WASHING OFF THE GRIME OF GUILT
Navigating the Bumps of Life - Week 3
PSALM 32
INTRODUCTION:
The story is told that Noel Coward, the well known playwright, as a prank, once sent an identical anonymous letter to 10 notable men in London. The note said, "We know what you have done. If you don’t want to be exposed, leave town." Within 6 months, all 10 men that received the letter, moved! Now, that was a terrible prank, but it show the awesome power of guilt. Guilt is a horrible burden to bear and some have such a heavy grime on our spirits that nothing seems to be able to remove it. Well, as we continue looking at how to navigate through the bumps of life our Psalm today gives us some hope and help in conquering this powerful problem.
Before we get too deeply into this topic it is important to understand our Psalm. This is a song written by a man named David. David was a shepherd boy who was favored by God and became one of the most well known and successful Kings of Israel. David was a good man. In fact, the Bible describes him as a “man after God’s own heart.”(1 Sam. 13:14 NLT) But, as good as David was he was far from perfect and he knew guilt. In fact, Psalm 32 is a song that describes his own personal experience.
David’s worst time came after he was king. David’s troops are out to war and David should of been with them but wasn’t. And one evening while walking on his porch he sees a beautiful woman bathing. Now, I’ve often wondered what a woman is doing bathing where she can be seen but nevertheless, David likes what he sees and calls her to his palace. Now, both David and this woman, who’s name is Bathsheba, are married but it doesn’t matter and their lust is consummated by committing adultery. It isn’t long until David begins to reap what he has sown as Bathsheba tells him that she is pregnant with his child. He knows he is wrong and tries desperately to cover up. He calls her faithful husband, Uriah, in from the battle field to spend the weekend with his wife, thus in a timely fashion, making him think when the baby is born, that it is his. But Uriah, is too faithful, both to his wife and the King, will not go to his wife, because he will not seek pleasure while his fellow troops fight for the King. Now, what do you do with a faithful soldier? What do you do with a pregnant mistress? Well, right out of today’s headlines, David conspires to have Uriah killed. The King sends Uriah back to battle with secret orders. The orders tell the captain of the army that Uriah is a traitor and he is to be put in the hottest part of the battle and then left.. That’s what happened and Uriah is killed. It was premeditated murder of the worst kind. David: an adulteress and murder!
A year goes by. The secret of David’s sin seems, covered beneath the blanket of time. But what was a secret sin on earth is an open scandal in heaven and so God sends the prophet Nathan to confront the King. Nathan tells him that God knows what he has done and David, being confronted with his evil deeds, falls to his face and cries, "I have sinned!" You can hear the anguish of his guilt in Psalm 51 which is where David finally cries out in guilt. In fact, when you read Psalm 51 you almost feel like you are intruding into David’s private prayer room when you hear him cry out: "Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my shameful deeds - they haunt me day and night."(Psa 51:2-3 NLT) Here in Psa 32, which is written after that anguish, that we find that David has been able to wash off the grime of his guilt and his peace of mind restored. So let’s use David’s situation and learn about the power of guilt but also see that David was freed from his guilt. My prayer is after seeing what God has to say about this “bump” that we can sing confidently, like David did in vs:7.. "You are my hiding place, you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory."
I. THE EXPLANATION OF GUILT: Vss:1-2
First, let’s look at the explanations for our guilt. What causes guilt? Did you notice in the first two verses of this Psalm? The primary reason for guilt is disobedience. David says, in vss:1-2: Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! When David finally repented of his sin of adultery and murder he cried out: "Wipe out my offenses, purge me from every stain of guilt." (Psa 51:1 Moffat) You see, God has given to us, the ability to recognize right from wrong.
In fact, some guilt can be good, if it will motivate us to seek God. God can use guilt to move us to change for the better. It is true that when someone has a lack of guilt, they have no motivation to abide by God’s commands. God created in each of us what we call a "conscience," an emotional mechanism that causes us to feel remorse for wrong behavior. Now, the Bible tells us it is possible, through repeated acts of sin to become so hard that we no longer feel guilty even when we should. 1 Tim 4:2 talks about people who have had their "consciences seared as with a hot iron."(NIV) So, we are warned to be sensitive to what God has given us because we can get to a point after repeated sin that guilt is no longer felt. The worst criminal to deal with is a sociopath, a person who can do terrible things and feel no remorse or guilt. Their consciences have been seared. So, if you have sinned and not repented then you should feel guilt. In fact, I’ll even go so far to say you should be thankful for guilt. Because, like the heat from a hot stove burner, guilt can keep you from getting burned. God is using that emotion to motivate you to walk closer to Him.
But, here’s the problem for many. They acknowledge their sin, they ask for forgiveness and yet there remains a lingering guilt that oppresses them. That is not what God wants. David begins this Psalm by saying there is “joy” in being forgiven. Joy, not guilt. Let’s look more closely at the words David uses to describe his sin in Psalm 32. Because in describing his sin, he is saying that there is no disobedience, no matter it’s severity, no matter its type, that cannot be washed away and forgiven. He describes sin with 3 different words. You might want to circle these in the text.
(1) “Rebellion.” This word carries with it the connotation of willful disobedience. You know what is right but you do the wrong anyway. David certainly knew adultery and murder was wrong, but he wanted the girl, so he willfully & rebelliously took her. And sometimes, after we suffer the consequences of our sin, we say things like, "I knew it was wrong, why did I do it?"( 2) in verse 1 is “Sin.” This word means "to miss the mark," "to deviate from the wrong path." Different from rebellion in that you didn’t plan it. This was a word used in archery when your arrow missed its intended target. Certainly David missed God’s mark for marriage in his sin with Bathsheba and his respect for life in the murder of Uriah. (3) vs:2 “Sin” that literally means: “deceit.” Is it any wonder David uses this word? What deceitfulness he used in having Bathsheba’s husband killed and then marrying her as if everything was above board and natural. But there is also in this word a surprise. This Hebrew word carries with it the connotation of self-deception. Isn’t it ironic that while we are in sin, we think we’ve have things under control, we can tell “relational lies”to our own heart. It’s what one preacher calls "Stinkin Thinkin." Because it is only later that we realize that the biggest fool in all of our plans was ourselves. But the good news here is that David says that God will forgive all sin. From the deliberate, to the deviation, to the outright treacherous, God will purge it all.
II. THE EFFECTS OF GUILT: Psalm 32:3-4
So, the question is not what kind of sin have we committed but how do you deal with your wrong doing? Because guilt can have terrible effects.
1. Guilt destroys our confidence. Guilt can make us feel insecure because we’re always worried that someone is going to find out what we’re really like, or what we’ve really done. Police officers will tell you that some of their biggest arrests were because they stopped someone for a minor violation and the person ran because they thought the police knew about their bigger crime. That’s exactly the picture described in Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions.” How would you respond if you received the note from Noel Coward that we mentioned earlier? Would you have moved? You say, "Not me, I wouldn’t feel intimidated." Really? Think about the last time you looked in your rear view mirror and saw a police officer? Get a little anxious? Heart beat a little faster? Guilt can destroy your confidence.
2. Guilt demolishes our relationships. When we live with unconfessed sin we can respond to people in wrong ways. When we have done something wrong we often feel vulnerable and will do anything not to get caught. I love the story in the Readers Digest some years ago about a woman who drove 20 miles to see a friend. When she went out to her car after her visit, she realized she had locked her keys in it. She didn’t have an extra set and so contritely called her husband and he grudgingly agreed to drive the 20 miles to use his keys to unlock the car. The two women stood for 20 minutes or so beside the car talking when the friend looked down and noticed that the back passenger side door was unlocked. Her friend had forgotten to check the back doors. This was in the day where not everyone had a cell phone and the husband was already on his way with the keys. So, the friend said, "What are you going to do?" The woman said, "I’m going to do what any red blooded American wife would do." So she opened the door, locked it, and slammed it closed! How do you deal with the times you’ve hurt or made a mistake with another? Are you impatient with others? Do you find yourself reacting in anger? Reacting unreasonably? Are you pulling back from those you love? If so, there may be some guilt in your gut somewhere.
The most precious relationship that is hurt when we sin and don’t confess it is our relationship with God. David knew this all too well for he was a secret carrier. He carried his secret for over a year. Look what he says was happening to him as he lived this secret life. "When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable." David may have looked okay externally, he probably went through all his Kingly duties without missing a lick. But inside.. he was being eaten alive by his guilt. Why did he feel so miserable? Because God was using his guilt to get him to recognize the damage that was being done to their relationship. David says in vs:4 - “Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me..” Please understand that when you are laboring under unconfessed and non-repented sin, your spiritual life will suffer. Your relationship with the Lord cannot be the same. F.B. Meyer said, "Secret sin and inner peace with God cannot co-exist."
3. Guilt damages our bodies. David acknowledged that his guilt hurt him physically. He says in vs:4b- "My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat." Medical studies have shown that guilt will effect you physically. Medical evidence now shows that guilt causes higher stress, hypertension, gastritis, headaches, guilt has even been shown to be a contributing factor in heart attacks and strokes.
We know what David is talking about don’t we? I can certainly identify. There have been times in my life when I’ve been stubborn as it says in vs:10, and I’ve suffered the "sorrows that come to wicked." I’ve lied, I’ve lusted, I’ve disobeyed, I’ve missed the mark, and no one knew.. except me and Him. And God’s heavy hand has been on me too. Remembering the times in my life when I’ve been secret carrier, I bet David’s guilt showed at times. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lashed out at Bathsheba or was irritable and short with his subjects during this year of secret carrying. Gordon MacDonald, a Pastor and author who committed adultery and carried that secret says, "I’ve never forgotten the loneliness of those secret-carrying days. What energy you expend; what fear you experience; what prisons you make for yourself."
III. THE ESCAPE FROM GUILT: Psa. 32:5b-6-7; 10
So, what do we do? How do we escape? How do we wash off this grime of guilt? Well, first, recognize, as we mentioned earlier, that guilt is given by God to motivate us to turn from sin. We learn in vs:5 that David had the right reaction to his guilt. Vs:5a- “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them..." In other words, David came clean. The right kind of sorrow led him to see the need for change. David wasn’t just sorry because he had been caught. No, he was genuinely contrite, willing to turn away from his sin and turn back to God. So, the first step in washing off your guilt is to admit your sin. Say before God what David said in the last of vs:5: "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” Only then do you have a chance to be truly free. Gordon MacDonald wrote, "Yes, I know what it’s like to live with a secret. But having dissolved that secret before God, my loved ones, and the Church, I also know what it is like to live once again in the light."
But what do you do if you have turned from your sins, been sorry for the right reasons, changed.. and yet you still are oppressed by guilt? Well, something is wrong. God never intended for you to live with the grime of guilt always on you. So, let’s close by seeing what David said here in the rest of Psa. 32 about God’s promises and a couple of premises that we need to apply.
David gives three promises of God in this song that should help us see that.
(1) God promises that He will wash off your guilt. Vs::5- "I confessed all my sins to you... and you forgave me! All my guilt is gone." Please understand this. God does not just promise to forgive your sin, He promises He’ll erase your guilt!
(2) God promises He will give you His protection. Vss:7- "For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.” God wants to be your shelter. He truly does want what is best for you.
(3) God promises He will give you His guidance. Vs:8 The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’" Maybe the question here is, “Are you allowing Him to protect and deliver you?” Are you making yourself available to learn and then allow Him to shelter and guide you? Vs:9 says, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” Allow God to guide you... through His word and people who know God well. He promised He’ll do it if you’ll let Him.
(4) He will enclose you in His unfailing love. Vs:10- "..unfailing love surrounds those that trust the Lord." Please hear this: No matter how evil the deed, no matter how serious the hurt to others, no matter how base... God’s love will surround you if you will trust Him! What a set of beautiful promises! God is not some kind of peeved Deity, some heavenly brute who delights in whipping His children. No.. He is the One who promises forgiveness, protection and preservation.
That’s why it is important not only to see His promises but the premises that our escape from guilt is based on . So here are 3 considerations to help you better see yourself from God’s perspective and hopefully help you wash off the grime of guilt. (1) Consider the adversary’s part in guilt- he accuses. Satan`s name means accuser. Satan continually accuses so that you will feel condemned. His desire is to paralyze you. And so he whispers, “You’re not worth it.” “You’ve gone to far.” “There’s no forgiveness for that!” Don’t play his game. Tell him, “God forgives anything, and He’ll forgive me!” (Say that out loud together.)And then act like it.
(2) Consider God’s part in guilt- He will forgive and forget! This is such an important factor in releasing guilt. People cannot forget what they’ve done so they cannot conceive that God can. But will you listen to what God says? Heb.8:14- “I will forgive them for the wicked things they did, and I will not remember their sins anymore." (NCV) He will not remember. Here’s my favorite- Psa 103:12- "He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west." Think about that for a minute.. aren’t you glad He didn’t say, "As far as north is from south?" Because you can go north for awhile and then you reach the north pole and you start to go south. But have you ever heard of an east pole? No, you start going east and you can stay east forever! Only if you turn around will you be going west! So when God removes our sins as far as east is from west that means they are gone, completely gone. David is mentioned 57x in the NT but never once is his sin mentioned. Why? Because it was gone!
(3) Consider our part: confession - it cleanses. 1 John 1:9: "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." David understood that: 32:5: "Finally, I confessed my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them." Confession is the key. “Revealing is the beginning of healing.”Some of you have been dragging your sin around for a lifetime. Give it to God. Stop carrying it around. Maybe a part of the problem is you haven’t come to an understanding of the difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is feeling bad when you do something wrong. Shame is feeling that you are bad even after asking for forgiveness for the wrong doing. Do you see the subtle difference? If you sin, you should feel wrong. But after you turn from your sin you should no longer feel the shame because that’s like saying, "I can’t be forgiven.”
In the movie, The Mission, which is based on a true story, Robert DiNero plays Mendoza, a mercenary who has killed and enslaved the Guarani Indians for years. Finally, he recognizes how wrong he has been. He comes to Father Gabriel, played by Jeremy Irons, and confesses his sin. Father Gabriel tries to convince Mendoza that he can be forgiven. But Mendoza believes there can never be forgiveness for him. So, Father Gabriel has him to do penance by carrying around a net containing all the belonging of his past mercenary life, his weapons, his armor, which represent the burdens of his sin. Mendoza agrees but wants to drag those tools of sin to the Indians themselves, so they can kill him. He sees that as the only way to get rid of his guilt. So, they make a long, incredibly arduous journey, to what Mendoza believes will be his just execution. What Mendoza doesn’t know is that Father Gabriel has been teaching the Guarani’s about God’s forgiveness.
Video Clip - The Mission - VHS - 38:25 - 44:04 (5:39)
“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!”
Pray
{Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation unless otherwise noted}
**Idea: For this message we gave away 20 free car washes that were donated by a local merchant.
