ART

"She won't listen to me mom! I want to apologize but she won't listen!"
How many times have I heard this? The golden heads, needing forgiveness from each other, begging, pleading with the offended, trying to rectify the wrong.
How many times have I done this myself with God? Recently, I realized how messed up that is: pleading with God for forgiveness. I'm already forgiven.
For our sake (God) made (Christ) to be sin. Who knew no sin, so that in (Christ) we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
On a quick study of Hebrews chapters nine and ten, I counted five times the writer says "once for all" or "for all time."
(Christ) entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12
..But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews 9:26
And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jeus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:10
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.. Hebrews 10:12
For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:14
Get it? Christ BECAME our sin, and our sin was crucified on the cross so that God's need for justice was satisfied.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
However, heavy is the word confession. As we look to Psalm 51, I think you will agree that confession is for our benefit. David confesses his adultery with Bathsheba. "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…" (vv. 3-4a). David admits his wrong doing.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me," (v. 10). Broken, David decides to turn from sin to God. A.W. Tozer gave us the image of a coin. One side of the coin is sin, the other God or righteousness. We can't look at both sides of the same time. We must choose to turn tails on sin and head toward God. This is the choice David has made in Psalm 51: repentance.
"..and my tongue will wing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise," (vv. 14-15). David is thanking and praising God for forgiveness.
I like to recall this acrostic the ART of confession.
Admit
Repent
Thank
And then in Psalm 32, David contrasts confession with the pride of not confessing.
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 not deceit. Psalm 32:1-2
vs.
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 the that of summer. Ps 32:3-4
David admits his sin (v.3, "I acknowledged my sin to you"), repents and is forgiven (v.3, "and You forgave the iniquity of my sin,"). There is no need to beg and plead for forgiveness as the golden heads plead with their sisters, or we beg forgiveness to those we have offended. We've already been forgiven, we just need to admit, head toward God and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Pray Psalm 139:23-24 and let God reveal any sin in your life.
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24
Practice the ART of confession. No need to beg and plead. Rather admit, repent and thank Him!

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