| February 13, 2000 | Confession and Absolution | Psalm 32
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Psalm 32:5 "I acknowledged 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."
We consider the Psalm today which we have previously read responsively. Since we read from our hymnal, we use the Bible Version that our hymnal uses which is the King James Version.
This Psalm before us is "of" or "by" David as the notes in your Bible will indicate. The notes are not printed in the Hymnal, however. This David, who was the human author, is the famous King David of Israel. This authorship would put the Psalm's writing at about the turn of the millenium, 1000 BC. It is today about 3000 years old.
David wrote from the perspective of one who understood his sins. He said "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" in Psalm 51. David understood his sins after becoming involved with Bathsheba in an adulterous and then murderous way. He had a firm grasp on the fact that he was a sinner following that affair.
For some people it can be harder to recognize sin in their lives. They don't see that there is sin, because they only look for signs of what the world considers severe sins. This is a result of seeing the Ten Commandments in a narrow way and blindly rejecting the full extent of God's Law from His Word. Are you part of this group? Do you file down God's Law so that you might attempt to slip through its bars? We each find ourselves doing this from time to time.
Coming face-to-face with our sins is an essential part of Christianity. There are many who reject this idea both outside of Christian congregations and inside. I know of some congregations where people have told me they don't want me to suggest in my sermons that they are sinners. They don't want me to speak of that each week. They get tired of hearing that they are guilty.
It is understandable that our human nature would get tired of this. Indeed, our human nature wants to try to think of ourselves in the most positive way possible. This is the way of the world. Self-esteem is taught to our children so that they think highly of themselves. It really is a widespread idea that people are generally good. This idea became more popular in the acceptance of Humanism. "Man is good and man is the measure of all things," teaches Humanism.
Against this notion that most people are good and without sin comes the truths of Christianity. Isaiah 64 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." The world is not willing to listen to this truth, however. To the world, corrupted by humanistic thinking, this idea of the sinfulness of humankind is a foolish idea. 1 Corinthians 1 says, "for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish--foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." One of the two essential parts of the Christian message is that we are each sinners in need of saving. The majority of the world rejects this idea because they cannot confess their sins. They refuse to admit their guilt.
The faithful pastor, who strives to proclaim the whole truth of God's Word, both the Law and Gospel, sin and forgiveness, will often be rejected by those who deny the teaching that they are sinners. The Scriptures are full of faithful preachers and prophets who proclaimed this message and were rejected and killed because of the message. People who reject the truth of God's Law will reject those who teach that truth. They will instead turn to other teachers who teach what makes them feel good about themselves.
1 Timothy gives Paul's instructions to the pastor Timothy and other pastors:
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,-- having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
This need to proclaim the truth of our sinfulness and then proclaim the truth of our forgiveness is why Christ gave us the Office of the Keys. This activity or function, given to each Christian, is to forgive the sins of those who repent and to retain, or not forgive, the sins of those who refuse to admit their sins. This power is given to forgive or retain here on earth, but the actions are mirrored in heaven. Given to each believer, this power is then delegated to pastors in Christian congregations, so that he might serve publically as the one who executes the Office of the Keys.
This is why Pastors are to approach people about their sins. The goal is to bring them to hear the word of forgiveness that Christ wants them to hear. Once again, you have many who do not want to hear of their sins and will reject this Office. They believe that the pastor should not speak to people about their sins and that if he does that is judging them. Of course, the pastor can only approach people about their public sins, and there is therefore no judgment involved here. It would be wrong for the pastor or any person to judge someone for potential sins which are not in the public eye.
The general failure to acknowledge our sins is part of what our Psalm addresses today. It says in the second verse, "Blessed is the man...in whose spirit there is no guile." In other words, the man who does not deceive or try to trick will be blessed. What is this about? It is about trying to deceive or trick God. We do that when we do not confess our sins to God and pretend to be sinless. The next verse expands this. "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long." This idea of keeping silent has to do with failing to speak to God of our sins. We see the suffering that is endured because of this sin and guilt. It eats away in us, roaring or shouting at us, and wearing us down, even wearing down our bones, figuratively. Failure to confess leads God to lean on us heavily. He presses on us to encourage us to come clean and admit our need for forgiveness. So the Psalm says, "For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer." This failure to speak of our sins even drys us out. There is no refreshment in hiding our sins away. There is no comfort in practicing deceit in holding back our confession.
So where is the comfort? Where is the refreshment? Where is the relief from our guilt? The Psalm lays this out nicely before us. "I acknowledged 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." So, in confessing our sins, acknowledging them, exposing our guilt and iniquity we find forgiveness. Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. The Lord takes away the guilt.
It was mentioned earlier that one of the two essential parts of the Christian message is that we are each sinners in need of saving. The second essential part of the Christian message is that we have forgiveness of all sins, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Both parts are essential. Without the one, the other is no help. Without the Law, showing us our sins, we see no need to be forgiven. Without the Gospel, showing us forgiveness of all sins, we are left suffering in our guilt and coming to face eternal punishment. So, we have Law and Gospel, confession and forgiveness, sin and grace. "I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."
Did you notice there how it happens immediately. I confessed and He forgave. There are no extra steps. This is true because that forgiveness comes for free, by grace. It is a gift, a gift that we all need. As soon as we recognize we need that gift, it is ours. No extra steps. No proving we are faithful. No working on our part to remove all sin. No doing works of penance. Rather, we confess and the Lord forgives. It is immediate and it is final.
This forgiveness is so wonderful it is called a blessing. We are blessed if we have this forgiveness. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity..." Without the grace of our Lord we are cursed. With grace comes forgivness and we are therefore blessed.
So the Holy Spirit calls us to confess our sins. He urges us to come to our Lord now, seeking His grace. "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found..."
Now, in seeking forgiveness from God, we are going to Him for protection. We look to Him as the shelter from the punishment due upon us for our sins. We see Him as the Almighty who saves us from what we have certainly brought upon ourselves. This protection we have, as we trust in the Lord is given in the Psalm. "...Surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance." What a blessed assurance we have that the Lord is there, looking out for us and watching over us. He gives us this grace through confession and forgiveness.
The Psalm finishes with further blessings upon those who trust in the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 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." So the Lord promises to guide and lead us in the way we should go. He promises to direct us. The primary direction is to trust in Him and then we will live in His mercy. "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about."
This wonderful love of the Lord is something we should be extremely happy about. And so the Psalm says, "Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered by the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.