Why would anyone deprive themselves of water?  Well, for one because they don't like it.  I don't like drinking water although I know it is absolutely essential.  I paid a price for my dislike in 2008 when I suffered from kidney stones.  The doctor told me I needed to be drinking more water.  The pain coming from that experience made it easy for me to agree.  It was the most excruciating experience I've ever had. I agree with this spiritual corollary.  If we don't confess our sin, we dry up. We wilt.  

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'”

John 7:37-38

This is a review of John MacArthur’s book Keys To Spiritual Growth with comments and study questions along the way. Feel free to study along and answer the questions or ask your own in the comments section below to enrich our learning. To go to the start of this series click here.

6 CONFESSION – Unlocking the Chamber of Horrors

At the height of his power, David committed a grievous sin. He would suffer the consequences of it for the rest of his life. What did he do? He became infatuated with the wife of one of his military officers—Bathsheba was her name. David accidentally saw her bathing on her rooftop one day, and he began to lust after her. Ultimately he made her pregnant while her husband was away fighting battles on David’s behalf.

David tried desperately to cover his deed and finally decided the only way to solve his problem was by arranging for Bathsheba’s husband—his friend—to lead a suicide squad into a battle against the Philistines. That’s what happened—and the innocent man was killed. Conveniently forgetting his intrigue, David gave the man a military funeral and proceeded to marry the pregnant wife. God relates the whole story in 2 Samuel 11.

By his actions David had broken four of the Ten Commandments: He had coveted, he had stolen, he had committed adultery, and he had murdered.^[1] A man with any moral sense, especially a man who knows God, is going to feel troubled, even unnerved, by such sin. Guilt finally caught up with David. He became obsessed with his sin. He could not get his sin out of his heart or mind, and he could not get it off his hands.

Psalm 51 records David’s great outpouring of confession. There he prayed for four things. Sin had made him dirty, and he asked to be cleansed. Guilt had made him physically sick, and he asked to be healed. Iniquity had broken his joy with God, and he asked to be restored. He knew he had directly violated God’s love and laws, and he asked for pardon and mercy.

The whole subject of confession of sin is much discussed today, and I think we need to see it in the biblical perspective. Confession is ever and always the pattern of the Christian’s life. It constitutes one of the essential keys to spiritual growth.

The Consequences of Covering Sin

Christians today face the same dilemma that David faced—if we try to cover our sin, as David attempted to do for an entire year, we forfeit fellowship with God. Confession is the only solution, but it requires that we abandon our pride. We have all fought this battle.

I can remember in my childhood having confronted the matter head-on time after time. My mother would line up all four children against the wall and say, “All right, which one of you did it?” to admit or not to admit—that was the question! You know, of course, that this is a recurring issue all through life. Fortunately, I learned as a child that it never pays to try to cover our sin. Besides, it is futile. We can hide nothing from God.

What happens to the one who covers up—or tries to? For one thing, he will forfeit God’s blessing on his life. That means very real and practical consequences: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper…” (Proverbs 28:13). Physical illness may be another result of covering up. David testified, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3, 4). The one who covers his sin in this life is going to have it uncovered in the next, and whoever exposes it to God in this life shall never have it exposed again in the life to come. A day of judgment is coming. Jesus said, “There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2, 3).

A day is coming in which there will be absolutely no secrets, in which the innermost secrets of every heart will be disclosed. For the godly, that day will be rewarding; for the ungodly the disclosure will be damning. God will judge all sin that has been covered up; all sin that is hidden will be revealed. But the sin that is exposed in this life and cleansed by the blood of Christ need never be exposed again. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). That which has been cleansed and forgiven will not be brought up before us.

That’s one of the marvelous promises of Scripture Christians can claim. When we come to heaven, God will not show us our sins. He has removed them from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).

But unbelievers who attempt to cover their sins have no such promise. They face exposure and God’s judgment. Revelation 20 says that Christ will open the books to disclose the sin of their lives; He will judge all their sin; and He will cast the guilty into the lake of fire.

Moreover, Christians who try to cover individual sins face exposure and loss of reward:

Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

God judges sin so sternly because He is utterly holy.^[2] All sin is a personal offense against Him. Everyone who sins directly defies God.^[3] David acknowledged that when he said, “Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight…” (Psalm 51:4). David did not deny that he had committed sin against himself and his own body, as adultery certainly is (1 Corinthians 6:18). He was not denying that he had sinned against Bathsheba and her husband or that he had sinned against the whole nation of Israel by failing in such a way. But he recognized that all sin is first and foremost an affront to God.

Some people tend to look for a place to lay blame when they think they’re confessing sin. Adam, for example, began his admission of disobedience by saying, “…The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12, emphasis added). Many counselors today actually advise people to search their pasts and identify wrongs done to them by parents, authority figures, and others. Supposedly that process helps a person understand his failures and releases him from hurt he causes to himself. The truth is, none of that is helpful at all in dealing with guilt—in fact it usually only worsens the problem. True confession of sin is not just admitting that you did something wrong, but acknowledging that your sin was against God and in defiance of Him personally. to be spiritually healthy, we must deal not with the issue of the wrongs others have done to us, but the evil we have perpetrated against a holy God.

So the primary feature of confession is agreeing with God that we are helplessly guilty. In fact, the Greek word for confession is homologeō, which literally means “to say the same thing.” When we confess our sin, we must agree with God about our sin—that is, we must see our sin as He sees it.^[4] “Lord, I have sinned. I agree with Your appraisal of me.”

So confession is not just saying, “Yes, I did it! I did it!” It means full agreement with God. For that reason, true confession also involves repentance—turning away from the evil thing. You have not honestly confessed your sins until you have turned from them. If a person says, “I’m sorry, God. I confess,” and then continues to practice his sin, he fools himself. Real confession includes a brokenness that inevitably leads to changes in behavior.

Perhaps we tend to confess our sin in a superficial way because we do not understand how God sees our sin. We need to understand more fully what Scripture means when it speaks of confession. A closer look at David’s confession in Psalm 51 shows us three crucial elements of true confession: a right view of sin, a right view of God, and a right view of self.

A Right View of Sin

What is a right view of sin? First, it is a recognition that sin deserves judgment.^[5] David prayed, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot our my transgressions” (v. 1). The fact that David pleaded for mercy was an admission that he was guilty and unworthy of exoneration or acquittal. The possibility of mercy comes only after a guilty verdict has been rendered.

Do you think David was at risk by praying such a prayer? Do you think there was a chance he might not receive mercy? Then read Psalm 103 for great news! “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness…. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him…. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him…” (Psalm 103:8, 11, 17). We find many examples in Scripture where God stayed His hand of judgment and extended mercy (see Ezra 9:13; Nehemiah 9:19; and Job 11:6).

Still, a plea for mercy presupposes that sin deserves harsh judgment. We dare not presume on God’s mercy. Let us never forget that the penalty for sin is death.

A right view of sin also recognizes an urgent need for cleansing. David prayed, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). He wanted every dirty sin washed out of his life. Sin leaves a deep stain, and only a total cleansing will suffice. What is the cleansing agent? “…The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Jesus’ atoning work on the cross paid the penalty for our sin. His blood was shed on our behalf so that we might be washed clean from all our iniquities. Without that cleansing, we would be doomed to an eternity apart from God. But because He died for us, we can be washed whiter than snow (Psalm 51:7) and enter God’s holy presence in total purity.

A third thing is crucial to a right view of sin—the matter of accepting full responsibility for it. David wrote, “For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me” (v. 3). As we have noted, David did not blame anyone except himself. He says, in effect, “God, I exonerate You. I myself have done this. I have sinned. You are justified, You are clear. I don’t try to escape my accountability.” When a person takes personal responsibility for his sin, he advances toward spiritual maturity.^[6]

Finally, a right view of sin recognizes that we sin because it is our nature to do so. Sin is no accident. Nor could we stop sinning if we made a willful decision to do so. We are utterly given to sin as a way of life. David said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Sin is passed on from generation to generation at the time of conception. All of us are born utterly depraved—that is, sinful in every aspect of our nature. “The wicked are estranged from the womb…” (Psalm 58:3 ). From their earliest moments, people are all evil. They cannot help it—it is a part of human nature, passed down from Adam.

A Right View of God

Not only does true confession demand a right view of sin, it also demands a right view of God. In Psalm 51 David cites several characteristics of God and draws practical applications from them. God’s holiness, for example, requires “…truth in the innermost being…” (Psalm 51:6).^[7] That implies God is concerned not with external behavior but with the thoughts and motives of our hearts. Some people try to play games with God by carrying on a lot of external religious ritual. He is not impressed with that. God looks on the inside—at the heart.

David also referred to God’s authority over sin: “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean…” (Psalm 51:7). David expressed his confidence that if God were to take care of his sin, He would do the job thoroughly. Some Christians do not believe God can change their sinful habits. He can, but it requires trust and confidence in God’s authority over the powers of evil. How often we fail to commit ourselves totally to Him for victory!

After holiness and authority, David recognized God’s compassion. “Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice” (Psalm 51:8). What did David mean by “the bones which Thou hast broken”? As a shepherd, he knew very well that those who tend flocks sometimes have to break the leg of a wayward lamb to keep him from straying. While the wounded limb is healing, the shepherd has to carry the little lamb until the set bone has healed. After that, the sheep will follow the shepherd closely wherever he goes. David got the message: “Lord, I had my legs broken, but now I’m ready to follow You.” He saw God’s compassion even in His acts of chastisement.

David also recognized God’s mercy. He knew God is a forgiving God, that He has both the power and the desire to pardon sin in those whose repentance is genuine. I can think of no better expression of this than the verse found in Micah 7:18: “Who is a God like Thee, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.” David understood this aspect of God’s character; it is crucial to a right view of God.

A Right View of Self

So true confession demands a right view of sin, a right view of God, and one thing more—a right view of self. Psalm 51 makes this plain. David came to recognize that he must turn from his awful sin and live a holy, godly life.

Why? First, for the sake of sinners. David knew that he must be holy if he was to convert other sinners to God (Psalm 51:13). No one is going to listen to a man who has a sense of guilt eating away at him. Moreover, guilt locks a person’s lips from giving testimony. Someone harboring personal guilt has nothing to say to others looking for relief from their sin. I’m sure many Christians find themselves silent because they cannot avow the righteousness of God while they know they conceal secret transgressions.^[8]

Second, we must be holy for the sake of God, who delights in a broken and a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). Do you know that you can make God happy? You can—by being sensitive to sin in your own life and being broken before the Lord about it.

Finally, we must be holy for the sake of the saints. In Psalm 51:18 David prays for others. Back in a right relationship with God, he can now intercede for others. But he could not do that unless he first came to the point of purity in his own life.

To summarize, true confession can occur only when you see God for who He is, when you see sin for what it is, and when you see yourself for what you are and what you are to be.

Questions & Notes

1. What four Commandments had David broken? ↑
2. God _________ sin so sternly because He is utterly holy. ↑
3. Everyone who sins directly _________ God. ↑
4. When we confess our sin, we must _________ with God about our sin. ↑
5. A right view of sin is a _________ that sin deserves judgment. ↑
6. ” When a person takes personal responsibility for his sin, he advances toward _________ _________ . ↑
7. God’s _________ requires “…truth in the innermost being…” (Psalm 51:6). ↑
8. Many Christians find themselves _________ because they cannot avow the righteousness of God while they know they conceal secret transgressions. ↑

Click on the "Keys To Spiritual Growth" tag below to see all the posts in this series. To go to the start of this series click here.  For a great way to move through the Bible in short devotionals add the Grace to You App to your phone and find them under the "Read" tab of the app.