Forgiveness
Falsely Accused
Forgiveness. Last year I heard the story of Jonathan Irons.
He had been convicted of a burglary and shooting and sentenced to 50 years in prison. There was only one problem. He didn’t do the crime.
Jonathan was wrongly identified, falsely accused, convicted at 18 years of age, then placed behind bars for a crime that he didn’t commit.
Thankfully, Jonathan Irons met friends through a prison ministry who got involved in his case. With the help of finger print evidence that wasn’t turned over in the original trial, they were able to prove that he was not the person who committed the crime.
After 22 years in prison, he was released. He was declared innocent. And he was set free.
Guilty
We love stories where the record is set straight and where caring people got involved to make right something that went terribly wrong.
But when you and I stand before a Holy God, there won’t be any false accusations. God knows, and we know, exactly what we’ve done. God knows, and we know, exactly what we should have done that we didn’t do.
We know the depth of our sin. And when we slow down long enough to sit in the presence of God we realize how Holy God is and just how unholy we are.
We know the things we’ve said, the things we’ve done, the things we’ve thought that no one else knows. We’re fully aware of how selfish we’ve been, how self-centered and self-seeking we’ve been.
We know, truth be told, that we have not obeyed the teachings of Jesus. Sometimes we’ve chosen to go our own way because we thought it would be easier. Or because we simply wanted what we wanted.
We decided God wanted us to be happy and we gave up on trying to be holy.
And if we had to stand right now in the presence of a Holy God and give an account of our life, we would be filled with fear and trembling.
Overwhelmed with JOY
But when you stand in the presence of our Holy God you should know that you will find the same thing that David found. David discovered something in the presence of God that completely overwhelmed him.
Psalm 32
1 Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,
whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
It’s one thing to be falsely accused, tried, convicted and then released, exonerated, set free for crimes you DIDN’T commit.
It’s something else entirely to be completely and totally FORGIVEN for crimes you DID commit, for SIN you are guilty for, for things you’ve done, on purpose, that you knew were wrong.
And now, knowing full well in the presence of a Holy God how unholy we are, how guilty we are, can you imagine experiencing what David is talking about here? What does it feel like to be forgiven by a Holy God? David says he is overwhelmed with JOY!
Confession is Good for the Soul
But that forgiveness didn’t come without confession. Listen to what David writes next:
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
my body wasted away,
and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
And then he writes:
Selah, pause and calmly think about that
What happens when we live with unconfessed sin?
What happens when we refuse to be honest about what we’ve done, what we’ve not done, and the sin residing in our hearts and lives?
We waste away. We groan. Our strength evaporates.
Some of you are wondering why you’re miserable all the time. Why you don’t have any joy. And you’re always tired. Why you can’t seem to find the energy, strength, and happiness that maybe you once had. And there may be other reasons for that, but could it be that the physical symptoms you’re experiencing are related to a spiritual problem?
We try to compartmentalize our lives. But we can’t. We are physical, emotional, spiritual beings. And you can’t separate those things out. They are intertwined, interrelated. Inseparable. When one is out of balance, the others suffer.
And when we live with unconfessed sin, with unrepentant hearts, our Father in Heaven disciplines us.
Why?
Not because He’s angry. Not because He’s out to get us. But because He loves us. Because His highest aim is our becoming more like Jesus. Because He wants us to have that JOY that is found through confession and forgiveness!
Confession Leads to Forgiveness
David writes,
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Selah, pause in His presence
Notice, David didn’t say…
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you…
And you PUNISHED ME! YOU STRUCK ME WITH LIGHTENING! YOU CAUGHT ME RED HANDED AND THEN GAVE ME EXACTLY WHAT I DESERVED!
NO. When David confessed His sin to God here’s what happened…
God forgave him! All his guilt was gone!
David experienced not the anger of God, but the overwhelming LOVE of God.
The Spiritual Practice of Confession
Somewhere along the way I think we’ve lost the spiritual practice of confession. I’m not sure why. I don’t know when it happened or even why it happened.
It’s probably because our pride is constantly getting in the way.
Somewhere along the way we decided we didn’t need to confess our sin. That we’re doing just fine. That confession was a sign of weakness, or that through confession we admitted our weakness.
And when we think about confession we think about shame and embarrassment. We think about being humiliated.
But that wasn’t David’s experience. And the same God that forgave David is the same God who stands ready to forgive you.
And before you think, “God forgave David but He could never forgive me!” Let me remind you, David was a murderer, an adulterer, a liar, and much more! I know we love to tell the great stories of all the great things David did, and he did some great things, but he was no saint!
Yet when he confessed his sins in the presence of a Holy God he found forgiveness. And when he found forgiveness he found JOY.
What about you?
When was the last time you confessed your sins to God? How long has it been since you felt forgiven and free? When was the last time you experienced real JOY?
Feeling Forgiven
During the first week of my sabbatical I was on a silent retreat in Lake Dallas. Each day I spent several hours in contemplative prayer and met with a spiritual director who helped me throughout the week on my journey.
On Tuesday, he suggested I spend time with Jesus in John 13. In John 13, we have this beautiful story of Jesus in an upper room celebrating Passover with His disciples one final time before he faces the cross which is right around the corner. Jesus is literally hours away from crucifixion.
Everyone is reclining at the table. Then Jesus gets up. He begins to take off his outer robe. He picks up a towel and a basin of water.
Everyone there simultaneously knows exactly what is happening and has no idea what is happening.
Jesus is about to wash their feet.
Why?
Because they needed washing. They were dirty and smelly from the days travels. And Jesus was always willing to do what needed to be done for others.
Jesus washes one of His disciples feet. Then another. Then he comes to Peter. And Peter says, “Not so fast. Wait a minute, Jesus. Maybe I should be the one washing your feet. But you washing my feet? I don’t know about that!”
I’m sitting outside as I read, re-read, and pray through this story. In front of me is Lake Lewisville. And it’s a beautiful night outside. Not too hot. The sun is setting over the lake. Small waves ripple to the shore from boats passing by out in the water.
And I realize in prayer, I really don’t want Jesus washing my feet either. Except, it’s not my feet I’m trying to hide from Jesus, it’s my heart. It’s the corners of my heart I’ve tried to keep hidden. Those places in my heart where there is darkness. It’s those parts that I’ve tried to wash myself as best I can so no one, including Jesus, ever has to see how dirty I really am.
Unlike Jonathan Irons, as I stand before my judge, I am guilty.
If Jesus were to see my heart, the things I’ve tried to keep hidden, I would be filled with guilt and shame. I would be embarrassed and humiliated. Like Peter, I pray… “Lord, do you have to wash my feet?”
And then, as if God is speaking to me himself, I remember the words of scripture… “My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is made perfect in weakness.”
And when I heard those words, I somehow summoned the courage to walk down into the water and as my feet sunk into the soft earth under me, I prayed for Jesus to wash my feet.
As the sun was setting over the lake I tried to confess every unconfessed sin that was in my heart. And I prayed that I could know the unfailing love and mercy of Jesus once again.
And when I had confessed my sin, like David, I felt a sense of joy unlike anything I’ve known in a long time.
A Shout for Joy
David ends Psalm 32 with these words:
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Here’s what I want you to remember today,
CONFESSION leads to FORGIVENESS and FORGIVENESS leads to UNPARALLELED JOY!
Because we are forgiven, let us SHOUT FOR JOY. Let’s worship and give God thanks for the GRACE we’ve been given.
May we live every day with unparalleled JOY.
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