Confession is an integral part of the Christian life. Though we endeavor daily to practice a lifestyle of righteousness, sin dwells within us nonetheless. Paul, who was an apostle of the Lord laments his desire to be rid of the old nature whose presence (like residue) was found within him competing for his affections and actions, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, (23) but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (24) Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:22-24). The Christian will always have sin until we enter the new creation to come, and this corrupt body is put away from us that Paul speaks of (1 Cor 15:50-58). Another spiritual reality is also true: unconfessed sin is a burden, like piles of bricks being stacked on a table until it ultimately buckles under its weight and collapses. This is the pressure David felt when he remained silent about his sin (cf., possibly a reference to when he committed adultery and murder, 2 Sam 11), which had a physiological impact on him, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. (4) For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (v3-4).
We often hear in the culture, “Oh, you just need to forgive yourself. That is what is stopping you from moving forward.” NO. Forgiving ourselves gains us nothing as it concerns true healing, nor will we find one tittle of scripture that advocates such a remedy. Only He which is perfect can forgive sins, and that is God alone. Only he can set us free through forgiveness and lift its burden, which is the reason David rejoices in God, “Blessed is the one who transgressions is forgiven, who sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (v1-2). We are commanded (like David) to “acknowledge” our sin to God because only he has the authority to forgive and is willing to do so through his steadfast love. As a result of these truths, David offers the following exhortations:
- Seek the Lord before it is too late. David says, “…let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;” Remember, we are in the last days which is also an era of grace. Through Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins is accessible to all who trust in him by faith. He calls upon those who are heavy laden by a life of sin to come to him (Mt 11:28-30). Further, unconfessed sin tends to have a “snowball” effect in lives. Bible teaches that God deals graciously with sinners. We do not want the weight of the sin we carry to begin to overwhelms us. David offers a promise that such day could be avoided by timely confession to God, “…surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him” (v6).
- Submit it the will of the Lord out of love. If the Christian lifestyle is one of confession, then repentance is its companion. David encourages that we should submit to God’s righteous way of living. We should obey out of love (Jn 14:15), not out of compulsion, thus he exhorts, “Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you” (v9).
We are gifted with experiencing God’s faithfulness when trust in Him who atones for our sins and justifies us in his righteousness. From David’s point of view, that is a reason to rejoice! “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Amen.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D.
www.springoflivingwaters.com