Turning From Sin

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While our sin is against God (Ps. 51:4), no matter what the sin is, our sin still has a way to negatively affect others. We must address the sin in our own lives.

Read Psalm 32:3-4 and discover the weight sin can bring upon you:

Psalm 32:1  Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

3  For 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 dried upt as by the heat of summer. Selah

5  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

What are the effects of sin present in these verses? What happened to this man (v. 3)?

Whose hand was upon him (v. 4)?

The psalmist was burdened by the weight of his sin, and God was the one pressing in upon him. The relief he was looking for was found in confession. Once he acknowledged his sin before God, he found release from shame.

The man whose sin is forgiven is joyful. No longer riddled with shame and guilt, he gleefully lives life because of the grace found in God. Is there a secret sin that is wearing you down? Do you need to confess something to God? To your wife? To your accountability partner? To the guys in this study? Are you wasting away with the shame in your life? It’s time to get some relief.

You don’t have to tell every detail of what has happened, but if you need relief, maybe the best thing you can do is confess to God and even confess to someone else for the sake of healing. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in effect” (James 5:16).

What is your action plan today to find peace?