Joy of Forgiveness

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! 

Psalm 32:1-2 (NLT)

The power of God’s forgiveness is life changing! Whatever we have done, being born sinners, is taken away when we ask God for forgiveness. In fact, the Psalmist says it is put out of sight. That doesn’t mean hidden or stuck in a “backroom” somewhere. In Psalm 103 we read that, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

What immeasurable joy this brings to the forgiven child of God. When I was a child, growing up in a pastor’s home, I sat through a lot of church services. I would often feel the conviction of the message and realize that I wasn’t ready should the Lord return. Sometimes these guilty feelings would compel me to wake my parents up in the middle of the night to confess my latest sinful deeds. 

There was no greater feeling than going back to bed and realizing I had nothing to hide or worry about. No hidden behaviors were going to be revealed in the future or come back to haunt me. The writer of this Psalm says it this way, “Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” 

You can know this joy. Jesus still takes away the stains and power of sin. Don’t live your short life on this planet ignoring your sin and God while hoping for some kind of last-minute conversion to get you into heaven. God loves you and, just like my patient parents, He wants you to come to Him, confess, and receive the joy of sins forgiven! Never once were they upset that I came seeking a clear conscience. Come to Him and experience the joy of the Lord in your life! 

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