FORGIVEN!

If humanity holds one thing in common it would be our universal desire for happiness. As Americans the pursuit of happiness is built into the fabric of our society. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Blessing of Forgiveness (v.1,2)

What does it really mean to be blessed?

“Blessed is the one...” & “Blessed is the man...”

Joyful

Happy - actually “happy” may be the most literal translation of this word. Now we tend to degrade the goal of happiness. The reason for that is that if history has taught us anything it may be that the unrelenting pursuit of happiness rarely leads to it. Perhaps we can come to the conclusion that biblical happiness and the happiness we so often pursue are not really the same thing.

What does it mean to be biblically happy? Biblical happiness is the emotion experienced by those who live life in the joy of the Lord.

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

John 16:24 “Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

Nehemiah 8:10 “Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.””

Acts 13:52 “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

What does this Psalm say about being blessed or happy?

The main point of this Psalm is that forgiveness is the main ingredient of happiness.

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is the one whose:

transgression is forgiven - this is the base statement.

whose sin is covered. - This provides some explanation. How have we been forgiven? Because our sins have been covered. The Hebrew word sometimes translated “atone” literally means “to cover”

Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man:

against whom the Lord counts no iniquity - it is not charged to your account.

and in whose spirit there is no deceit. - forgiveness is freely given to the truly penitent person.

Don’t underestimate the importance of forgiveness. It is theses very veres that Paul quotes in the book of Romans to help us understand what it means to be justified. Romans 4:6–8 “just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.””

The Rot of Sin Unrepented v. 3,4

What happens when we keep silent about our sin?

“For when I kept silent...”

“...my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” - Does that sound like a good time?

“For day and night your hand was heavy upon me...” - Does God punish those that are His? We have to be careful how we define punish. We know with confidence that He does not condemn anyone who knows Christ. There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. But we also know that God chastens whom He loves. In other words God does not sit idly by while we who are His wallow in sin. David describes God’s chastening as a heavy hand. It is not a pleasant experience.

“… my strength dried up as by the heat of summer.” - We don’t know if David was literally experiencing this or if it is more of a physical description of what he was spiritually and emotionally experiencing. Which ever it is, trust me, you don’t want to be a part of it.

All this happened when David kept silent about his sin.

We keep secret sins because we are lying to ourselves. “This doesn’t affect anyone but me.”

Trust me when I say that Christians who are harboring secret sins are miserable people. They are living under the constant conviction of the spirit but refuse to do anything about it.

It will begin to spill out into their relationships. Their loved ones will start to wonder, “what is going on with them?”

They are grumpy

They have been short tempered

They become judgmental and defensive

Maybe this is what David was describing in v.3,4

Fortunately God has given us a way of escape. Confession

The Freedom of Confession v. 5-7

Fortunately David’s discussion on forgiveness doesn’t end with v. 4. He goes on to describe for us how he attained forgiveness.

He describes it with three phrases:

“I acknowledged my sin to You...”

“I did not cover my iniquity...”

“I will confess my transgressions to the Lord...”

The result of this confession is forgiveness “You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

After experiencing confession and forgiveness David then recommends it to all believers. - “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found...”

In the second half of v. 6 there seems to be a shift of focus away from confession and forgiveness to the protection God provides for those that are his.

“...surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah”

I don’t thing the shift in focus is as great as we might first think. David intends us to understand that we find refuge through the forgiveness of sin.

The waves won’t reach us because we have a hiding place in God. He preserves us from trouble. He surrounds us with shouts of deliverance.

The freedom that forgiveness bestows is not only passive in that God doesn’t to us what we do deserve, but it is also active in that God is acting on our behalf. Not only is God not against us He is for us.

The Spirit of Forgiveness v. 8,9

Forgiveness produces a teachable spirit. v. 8

It is interesting to note in v. 8 and 9 it seems as though the first person voice switches from being David to God, Himself.

Notice the flow of thought, the blessing of forgiveness brings freedom, fellowship (v.7), and instruction.

When we are walking with God He guides us. His Word becomes our lamp and light.

He counsels us and keeps His eye on us like a parent keep their eye on their child.

Stubbornness will impede forgiveness. v. 9

We are given a word of warning. Don’t be like the horse or mule who in order to obey must be pulled by bit or bridal.

God has said “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.”, but the mule never learns that lesson.

Some animals come when they are called and others just look at you and dare you to do something about it.

I tend to think that having a teachable spirit is both a requirement of forgiveness and a result of it.

David has already described his mule like behavior in v. 3, 4. (ie. too stubborn to ask for forgiveness)

The Joy of Forgiveness

A Contrast

The wicked are sorrowful

The forgiven is surrounded by God’s steadfast love

A Command - This is the result of being forgiven for those that trust in the Lord, the righteous and upright in heart.

Be glad in the Lord

Rejoice

Shout for joy

Conclusion:

Stubbornly holding onto sin will always make you miserable. No matter how much you think you need it or if you think it isn't really that bad. When a genuine Christian is genuinely miserable it is because you are clinging to a sin that eating you alive.

We have every reason to be the happiest people on earth.

When sorrow grips your heart remind yourself “I am forgiven.”

When pain seems too much to bear remind yourself “I am forgiven.”

When problems seem insurmountable remind yourself “I am forgiven.”

Say it with me… “I am forgiven.”