01/14/2009 Psalms 38:3

01/14/2009

Psalms 38:3 - 9 (HCSB) ³There is no soundness in my body
    because of Your indignation;
    there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
⁴For my sins have flooded over my head;
    they are a burden too heavy for me to bear.
⁵My wounds are foul and festering
    because of my foolishness.
⁶I am bent over and brought low;
    all day long I go around in mourning.
⁷For my loins are full of burning pain,
    and there is no health in my body.
⁸I am faint and severely crushed;
    I groan because of the anguish of my heart.
⁹Lord, my every desire is known to You;
    my sighing is not hidden from You.
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Atheists claim that there is no god, and that there is no “sin.” They suppose that this world will run just fine without any religion to make everyone feel guilty. They say that if there was no religion, then everybody would just do the right thing and the world would be a happier place. But they fail to realize that humanity is a depraved race. We are not inherently good. To the contrary, we must struggle to do “good” things. Our instincts are towards the animalistic behaviors of grab-all-you-can and keep-your-hands-off-my-stack. Sharing is not a natural instinct. Assisting a wounded brother is not a natural instinct. Working for the general well-being of all mankind is not a natural instinct.

We need an absolute moral law to shape our behavior. We need that objective “outsider” to give us direction.

In one sense the atheists and humanists are correct; the Law given to Moses by God does make people feel guilty. Paul said in Romans 7:7 “I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, You shall not covet.”

In fact, God made us with an internal mechanism that recognizes sin. It may not be enumerated, like “thou shalt not steal,” but we do have this bucket that accumulates the garbage of our sin. It weighs us down and we can feel it burdening us. It is only when we override that mechanism with our own rationalization that we become numb to God’s plan. The humanist and atheist will seek secular counseling to alleviate the affects of this garbage, but in reality, this will only make them more numb. It does not get rid of the garbage.

The psalmist above recognized his sin. He knew that it was a burden to him and he anguished about it. He fell before the Lord and laid out his transgressions. He sought the Lord. This is God’s plan. God desires that we recognize that we have a problem that we cannot fix. God desires that we come to Him in an effort to solve this problem.

The Law was given to show us our sin; to point it out (as it were), and to convict us of it. But God has put another force into affect to counter the affects of that conviction. It is Grace. Paul concludes the thought above like this:

Romans 8:1 - 4 (HCSB) ¹Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, ²because the Spirit’s law of life [Grace] in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death [the Law of Moses]. ³What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, ⁴in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

When Paul references “us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” he is speaking of those who have trusted in Jesus as that sacrifice that satisfied the law on their behalf. Paul says that this group of people who now “walk according to the Spirit.”

So, here is the point; it is a blessing when people groan under their sin. These are the ones who are hungry to hear about God’s Grace. Those who have ignored their sin have closed their hearts to such message. It is good also for us to recognize the burden our sin has produced – even though we don’t carry that burden anymore. We should reflect on that burden from time to time to remind us of that gift of Grace.

Think of it this way. If someone paid your mortgage for your house, you are still free to live in the house. It would be good for you to think about that debt once in a while so that your sense of gratitude for the benefactor will be renewed. Hopefully, you will express that gratitude repeatedly to the benefactor.

Jesus paid your debt. It is a debt far greater than a mortgage. Unlike a mortgage, the debt that Jesus paid is one that you could never, ever hope to fulfill on your own. Reflect on that debt like the psalmist above. How destitute would you be if that burden were still on you? Now, knowing that debt has been settled, show gratitude to Jesus for caring enough to show His Grace to you.

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