My Forgiveness

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Connection Fellowship
Hope for the Journey
Sunday, March 8, 2009
My Forgiveness
Psalm 32:1-11

INTRODUCTION
Last week as I continued studying through the Psalms, and realizing that we are in week 10 of our 12-week series, I changed the message that I had originally planned for today. If we were to spend a week in each of the Psalms, it would take us 3 years to complete. So for the purpose of this series, I want to focus today on Psalm 32 and on a topic that is certainly a key to finding Hope for the Journey.
Forgiveness has been defined in many ways. It is the noun, or the substance, of being forgiven. Being forgiven is to be the object of ‘to forgive’. And to forgive is defined as giving up the right to feel resentment, to relieve of a debt, and to pardon. While some of us struggle to forgive, I believe that one of the greatest obstacles to finding hope in our journey is realizing forgiveness for our own lives.
A common question people ask is, “Can I be forgiven?” The Bible teaches that the answer is certainly, “YES!” Most followers of Christ do not struggle to believe this in principle. But we often struggle with OWNING this Truth so that it becomes ‘MY Forgiveness.”
King David surely experienced both great personal sin and forgiveness. He writes this Psalm in response to a commitment that he made in Psalm 51:13 to share what he had learned during the painful journey of personal sin, confrontation about that sin, and the period of confession and restoration that followed. Let’s hear the Word of God.

TEXT
1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin
is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, loving-kindness shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

I was confronted this week with the reality of a pervading thought in culture today resulting from observing those who claim to be followers of Christ. Here it is: “The good news of the Gospel doesn’t seem to be that good.” Non-believers do not see that the forgiveness that we receive from God makes that big of a difference in our lives. But listen to David as he writes about his experience in owning forgiveness.

UNDERSTANDING
I. Owning God’s Forgiveness Makes Us Happy (vv.1-2)
Happy is the person whose transgression, who’s willful crossing of the line in rebellion to God, has been pardoned; and who’s filthy personal attempts at pleasing God have been permanently covered by the blood of Christ. How happy is the person who’s twisted, selfish way of thinking is not credited to the ledger sheet of life; and who’s heart has been transformed at its core from deceitfulness to righteousness.
Most people are really miserable. They are miserable because of guilt and emptiness…because of frustration and a lack of purpose. And the thing no one wants to talk about that makes us that way is SIN!
Owning God’s forgiveness makes us happy because we dealt with it.

II. Owning God’s Forgiveness Makes Us Healthy (vv. 3-4)
When David got a real grasp on God’s forgiveness, it caused him to see how miserable he was as he held on to his sin. He just kept it all inside. And honestly, in [2 Samuel 11-12] we see that he thought he was going to get away with sin. “But God does not allow His children to be successful in sin.” David says that God’s hand was heavy and his mental, emotional, and spiritual strength was gone. He was miserable!
But when he was confronted with his sin, (by the prophet, Nathan), he says that he confessed it and the weight was gone. There was immediate relief. However, we have to get real about a few things:
(1) God is much quicker to forgive us than other people are.
(2) God is much quicker to forgive than we normally are ourselves.
(3) These are Satan’s tools to keep us from owning God’s forgiveness.

Owning God’s forgiveness makes us healthy because the guilt is gone.

III. Owning God’s Forgiveness Makes Us Witness. (vv. 6-11)
When we read about David’s forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with God, it seems like a pretty incredible story. Personally, I’m not sure how most of us would respond to betrayal, adultery, and murder. I talk to people who say, “I know they said they were sorry and that they have asked God to forgive them, but that doesn’t make everything all right.”
I can imagine some of the people around David who read this Psalm saying, “Who is David to lecture us?” Sure, David says that when we sin we should confess it…quickly. He tells us not to be stubborn and defensive…not to justify our sin; but to humble ourselves before God.
But David did not just tell the people they needed to own God’s forgiveness. And he did not just tell them how to get God’s forgiveness. No, David became a witness as he began to live as a witness of it! In the days following his experience of God’s forgiveness, David exhibited forgiveness for (1) the rape of his daughter, (2) the murder of his son,
(3) high treason, and (4) the cursing he took from one of his enemies.

Owning God’s forgiveness makes us a witness because we forgive!

CONCLUSION
The ‘good news’ of the Gospel truly is incredible news. We can really experience God’s forgiveness from our sin. [YOU can experience God’s forgiveness.] Confess your sin to God…or agree with Him about your sin. He already knows about it. And ask Him to make YOU right!
Then own His forgiveness. The pardon is issued…the stain is covered…the debt account is clean…the messed up heart is fixed…and God takes the weight of guilt away. Believe it and own it! Don’t let Satan play a guilt trip on you. The Bible says that he is the great ‘accuser’, but there is no truth in him. Don’t believe him. Believe God!
And finally, be a witness of God’s forgiveness. Tell people about the forgiveness you have found and that they can find in Christ. But look, let’s not try to act so spiritual. This is all so hard to do! Confessing our sin goes against all that is normally in us. Not living under the guilt of our failures nor listening to the accusations of Satan is abnormal. Certainly, forgiving others is not easy. Pride, guilt and the pain are very real.
You may be here today and be thinking, “Sure, this may be all true. But you don’t know me. And I am surely not King David.” But notice that David does not give us some personal prescription for how to work our way into the reality of God’s forgiveness. Not at all. Instead, here’s what he says (the Message, v. 6) Every one of us needs to pray; pray to God while He is working in your heart and life.

Owning God’s forgiveness is a supernatural process that occurs as you allow God free access to all of your pride, guilt, and pain.


RESPONSE
Will you give God the access to your heart and life so that you can experience…own…and be a witness of His forgiveness today? Then you can experience what David expresses in verse 11,

11 Celebrate GOD. Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! [The Message]