David describes how painful it was for him when he refused to acknowledge, confess and repent of his sin (Ps 32). God was chastising him with sickness, weakness, depression and many other troubles, but he refused to repent. He could not sleep at night; he lost his appetite and even the desire to live. The flood of pain and sorrow almost drown him. He felt like he was dying inside.

This is the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit and can be described as withering, as drying the power of the flesh. The false happiness and the pleasures of sin are slowly destroyed by the breath of the Spirit. The sinner struggles to hide its sin, to minimize its wickedness. Without the work of the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, the natural man will not be able to be free from it. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God preached under anointing to point to your sin. You may fight the preacher, you may kill the prophet, but the Word belongs to God and it will win at last. The deeper the conviction, the greater the repentance and the greater the joy will be. ‘The grass whiter and the flowers fall because the breath of the Lord blows on them…but the Word of our God stands forever’ (Is 40:7, 8)

David’s greatest sin was adultery and murder. He was to confess that openly but he refused. This unwillingness to confess became an added sin that compounded the problem. This was the sin of stubbornness.

The longer you refuse to come to the light and acknowledge your sin, the stronger the bondage shall be. Sin is a slave master. Sin is an offence against God, a betrayal against His love for you. Secondarily, sin an offence against people and against your destiny in Christ. ‘Stubbornness is like witchcraft’ (1Sam 15:23). Refusal to confess your sins will bring you in the realm of the occult; will harden your heart and destroy your conscience. It will make you proud, un-teachable and rebellious. Your stubbornness will grieve the Holy Spirit. Then God will oppose you. He will withdraw His peace, His joy, His guidance and instruction. He will abandon you to a restless life, without purpose and without victory. Your enemies shall prevail and your troubles will increase. There is no escape from this cage of failure and defeat except you make peace with God!

There is no cure for sin except the Blood of Jesus shed on the Cross of Calvary. You need to have faith in His Blood!

Once you come back to God, to the Cross of Christ freely confess your sins to Him. God’s Mercy and Grace shall be revealed. Your sins shall be covered and hidden from the eyes of men and demons. Jesus paid the price for your redemption and you shall be free from all condemnation. Peace and joy shall return with a flood of blessings. God will again delight in teaching you, guiding you and fellowshipping with you. Your reconciliation will have a background of music. God shall surround you with mercy, songs of deliverance and victory. Sin combined with God’s grace ends in laughter and joy unspeakable. This man who is justified by the Blood of Jesus is no more called a sinner, but a blessed saint. What a wonder this salvation…

Sinner, backslider, prodigal son…come back home!

Let’s pray: ‘Dear Heavenly Father, I am sorry for all my sins. I was stubborn and wicked for so long. I took your grace for granted. I despised your love. I ignored your mercy. I ask for forgiveness. Please cleanse me by Your Blood, refresh and revive me. I vow to give You alone all the glory! In Jesus name I pray, amen!’