Friday, July 28, 2023
The Blessing of Forgiveness
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. (Proverbs 28:13 NLT)
If you want to know the intricacies of a subject, the best thing to do is find an expert, someone who has far-reaching experience with it.
Although David is rightfully known as one of the greatest saints in Scripture, identified uniquely as the man after God’s own heart, he is also known as one of the greatest sinners in Scripture.
On one hand, we remember him for his heroic exploits and tender heart toward God and others. On the other hand, we remember him for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba as well as his sin of murder in an attempt to cover it up.
Clearly, he had missed the mark. Clearly, he had had fallen short of the law’s demands. As a result, his life became crooked and twisted, and he reaped the results of his sins.
But God also gave David a second chance. In Psalm 32, he wrote, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” (verse 1 NLT). David was speaking of what God had done for him.
Then in verses 3 and 4, David described the futility and misery of unconfessed sin: “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (NLT).
It’s miserable to live in unconfessed sin. Proverbs 28:13 tells us, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (NLT).
We can’t put sin in a compartment and think that’s the end of it. Sin stinks. Its stench will permeate everything and mess up every aspect of our lives. That is why it needs to be dealt with.
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