Many of us recall the haunting, almost plaintive cry of "Freedooooom," in a Mel Gibson movie. (Some may call it triumphant. Whatever.) That has been "borrowed" by several firms, including a debt reduction ministry, but the meaning is replete with nuances. It might be a demand to be met, a plea to be satisfied, or an exclamation of receipt. "I have it." We will explore this later.
David leads us into this thought: Psalm 32:5
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.
David has been working his way to this conclusion. Psalm 51 seems to be a precursor to this in that it is the plea for forgiveness and cleansing. (We examined that in the studies posted earlier.*) Psalm 32, and especially verse 5 is the culmination of his plea. Verse 11 of chapter 32 summarizes it for us: "...shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." Good stuff.
We examined the three aspects of David's description of his acts in the previous studies. He called his actions sin, transgression, and iniquity. As we discussed before, sin is "missing the mark." Transgression is going beyond the boundaries or trespass. It can be inadvertent or deliberate. When we cross over into the "deliberate trespass," territory, we are finding iniquity. We, like David, know it is wrong and purpose to do it anyway.
Verses 1 and 2 enumerate David's deliverance. "...transgression is forgiven, sin is covered, the Lord does not impute iniquity" The three aspects of David's deliverance occurred at the same time. His trespass was forgiven, his sin was covered, he was not charged with the offense.
His descriptions reveal his evaluation of his condition. He was deeply flawed, not slightly marred and in need of minor correction. Like a friend of mine used to say about a doctor's advice for treating cancer: "You cut that out!" So David dared not minimize his situation. Nor dare we. It was malignant and serious.
And to address the elephant in the room, there is an implicit warning against everyone who thinks about sin and imagines that he "can get away with it." David reminds us of two witnesses who know every move we make. The first one is David. He knew what he was doing and what he had done. And you know yourself. The second Witness is the one Who keeps David from escaping. The ever present YOU in both chapters. David recognized the true target of his sin and rebellion. And God knows. And now the solution.
A radical operation was required. First, David acknowledged his sin. This is the best interpretation of "name it and claim it." This was sin. I did it. The confession also involved open declaration. There was no more hiding or covering it. David had sinned in the sight of the entire nation. His acceptance of responsibility likewise required a public revelation. He did not hide it any longer. Look back at his comments. "...kept silent, deceit, hidden."
And finally, confession to the Lord. Lee Strobel, in "The Case for Christ," outlines what it means to have faith in Jesus. First, you must believe the facts. But just believing everything about Jesus is not enough. (The demons "believe and tremble." But they are not saved. James 2:19) John 1:12 tells us that everyone who believes and receives Him will become children of God.
We recognize our sin. "I am a sinner, Lord." We repent. "I am sorry I rebelled and rejected you." Note, not just sorry we got caught. Sorry that we did it. And finally we receive the forgiveness offered. "Thank You for dying for me, Jesus. I accept you as my Savior."
The shout in verse 11 mirrors verse 1: "How blessed." David and all the rest of us who have been forgiven raise our voices. "Freeeedddoooommmm!" Selah: Think of that.
Join us.
*(Earlier posts may be found at: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=509194200217608031#allposts)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2:19&version=NASB
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A12&version=NASB
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