of others, blamed the innocent, shamed the good person, and darkened the heart of the guiltless. Along with pleading their purity, these sinful people have foisted their guilt upon others. Others are paying for their own sinful behavior. Our world is constantly darkened by their refusal to confess their sin to God and their subsequent rejection of forgiveness and grace.
Ever wonder why our world is full of sin, treachery, violence, and pain? Behind every single negative thing in the world is this refusal to confess one’s sin and come back to God. Forgiveness and grace the world over are stunted by the prideful sinner with the hardened heart.
Are you “fessed up”? Have you offered up your sin to Almighty God? Have you been faithful in accepting God’s forgiveness and grace? Let no cloud of past iniquity hang over you today!