18/03/2013 - THE SINNER’S SUFFERING AND ESCAPE

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I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Psalm 32.5

Committing sin may be pleasurable at first, but later the person realizes that it is too heavy and uncomfortable and that it only leads to confusion and pain. David’s personal experience proves this point. The psalmist felt the heaviness of sin but also understood the value of God’s forgiveness and went back to enjoying life only when he received forgiveness. It is good that the conviction of the Holy Spirit makes us feel miserable, because that is exactly how we would feel for all eternity without repentance and confession.

David went through tough times, and his life became an almost unbearably heavy burden. May the hand of the Lord be always heavy upon those who have strayed from his path! When we do not have peace or fellowship with God, the doors and windows of heaven are closed, but those who fall into error will have the chance to repent, because to have a contrite heart is the only way to get rid of the error (Acts 8.22). There is deliverance only for those who confess and abandon sin.

This is more serious than you may think. Because of sin, some people lose everything they ever got from many years of hard work. He who hides his iniquity will see that his spiritual structure (and, in some cases, his physical structure as well) will become dry, inflexible and easily broken, because he became old. There is life only for those who respect the Lord, that is, keeps his commandments (John 14.21). This is how our fellowship with God may be restored.

It is easy to see when someone is in sin, because even his mood is affected. A sinner does not have peace, is always nervous, restless and keeps hurting others with words, accusing them without any evidence, and the worse is that he cannot enjoy the good things that God has in store for him. Surely, those who are attached to sin live at the margin of faith, always surrounded by suffering and distrust.

When David was convinced that his error was what had led him to a state of misery, he started to plan his confession. So he declared he would confess his transgressions. The day came and he did what was right before the Lord. He was forgiven, his peace was restored, and his heart was filled with joy because God had forgiven him.

It does not matter what your error is. If you fail to confess it, you will never be delivered from the oppression that has taken over you. If you get right with the Lord, you will see that your life will be completely transformed, and your heart will be filled with joy. So, what are you waiting for?

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares