The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-11-04
Facing Ny Sin
Lesson for November 6, 1860

WIN adj ne mas made. The
trouble is, being in touch with
God may not be a happy ex-
perience at all.
Consider the case of the poet
who wrote the 32nd Plsam. He
begins his poem by rejoicing in
the happiness of a man who has
had his sins forgiven. The for
giving touch of God does indeed
bring JOY to the heart. But the
sense of Gods presence h a d
not always been a delight. I'VE
can assume that this poet is
talking about his own experience
not some other persons,
God Has A Heavy Hand
He writes: Day an1 night
they Gods hand was heavy
upon me-" He suffered not only
spiritual depression, but he had
been physically worn-down too.
Doctors today will tell you about
"psychosomatic" ailments. that
is. troubles which begin in the
mind but which affect muscles
and nerves and bones. Every
hospital has patients who would
not need to be there if they
could come to terms with them
selves and their problems. Mini
sters and hospital chaplains and
psychiatrists know that often the
only cure for an Illness is not
mlracle-pillS or an operation,
but so to speak an operation
on the soul. This is a modern
re-discovery Of what the Psalm
ist knew long ago, that a guilty
conscience can actually bring on
a fever and make a man lose
weight and strength. God is in
touch with sinners: but his touch
is not to them a tender one.
Turning-point
The turning-point in t h t
poets experience came at the
point where he declared h S
sin. when he broke down and
confessed. There is no mention
here of any "Confessor" W h o
stood in the place of God. The
sinner faced his God directly.
He made his confession at first
hand.
Much is said about a fOrgiv-
ing God. He is even thought of
a a kind of gigantic forgiving-
machine, with pardons rolling
out like newspapers from a
printing-press. Not at all. God S
forgiveness is never in the Bible
said to be automatic. There are
conditions. The main condition
is certainly not to get a great
deal better or even a little bet
ter. before God will consent to
do anything for you. That S
hardly possible. The condition is
that you face yourself. your
actual sinful selfish mean self
get a good look and be asham-
ed. The condition is that you
realize you cannot forgive your
self. you don't need to and ii
viii 90 you no good. What you
reed is forgiveness from a high
er source, nothing short Of God
On Gods Way
After God has forgiven. Their
what? Do I sit down happily
and contemplate his grace? Dc
| take up my time with halle.
lujahs? Do l spend the rest Of
my life writing songs about
Gods forgiving love? Not SO
1t is true, the experience of re-
lief, release and rejoicing. thai
overWhelms one who has repent
ed and confessed, has inspired
many another forgiven sinner
and not only the author of Psalm
80. to write poetry describing
his great experience. But most
of life is not poem-writing. Life
for the forgiven man is like a
road, it stretches out into the
future, and it is not always
clear daylight on that highway
Confusing shadows lie across it,
man needs guidance. That is
Psalm 49, The forgiven man is
in touch with God in new
way: the Lord is his guide. He
rad been like a fractions mule,
pulling away from God all the
time. and feeling sore from the
OFT pulled tight Now God tells
-A'sA,H W " q 4iioiii, HUI d IIlulG
any longer, a man. not a beast,
man who can follow directions
a man who has his ear and mind
open to the wise counsel of
God. There Is something more
than wisdom on the way of God :;
there is love. A less than loving
God IS not going to be a for
giving God. And SO the forgiven
man looks back and realizes that
God 8 once heavy hand lay on
him not to destroy him but to
draw him into Gods true way
BASED on outlines copyright
ed by The Division of Christian
Education, National Council of
the Churches of Christ in the
U. S. A. Released by Communi-
ty Press Service.)
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