THE CONSOLATION OF CONFESSION
Text: I John 1: 9; Ps.32: 5
Intro: As you listened to that title you may have thought to yourself that the ideas of consolation and confession simply don’t go together. After all, we don’t normally think of confession in a positive light.
The idea of confession often conjures up thoughts of having to reveal embarrassing or incriminating facts. We would not usually see that occurrence as consoling. However, there is a certain consolation or relief that comes from getting things out of the shadows and into the light.
For one thing, confession helps relieve the weight of guilt. As long as the matter stays hidden, one must carry the weight alone. That generally results in insecurity being added to the weight of the guilt—not to mention self-hatred.
Secondly, keeping wrongs hidden requires a lot of emotional energy. Confession negates the need for that expenditure of energy. This can be seen in the fact that often, when lawbreakers have been on the run for a long period of time, and are finally captured, some actually express relief that the chase is finally over—no more acting or pretending is needed—no more looking over ones shoulder.
King David learned that there is consolation in confession of sin. As we look into Psalm 32, we will find out why David thought it better to confess his sin than to conceal it.
Theme: From his experience, David had learned:
I. THE BLESSEDNESS OF FORGIVENESS
A. The Horrible State Of The Guilty Sinner.
1. Sin is rebellious in nature.
Ps.32: 1a “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven…”
NOTE: [1] “Transgression means willful disobedience or rebellion…” (Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 507).
[2] It is certainly possible to sin unknowingly and unintentionally. But in most cases, our sin is the result of selfish and rebellious choices. James said, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4: 17).
[3] Some folks come into God’s house on Sundays and act like nothing is wrong, when they know they aren’t right with God. They sing the hymns, bow their head in prayer, and listen to the message, but they are in rebellion against God.
Elisabeth Elliot, at Urbana 76, told of her brother Thomas Howard. Their mother let him play with paper bags she’d saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor. Tom was out at the piano with his father singing hymns. When confronted, he protested, “But Mom, I want to sing.” His father stated, “It’s no good singing God’s praise if you’re disobedient.”
Source unknown
2. Sin violates God’s righteous standard.
Ps.32: 1b “…whose sin is covered.”
NOTE: [1] The word “sin” means, “to miss the mark” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Most Expensive Thing In The World, a pamphlet published by Back To The Bible Publication, Lincoln, Nebraska; pgs. 12 & 13).
[2] Any time we fall short of God’s righteous standard (and we all do from time to time), we “miss the mark,” just like an arrow that falls short of its intended target. The Apostle John said, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3: 4). The “law” referred to hear is not the Ten Commandments, but is a reference to God’s righteous standard in general.
3. Sin stems from our old nature, which is totally perverse.
Ps.32: 2a “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord inputeth not iniquity…”
NOTE: [1] “Iniquity implies twistedness or perversity…” (Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 507).
[2] As Wiersbe notes, “‘Iniquity’ refers to the crookedness of sin. There is something devious and crooked about sin” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Most Expensive Thing In The World, a pamphlet published by Back To The Bible Publication, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 12).
4. Sin is deceptive in nature.
Ps.32: 2b “…in whose spirit is no guile.”
NOTE: [1] The word “guile” refers to “…treachery: —deceit…” (James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, published by MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia; #7423 of the Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, pg. 109).
Heb.3: 13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
[2] Far too many people are deceived about the danger of sin. Take it too lightly, and it may destroy you.
What happened to the great city of Ephesus? Often mentioned in the New Testament, it was one of the cultural and commercial centers of its day. Located at the mouth of the Cayster River, it was noted for its bustling harbors, its broad avenues, its gymnasiums, its baths, its huge amphitheater, and especially its magnificent Temple of Diana. What happened to bring about its gradual decline until its harbor was no longer crowded with ships and the city was no longer a flourishing metropolis?
Was it smitten by plagues, destroyed by enemies, or demolished by earthquakes? No, silt was the reason for its downfall—silent and non-violent silt. Over the years, fine sedimentary particles slowly filled up the harbor, separating the city from the economic life of the sea traders.
Little evil practices, little acts of disobedience may seem harmless. But let the silt of sin gradually accumulate, and we will find ourselves far from God. Life will become a spiritual ruin. In the book of Hebrews we are warned of the danger of “the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13). James said that the attractive pleasures of sin are really a mask covering death (1:15).
God forbid that we let the silt of sin accumulate in our lives! – VCG
Our Daily Bread, September 24, 1998
5. Sin makes one spiritually unclean.
Ps.32: 1b “…whose sin is covered.”
NOTE: [1] The word “covered” looks back to Deut.23: 13 & 14, where God told the Israelites that all their refuse had to be buried out of sight and covered from view. This was due to the fact that God’s very presence was among them. God was seeking to impress upon His people the filthiness of sin, as well as the awesomeness of His purity.
[2] We cannot bury our spiritual refuse out of God’s sight. Therefore it must be taken away. Only the blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary can accomplish that. Again, the Apostle John says, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1: 7b).
B. The Happy State Of The Forgiven Sinner.
Ps.32: 1 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”
NOTE: Twice, David tells us that the man, who gets right with God about his sin, is “blessed.” The Amplified Bible translates this word as, “…happy, fortunate [to be envied]…” (The Lockman Foundation, The Amplified Bible, published by Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan; from The Amplified Old Testament, pg. 631).
Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, “What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me.”
John Stott in The Contemporary Christian
II. THE BURDEN OF FAULT
A. The Guilt Of Unconfessed Sin Can Affect Ones Health.
Ps.32: 3 “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.”
NOTE: [1] The idea of the words “when I kept silence” is “when I ‘refused to admit or confess my sin’” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Most Expensive Thing In The World, a pamphlet published by Back To The Bible Publication, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 16).
[2] The words “my bones waxed old” is David’s way of saying that when he had unconfessed sin in his life, it sapped his youthfulness—it caused him to grow old before his time. This can often be observed in the sin-hardened faces of many people of our day.
[3] Hidden guilt in ones heart can affect the body. Wiersbe notes:
We are finding out that guilt buried deep within the human personality can be the cause of nervousness, backaches, heart trouble and ulcers (Ibid, pg. 17).
[4] David alluded to this same idea in Ps.31: 10b, where he said, “…my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.”
B. The Guilt Of Unconfessed Sin Can Be Emotionally Heavy.
1. David spoke of the unrelenting weight of the guilt of sin.
Ps.32: 3 “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4a For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me…”
NOTE: [1] The word “roaring” speaks of a rumbling or moan caused by being under a great load. David went on to mention that the heavy hand of God’s conviction was upon him every day that he remained in an unrepentant state.
[2] Back in verse one, the word “forgiven” alludes to the weight of sin. The Hebrew word from which it is translated means, “to lift” (James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible, published by MacDonald Publishing Company, McLean, Virginia; #5375 of the Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, pg. 80).
[3] The thoughts just discussed remind us of the words of the writer of Hebrews, who said, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…” (Heb.12: 1a).
[4] Oh that we would always remember that confession of sin sets us free.
A preacher of the early 1900s said that when he was 12 years old he had killed one of the family geese by throwing a stone and hitting it squarely on the head. Figuring his parents wouldn’t notice that one of the 24 birds was missing, he buried the dead fowl.
But that evening his sister called him aside and said, “I saw what you did. If you don’t offer to do the dishes tonight, I’ll tell Mother.”
The next morning she gave him the same warning. All that day and the next the frightened boy felt bound to do the dishes.
The following morning, however, he surprised his sister by telling her it was her turn. When she quietly reminded him of what she could do, he replied, “I’ve already told Mother, and she has forgiven me. Now you do the dishes. I’m free again!”
Source unknown
2. David’s guilt sort of emotionally burned him out.
Ps.32: 4b “…my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.”
NOTE: The word “moisture” means, “freshness” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Most Expensive Thing In The World, a pamphlet published by Back To The Bible Publication, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 17). As long as David was right with God, his life had purpose and freshness. But when he carried unconfessed sin in his heart, his relationship with God dried up.
III. THE BENEFIT OF FORTHRIGHTNESS
NOTE: Christians need to get honest with God. It may appear scary at first, but actually, there’s great benefit in it.
Two fellows opened a butcher shop and prospered. Then an evangelist came to town, and one of the butchers was saved. He tried to persuade his partner to accept salvation also, but to no avail. “Why won’t you, Charlie?” asked the born-again fellow.“
Listen, Lester,” the other butcher said. “If I get religion, too, who’s going to weigh the meat?”
James Dent of Charleston, W. Va., Gazette
A. Confession Brings Forgiveness.
Ps.32: 5 “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”
I John 1: 9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
B. Confession Brings Favor.
Ps.32: 6 “For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
C. Confession Requires Humbling The Flesh.
Ps.32: 9 “Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”
Theme: From his experience, David had learned:
I. THE BLESSEDNESS OF FORGIVENESS
II. THE BURDEN OF FAULT
III. THE BENEFIT OF FORTHRIGHTNESS
