THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSON SEEKING FORGIVENESS

IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSON SEEKING FORGIVENESS

(Psalms 32:1-5)
Psalm 32 is a landmark passage about the way forgiveness works:
“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 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.”

First, to be forgiven is to be blessed beyond your wildest dreams, knowing that your Creator, the gracious Father above, is willing to forgive your mistakes and offenses. God is willing to not hold our sins against us. One’s record is wiped clean. No debt owed. Account settled.

We’ve got to comprehend the blessing of forgiveness because if we take God’s forgiveness for granted with an attitude that says: “Well, what else is God going to do? Isn’t that His job?” then we’ll never understand or appropriate the forgiveness of God, and there is not a chance we’ll be forgiving of others.

Notice the progression of the person’s heart in this passage: “my bones wasted away… my strength was sapped.” This is a person being “eaten up on the inside” as we sometimes say. Guilt will do that. And though it is hard to believe, the tortured conscience is a gift.

WHAT's THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PERSON SEEKING FORGIVENESS?
Verse 5: “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.”

When was the last time you tried to cover up your transgressions? Covering up is the unfortunate instinct of fallen human nature. Denying our faults and mess-ups seems to be the way of least pain, but it only adds pain to pain.
We are supposed to confess our wrongdoings. But to whom? The simple answer is: the person or persons whom we’ve wronged. Now in every instance, that is God. In Psalm 51, David’s heart-rending confession of his adultery with Bathsheba and arranging the death of her husband says: “against you, you only, have I sinned.” Of course, he had sinned against people-but the epicenter of the earthquake of our sins is always our detachment from God Himself. And so we confess to God.

We’re also supposed to confess our wrongdoings to the people we’ve wronged in many, but not all, circumstances. You have to judge the outcome. To say to your sister-in-law: “You know, I used to resent you all the time because I thought you were arrogant, but I’ve really learned how to tolerate you and to forgive your many shortcomings” may not be the most constructive thing to do. To confess to someone in your office that you’ve been attracted to him or her even though he or she is married is a confession best made between you and God.

But there are many times when a flat-out, humble-pie, heart-felt apology is the right thing to do. And if you know it’s right-don’t hold back.

Think of the sins you have to confess Now and take the right step.

LET US PRAY
TODAY GOD WILL SET YOU FREE FROM EVERY SINS THAT IS HOLDING YOU CAPTIVE IN JESUS NAME.

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