As we learned in the previous post, when we confess our sins, we are trusting in God. But there’s more. When we confess our sins, here is what we are to do next, as David writes in Psalm 32, verses 8-9,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”
David is saying that we are to be humble and teachable. We are not to be stubborn, cold-hearted, thinking that we are okay, that our sins aren’t that big of a deal. There is more here than just telling God you did something wrong. There is a teachable humble spirit that leads to repentance. Repentance means that you will change your behavior in order to restore what you have broken. Notice how Paul describes godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11,
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.”
That reminds me of a Korean concept called Han, that is very difficult to translate into English (thanks to Andrew S. Park and his work on Han in his book The Wounded Heart of God). Han is an emotional relational feeling that results when one person sins against another. So often we think about sin as just affecting us, but Han reminds us that when we sin, we hurt others too. Naturally our sin erects a wall between us and others. Our relationship with them will not be as genuine when there are secrets and sin. There will be distance and shame, and those deep feelings and hurts breed habits of reacting, relating and communicating that harm relationships with others. I think Han helps us remember that our sins are a big deal to ourselves, to God and others.
The Puritans called it the “exceeding sinfulness of sin.” That’s why it is so important that we listen to God and others about ourselves. That’s why we should tear down our inner walls we have built to keep us from being confronted. Remember the story of David and Bathsheba? We talked about that in the previous three post. Imagine if David would have kicked the prophet Nathan out, or tried to ignore or even do worse, eliminate him? We need to nurture teachable hearts if we are to properly confess our sin.
The result of a teachable heart? Hear verses 10-11, “Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!”
Now that we have worked our way through the whole psalm, with the understanding of what might have been going on in David’s heart and mind, read Psalm 32 again:
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
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.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!
So let’s be people who confess our sins. What sins do you need to confess? Who do you need to confess to? Confess and embrace the love and forgiveness God offers us. May God be your hiding place, your comfort. May you listen to his instruction and counsel which comes to us from his heart of love. Then rejoice and be glad.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
Engaging Scripture 