“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah”
Psalm 32:1-7 ESV
As believers in Christ’s death and resurrection, we are to confess our sins on a regular basis. This confession doesn’t save us, but it reminds us that we are God’s children, acknowledging our need for a Rescuer.
When we try to cover our sin ourselves or try to hide them from God (which is impossible, by the way), we are acting like our forefather, Adam. The weight of our sin will (and should) press heavily upon us through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit speaking into our heart and consciences.
The Psalmist, David, said that when he kept silent about his sin, his “bones wasted away” because of him “groaning all day long”. He felt God’s hand heavily upon him “day and night” and this “dried up” his strength. The Holy Spirit will not tolerate believers continuing in unconfessed sin – He will make us feel uncomfortable as He helps us to wage war against our sinful nature.
After David confessed His sin, God forgave His “iniquity” and David responded by praising God: “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”
This is the goal of our Christian lives in a nutshell – to confess our sins, accepting God’s forgiveness through Christ, and to praise, glorify and enjoy God in response. This should not only happen on Sunday in the forms of prayer and singing. We should present our “… bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1) Worshipping God is a way of living.
“Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found…” If you have never before confessed your sins to God, now is as good a time as ever. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near…” (Isaiah 55:6 ESV). After we leave our earthly bodies, it will be too late to confess our sins for the first time. Do it now.