What is our first response whenever we make a big mistake? Do we immediately feel shame? Do we make excuses and try to justify ourselves? What if that mistake was costly and has far-reaching consequences? Where do we turn? What do we put our hope in?
In Psalm 38, David answers these questions. His response to his mistake is to cry out to God for help. And in the middle of the psalm is a single line that is the key to finding mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing from his mistake. For this Friday Morning Bible Study we’re going to use the Inductive Method to take a closer look at that line.
I confess my iniquity;
Psalm 38:18 (NIV)
I am troubled by my sin.
Context
This short line of confession is found in the middle of the 38th Psalm which was written by David. In the Psalm Davids talks of how our sin can stir up the righteous anger of God which can have physical, emotional, and spiritual effects. The Psalms convey the whole of human emotion. The 38th Psalm is a cry to God for his help in the midst of trouble caused by sin.
Observation – What does it say?
The 18th verse uses two different words to talk about wrongdoing: iniquity and sin. Dictionary.com defines iniquity as “gross transgression or wickedness” and sin as “transgression of divine law.” We do not know what particular sin David is referring to, but both words indicate that the Most Holy God has been grossly offended by it. This is the case with all sin.
The NIV translation for “I am troubled by my sin” is translated “I am sorry for my sin” in the ESV. The NASB translates it: “I am full of anxiety because of my sin.” The author is not just confessing his sin, he is distressed by it.
Interpretation – What does it mean?
As a cross-reference to this verse, Proverbs 28:13 says: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So what does this all mean?
First, sin must be confessed.
I discovered that as a school teacher, I was not particularly gifted at noticing and naming behavior. I would observe misbehavior but not always correctly identify it as misbehavior. Or if I could identify it as misbehavior, I struggled to see what kind of misbehavior it was and therefore find a quick and effective remedy for it. I struggled to find a name for the behavior. Therefore my classroom management suffered.
When we correctly name our sin, we take away it’s power over us. Unnamed sins still wreak havoc within us. We are blind to these types of sins. But when we can correctly identify and name our sin, that sin starts to lose it’s grip. This is the power of confession. When we confess, we name it, we admit that we do it, and we start on the road to striking it from our lives.
Second, we must be troubled by our sin.
Confession alone is insufficient for routing out sin. We must be troubled by, be sorry for, and have anxiety over our sin. We must hate our sin. Tim Keller puts it this way:
“If we only confess but do not also find the sin repellent – for how it grieves and dishonors God and destroys others – the sin will retain its power over us.”
It’s possible to name our sin and be amused by it or to name our sin and even feel proud of it. But to start on the road of ridding ourselves of our sin, we must confess it and be repulsed by it. My 2 year old sometimes uses the word hate, and I quickly tell him the only thing he is ever allowed to hate is his own sin.
Third, confession and repulsion lead to mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing.
The cross references to this verse mentioned above lead us to our hope. Confession leads to forgiveness and starts our cleansing. Christ bought this forgiveness for us when he took the punishment for our sins on the cross. Confession is initially hard and feels defeating. But when we remember Christ’s sacrifice made on our behalf, we can embrace God’s forgiveness and rest assured that he is working in and through us to cleanse us of the sins we have confessed.
Application – How should this change me?
God has been so good to provide a way for our forgiveness and cleansing through the blood of Christ!
Though confession is often difficult to initiate, I always feel relief when I’m finally able to name my sin. I can quit making excuses and trying to justify myself, which is always unfruitful and exhausting. When I finally confess the sin, I am free to admit that I, like everyone else, am a sinner in need of forgiveness and grace. And then I can rest knowing that the very forgiveness and grace I need is mine because of Christ.
While confession brings relief, feeling troubled by my sin is sometimes a struggle. I do hate my sin, but sometimes for the wrong reasons. Tim Keller’s words above are convicting for me. He says we need to hate our sin “for how it grieves and dishonors God and destroys others.” But sometimes I find that I’m grieved by my sin for how it tarnished my own reputation. I’m grieved that I lost out on some glory for myself. I’m embarrassed by what others must think of me because of my sin. So I’m quick to seek forgiveness so I can get my good name back.
So my prayer frequently is, “Let this grieve me because it grieves you, Lord. Let me grieve the opportunity I lost to bring glory to your name not my own.” I want to hate my sin because it dishonors him.
So let us be quick to confess. And let us ardently loathe our own sin because of the way it grieves our God.
And let us find on the other side mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing from all unrighteousness.
Question for Discussion
Which do you find more difficult: confessing your sin (naming it) or hating your sin?
Leave your answer in the comments below!
