Erlo Stegen emphasizes the profound blessing of forgiveness as illustrated in Psalm 32, where David reflects on the joy of having his sins forgiven and the despair of hiding them. He explains that true happiness is unattainable without the acknowledgment and confession of sin, which leads to God's immediate forgiveness. Stegen warns that unconfessed sin can lead to spiritual and physical deterioration, as seen in David's life when he concealed his transgressions. The sermon encourages believers to continually confess their sins to experience the fullness of God's grace and to avoid the destructive nature of sin. Ultimately, the message is one of hope, highlighting that through confession, one can attain true blessedness and spiritual renewal.

Ps 32:1-5 A Psalm of David, Maschil (instructive, that is, a didactic poem) 1BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. 2Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. 4For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 5I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]--then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Amplified Bible) David couldn't hold back, but had to speak of the forgiveness he experienced. The blessing of sins' confession is in it being taken away, that it is there no more. Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. There is no true happiness where there is no forgiveness. All blessings flow from this, that your sin has been dealt with and is taken away. So blessed and happy is such a person whose transgressions are removed, that others will envy you greatly. It would be good if we arrive at Pentecost this year, 15 May, having experienced this blessedness of sins forgiven and removed. But not all experience this happiness. David says that there was a time when he was troubled, while he kept silent and hid his sin. His moisture dried out and he grew old in that time, because of God's hand of displeasure upon him. It had been about a year, when David had sinned, and hid his sin. He had comitted adultary. He had a number of wives, yet fell into sin with another man's wife, Bathsheba. David teach us that if you sin and cover it up, you are dried up - not just physically but spiritually too. For sin damages you spiritually. Spirit, soul & body suffers when sin comes into your life. God's displeasure came on David because of his sin. God has no pleasure with you when you sin. David says that when he came and confessed his sin, God forgave him instantly (amplified). It is as if God is anxious for you to confess your sin so He can forgive you. David said he wanted to confess it continually, unfolding the past till all is told. This is true repentance. He said, I want to tell all and let heaven and earth know what really happened. He confessed until it was totally dealt with and hid nothing. He told the whole matter. His duty was to be with his army on the battleground, but he remained at home. Satan got hold of him, because he wasn't where he should have been. One sin leads to another in the chain, and to cover his sin, David eventually murdered Uriah, Bathsheba's husband. However David never repeated his sin again. He repented of his sin and never went back. Even in his old age, when the most beautiful girl in Israel was sought to warm and serve the king, because he was weak and could no longer get warm, the Bible records that he did not touch her. He was cured from his sin. Never allow the smallest sin in your life, for it's worse than the most dangerous cancer.