April 15, 2007

A woman, we’ll call her June, was clearly troubled. Her pastor asked her why? She hemmed and hawed. Finally, she admitted that she had a real problem with shoplifting. In fact, she admitted that from time she even would lift a wadded up bill out the collection plate. “Oh, I see, “said her pastor. “You’ve tried to stop?” “Yeah, but I just don’t think I can do that.” “Well, maybe you need to see psychiatrist—you could have a problem with being what is popularly know as kleptomania.” “Oh, pastor I don’t want to do that!” she said. But in your sermon you said that we don’t need to live with guilt. I am just wondering if you could help me deal with my guilt feelings.

Most of us do not enjoy feeling guilty, do we? And we have choice words for people who like to point out our faults.

But, probably the time when guilt feelings bother us the most are those time when things are going wrong in our lives. And we’re already depressed and frustrated. But then we start feeling guilty besides. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Maybe, you have a financial setback. And then you start thinking about what a poor steward you have been with your money. Or you have a fight with someone you love. Maybe it ends in a broken relationship. And you think about all the mean and selfish things you have done. And you start to feel guilty. Or, things are not going well on the job or at school—maybe you lose your job or you get an "F" on a test or fail a class. And you think about all those times when you should have worked to the best of your ability, but didn’t. Or maybe you get sick or experience a tragedy in you life. And even though you may not have done anything to have caused it, in your depressed state you start thinking about some of things you’ve done wrong. And you wonder if the Lord is punishing you or at least chastising you. That’s kind of what was happening in the Psalmist's life for a while. Look at verses 3- 4

When I kept silent,

My bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

⁴ For day and night

your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was sapped

as in the heat of summer.

It’s not just that the Psalmist was having trouble in his life. But, he believed that the trouble he was having was related to his sin and guilt before God.

Yet, before we get to far talking about guilt, we should note that this Psalm is not really about guilt, but about the joy of being forgiven by God. For listen how it begins.

¹ Blessed is he

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

² Blessed is the man

whose sin the LORD does not count against him

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

And the real story of this Psalm is how the Psalmist went from these awful guilt feelings to the joy of knowing that he was forgiven by God. And then what effect this joy had on his life.

But the Psalmist begins his story telling about the big mistake he made. He was suffering and began to have those guilt feelings. And what did he do? He kept silent. He tried as hard as he could to ignore his guilt or make light of it. You know how that goes…. “Everybody’s a sinner”… “I’m only human, you know.” “There are worse people on the planet than me.” “What did I do to deserve this?”

But the problem is that he couldn’t get any satisfaction. The more he tried to ignore his guilt, the guiltier he felt. And look who was causing him to feel guiltier:

⁴ For day and night

your hand was heavy upon me;

God was making him feel guilty. The more he tried to ignore his guilt, the more the Lord kept making him bothered by it.

But, why? I thought the Lord loves his people. Why does he want us to feel guilty? One very important reason: Unless we feel guilty we can’t confess our sins.. And without confession, we cannot know the joy of forgiveness.

Remember Jesus parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^ himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

.The Pharisee didn’t humble himself before God and ask for his mercy—i.e. He didn’t confess his sins, because he didn’t think he was that bad of a sinner. The tax collector knew he was sinner and humbled himself before God and begged for mercy. And we was justified and his sins were forgiven by God.

Now sometimes it takes things going wrong in our lives before we acknowledge our mistakes. That’s what happened with one of the most evil kings in Judah’s history: King Manasseh. He not only led the people to worship idols, but he led them to worship some of the worst idols, including the hideous idol-god Moloch, a worship that included heating the image of this god red hot and then throwing their infant children into its burning arms. He was also the king who persecuted and murdered the prophets and priests of the Lord. Extra-biblical sources tells us that he was responsible for executing the prophet Isaiah by having him sawed in two. Because of Manasseh’s wickedness, God allowed the Babylonians to capture and imprison him . But, while he was in that Babylonian prison he came to his senses. 2 Chron 33: 13 says, ¹²In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea;

Sometimes that’s what it takes: getting caught, going through trouble, losing a friend, even getting sick— for us to realize what we’ve done wrong and then to confess it to him. And the same God who forgave this king’s unspeakably treacherous deeds will also forgive us.

But, it’s not just enough to just confess our sins to the Lord. We also must trust that God out of his love and mercy completely forgives our sins. The Apostle Paul points this out in Romans 4.

Listen to what he writes,

What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^

⁴Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. ⁵However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. ⁶David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [and then Paul quotes the first verses of the Psalm we just read]

⁷ “Blessed are they

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

⁸ Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord will never count against him.

Now as Christians we have more reason to trust God’s forgiveness than Abraham or the Psalmist did. Just last week we reflected on the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We confessed that Jesus died to pay for our sins and rose to give us new life. Yet the sad truth is that so many of us Christian people are still holding on to our guilt. Brothers and sisters this should not be!!! If Christ has set us free, we are free indeed. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. No ifs, ands, or buts. Jesus paid it all. God doesn’t demand more tears on your part. He doesn’t demand penance. He doesn’t demand anything, but that you believe him and you trust him. In a world where there are many things that are too good to be true, this is one thing that is not too good to be true. It is true!!! We have God’s Word on it.

Now, as I say this, some might respond. But God hasn’t taken away the trouble I’m going through. That may be true. Maybe he will some day. Maybe he won’t until he takes you home to glory. Sometimes this is due to the fact that our behavior has consequences. Cause and effect. Even though God forgives us for our adultery, our marriage still may be over or we may still suffer from venereal disease. It also may be true that our suffering may have had nothing to do with our sin even though it was the reason we confessed our sins and received forgiveness. And even after we trust are forgiven, we still suffer. No matter what the reason, how can I know the joy of forgiveness if I’m still suffering?

In verse 5 the Psalmist realizes his forgiveness. Now look at verses 6- 8. The Psalmist gives no indication that Lord took away all his suffering, but his outlook has changed. Listen,

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you

while you may be found;

surely when the mighty waters rise,

they will not reach him.

⁷ You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you and watch over you.

Instead of viewing God as the one who is responsible for his suffering, he views God as his friend in suffering. He views God as the one who will guide him and see him through and give him victory.

Twenty- three year old Rusty Welborn was on death row in South Carolina State penitentiary, following his conviction for one of the most brutal slayings in South Carolina history. Bob McAlister, a deputy chief of staff to South Carolina's governor, became acquainted with Rusty on death row. Bob had become a Christian a year or so earlier and felt a strong call from God to minister to the state's inmates, especially those spending their last days on death row.

Bob's first look at Rusty revealed a pitiful sight. Rusty was lying on the floor when he arrived, a pathetic picture of a man who believed he mattered to no one. The only signs of life in the cell were the roaches, which scurried over everything, including Rusty himself. He stared blankly at Bob as he began to talk, but did not respond.

During visit after visit, Bob tried to reach Rusty, telling him of the Love that Jesus had for him and of his opportunity, even on death row, to start a new life in Christ. He talked and prayed continuously, and finally Rusty began to respond to the stranger who kept invading his cell. Little by little, he opened up, until one day he began to weep as Bob was sharing with him. On that day, Rusty Welborn, a pitiful man with murder and darkness behind him and his own death closing in ahead of him, gave his heart to Jesus Christ. When Bob returned to Rusty’s cell a few days later, he found a new man. The cell was clean and so was Rusty. He had renewed energy and a positive outlook on life. McAllister continued to visit him regularly, studying the Bible, and praying with him. The two men became close friends, over the next five years, in fact McAlister said that Rusty grew into the son he never had, and as for Rusty, and he had taken to calling McAlister "Pap." As with many criminals Rusty had suffered from a terrible childhood and had endured terrible neglect and abuse. His teenage years were full of turmoil as he was kicked out of his home many times and ran away countless others. He spent the better part of his youth living under bridges and in public rest rooms. But, he didn’t blame his childhood. He took full responsibility for what he had done. And even did what he could seek the forgiveness of the family of the man he had killed.

Now, you might think that God would have seen how this man’s heart had changed and would have given him a second chance. He didn’t. Rusty was executed for his crime. Yet, on his final day, with only hours remaining before his 1:00 A.M. execution, he asked McAlister to read to him from the Bible. After an hour or so of listening, Rusty sat up on the side of his cot and said, "You know the only thing I ever wanted was a home, Pap. Now I'm going to get one."

As he faced execution Rusty, knowing that he was forgiven, viewed God as his heavenly Father who was now calling him home.

As he reflects on his experience, the Psalmist inspired by God address now addresses us directly

⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule,

which have no understanding,

but must be controlled by bit and bridle

or they will not come to you.

¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked,

As long as your guilt remains, God will always seem like the slave driver. Pushing and prodding and punishing. But when confess and believe it all changes

but the LORD’S unfailing love

surrounds the man who trusts in him. You have to believe!!!.

¹¹ Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;

sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Oh, Lord, open our ears and hearts, that we all might this joy!!! Amen.