Blessed Forgiveness

Psalm 32:1-11

People from all walks of life are seeking pleasure and happiness. We know them, we live next to them, perhaps we live with them. But it is not a new phenomenon. In the Garden Eve saw that the forbidden fruit was good, attractive and desirable so she sought to gain pleasure by eating it. Three centuries before Christ Epicurus developed a philosophical system that taught the goal of human life is "happiness, resulting from absence of physical pain and mental disturbance" Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. In the language of today, "if it feels good, do it". Eve believed the benefits of satisfying her desire outweighed any potential consequences. Epicurus believed there was no life after death and so no need to fear consequences. Modern man believes he is god and will certainly never punish himself for pursuing pleasure and happiness.

All of these individuals failed in their pursuit, each fell short of the goal. The reality is that the consequences for Eve far outweighed her momentary pleasure; Epicurus discovered that physical pain and mental disturbance are unavoidable; and no man has yet been successful in elevating himself to godhood. Yet the lies persist, and sadly, many relentlessly attempt to achieve their supposed "unalienable right" to "the pursuit of happiness". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Even for all his faults and faulty conclusions, Epicurus did have at least part of it right: he "regarded the unacknowledged fear of death and punishment as the primary cause of anxiety among human beings". He believed "[t]he elimination of the fears and corresponding desires would leave people free to ... enjoy ... peace of mind". Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It truly is impossible for someone to enjoy peace of mind when they are fearful of death or punishment. Epicurus' problem was that his only solution was to deny life after death rather than deal with the real issue.

On the other hand, David's perspective on this issue of happiness is that it can only be found in the context of forgiveness. That concept is echoed by Noah Webster in his definition:

HAP'PY a. [from hap.] 2. Being in the enjoyment of agreeable sensations from the possession of good; enjoying pleasure from the gratification of appetites or desires. The pleasurable sensations derived from the gratification of sensual appetites render a person temporarily happy; but he only can be esteemed really and permanently happy, who enjoys peace of mind in the favor of God. To be in any degree happy, we must be free from pain both of body and of mind; to be very happy, we must be in the enjoyment of lively sensations of pleasure, either of body or mind. Webster's 1828 Dictionary

Thomas Watson in his book The Godly Man's Picture puts it this way: "true happiness consists not in beauty, honor, riches (the world's trinity), but in the forgiveness of sin."

"It is told of Luther that one day being asked which of all the Psalms were the best, he made answer, “Psalmi Paulini,” and when his friends pressed to know which these might be, he said, “The Psalm 32:1-11, the 51st, the Psalm 130:1-8, and Psalm 143:1-12. For they all teach that the forgiveness of our sins comes, without the law and without works, to the man who believes, and therefore I call them Pauline Psalms." Spurgeon, Treasury of David

A. Particular Doctrine v. 1-2

Blessedness or happiness:

1. Is not universally experienced
By describing a man as blessed who fits into a particular category, the Psalmist implies that there are those whom he is not describing here. To put his description in the negative - the man whose transgression is not forgiven, whose sin is not covered, to whom the Lord imputes iniquity. That man does not experience blessing or lasting happiness but is seeking it; in fact, no one is naturally blessed or happy.

2. Is prevented by:

a. transgression - rejection of authority and going beyond the bounds established by law; rebellion against God's law and covenant

b. sin - failure to measure up to God's standard for moral and ethical behavior; missing the mark

c. iniquity - perversion or misdeed; lawlessness; evil regarded as that which is not straight or upright; moral distortion
According to Keach's Catechism Q. 18. What is sin? the answer is that "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God." CEF defines it as "anything we think, say or do that displeases God or breaks his laws".

"Note the three words so often used to denote our disobedience: transgression, sin, and iniquity, are the three-headed dog at the gates of hell, but our glorious Lord has silenced its barkings for ever against his own believing ones. The trinity of sin is overcome by the Trinity of heaven." Treasury of David

3. Can be found

a. forgiveness - take up, carry away; sin and its guilt is taken up and carried away from the sinner

b. covering - concealed, hidden from view; not concealed from God's omniscient knowledge of all things but from his judicial view.

c. imputation - charge, credit to one's account. Iniquity not being imputed to a person means

God does not charge them for their wrongdoing and expect payment to be made for the debt.
When God views the individual who has sinned but also been forgiven, God does not see their sin since it has been removed from them, covered and hidden from view, ultimately because it has been credited to another's account.

B. Personal Experience v. 3-5

1. physical deterioration

a. premature aging
b. constant physical pain
c. lack of strength

2. emotional distress

a. oppressive weight on his conscience
b. lifelessness - no interest in living

3. relief from guilt and curse - achieved through a process

a. repentance - came to the point of acknowledging his sin
b. confession - called his sin what God called it
c. forgiveness and reconciliation - received from God

Suffering under the oppressive weight of guilt resulting from unconfessed sin, David experienced many of the symptoms of what is often diagnosed as clinical depression. When he changed his mind, repented, of his sin and confessed it, God graciously pardoned him from his guilt and the penalty of his sin. Immediately David received both physical and emotional relief, experiencing peace of mind and peace with God as he was graciously and mercifully restored to a right relationship.

David had experienced such a great blessing he could not keep it to himself. In the very next verse (Psalm 32:6) he proclaims: "Based on my experience (for this reason) every godly person should pray, should repent and seek forgiveness".

C. Practical Application v. 6-12

1. Pray NOW v.6

Are you laboring under the guilt of unconfessed sin? Don't put it off - pray while you have a "window of opportunity", while God may be found.

Times of affliction and adversity will come; the promise here is that if you are reconciled to God, if you have repented and confessed your sin to him, those adversities will not overwhelm you.

2. Run to Christ v. 7

Don't run from Christ when you have disobeyed, when you have displeased him; run to him. Notice what David says here: "You are my hiding place". Unlike Adam and Eve or even David's previous behavior, he has come to the place where he hides in God and not from God. Recognize with David that there is only ONE who is able to preserve and deliver from trouble and distress.

Understand and know that Christ is the one to whom our sin is imputed, he is the one who made it possible for us to be reconciled to God - it is to HIM we must run, in HIM where we must hide. It is Christ and Christ alone who will keep us safe from the righteous justice of God, who will deliver us not only from our enemies but also from our sin and its just punishment.

3. Respond to his teaching v.8-10

a. Don't be stubborn

Christ will instruct us - through his Word and the preaching of that Word - he will cause us to understand how to live so that we displease him less. Further, he instructs us through the example of others - instead of learning everything the hard way, be taught by what others like David have experienced. Rather than obey the instruction of Christ because we must, we are to obey because we love him and desire to please him.

b. Heed the warning

As tempting as it might be to follow the ways of the world, it only leads to sorrow and grief. In fact, David's attempt to solve his problems the world's way brought him great misery - remember verses 3-4.

4. Find true happiness v. 11

a. in the Lord

Be joyful with your whole disposition - recognize tha true happiness, complete contentment is found only in the Lord and his ways. It is only He who can completely satisfy, who knows our needs and has all the means necessary to meet them.

b. in righteous living

If we are sincere in our "confession of sin and desires to secure the favor of God, He will show himself merciful, as He did to the psalmist.... The experience of the psalmist, therefore, as recorded in this psalm, should be full of encouragement to all who are burdened with a sense of sin. Warned by his experience, they should not attempt to conceal their transgressions in their own bosom, but they should go at once, as he was constrained at last to go, and make full and free confession to God. So doing, they will find that God is not slow to pardon them, and to fill their hearts with peace, and their lips with praise." Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Happiness is to be forgiven! It is an emotion that defies description. It is the relief of an enormous burden lifted, of a debt canceled, of a conscience at rest. Guilt is gone, warfare is ended, peace is enjoyed. To David it meant the forgiveness of his great transgression, the covering of his sin, the non-imputation of his iniquity, and the cleansing of his spirit from deceit.
None of this is possible because of any merit in us - it is entirely and absolutely all of grace, God's grace. To understand the gravity, the awfulness of sin, go to the Cross. More importantly, to understand the magnitude of God's grace and what our loving God has graciously accomplished on our behalf, go to the Cross. Because it is only in what Christ did in our place at Calvary that we can find pardon from sin, cleansing from guilt, a place of refuge and safety from sin and despair.