{"id":1543,"date":"2018-05-23T06:50:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T10:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/?p=1543"},"modified":"2018-05-30T13:48:07","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T17:48:07","slug":"repent-and-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/2018\/05\/23\/repent-and-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Repent and Return"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psalm 32<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBlessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This Psalm offers thanks for forgiveness of sins, and it is one of the seven penitential Psalms. It also has a number of features reminiscent of \u2018the beatitudes\u2019 in the first two verses, each of which begins with blessed or happy (Matt. 5: 3-10).
\nWhat are the transgressions?\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>We have references to three types of sins here, which are rebellion against God\u2019s will, missing the correct path and iniquities or unjust way of life. These sins cause silence for it says, \u2018When I kept silent\u2019 (V.3). Anything that prevents having a conversation, prayer or thanksgiving\u00a0 to\u00a0 God is a sin. Sins make us hide from God, but we cannot just hide from Him; we are in His presence at all times.<\/em>
\n\u00a0How do we repent?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0We need an honest acknowledgement of all our sins, both of commission and omission, hiding nothing, nor being silent or evasive about anything. God knows us in the depth of our being. It can be easy to say sorry about few minor things, but not so easy to search our hearts for the attitudes, platitudes, and personality traits that lead us to upsetting others. We need to move on and seek forgiveness of those we have hurt in our family and community, and forgiving those who have hurt us, as well.\u00a0<\/em>
\n\u00a0<\/em>What does it mean to be fully forgiven?<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0We can become over familiar with the Bible, quoting often to fit our needs, yet sometimes we need to meditate afresh, by ourselves, on the wonder of God\u2019s amazing grace. It can be an immense relief, and a real source of blessing, to confess one\u2019s sins and experience God\u2019s forgiveness. We will be very happy to say \u2018Amen\u2019 to the words, \u2018Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven.\u2019 Psalmist uses three phrases for forgiveness: lifted, blotted and not counted. These suggest that after confession sins are no longer held against the person who repents. St. Paul quotes the first two verses of this Psalm in the context of discussing justification by faith (Rom.4:7-8). \u00a0We have this amazing assurance in Isaiah, \u2018Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool (Isa. 1.18).<\/em>
\nThe blessedness of Forgiveness:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0This \u2018repent and return\u2019 state brings us into happiness. Going away from God due to our sins and coming back to God through repentance is an on-going everyday experience of grace.\u00a0 In this state of grace, we are ready to live the life God has prepared for us. This is the blessedness that Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount, which comes to the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers and the pure in heart.<\/em><\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>
\nDear Father, we give thanks to you for your never ending forgiveness and unconditional love. Forgive us if we have treated your love and redemption as minor things, and if we have never even begun to love you as you have first loved us, we pray. Amen!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY<\/strong>
\nHappiness has no limit; it is to be with God and love Him.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Zac Varghese, London<\/strong><\/p>\n

Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Psalm 32 \u201cBlessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.\u201d This Psalm offers thanks for forgiveness of sins, and it is one of the seven penitential Psalms.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflections"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Psalm-32_1-e1527299594964.jpg?fit=100%2C75&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1543"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1592,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions\/1592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/detroitmarthoma.org\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}