Mistakes Were Made

Psalm 32 July 20, 2025 Pastor Ricky Alcantar

Thesis True confession of sin to God — not evasive blame-shifting or partial disclosure — is the means by which we trade the misery and spiritual death of hidden sin for the forgiveness, safety, and joy that God offers through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidacticprophetic

Method

grammatical-historicalredemptive-historicalcanonical

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

42 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #28

"The pastor applies the 'no spin room' principle by asking listeners to evaluate their own recent conflict resolution. The 'press conference' and 'spin meter' language makes the application vivid and slightly humorous while still pressing the serious point about honest confession."

Doctrinal loci· 10 surfaced

Hamartiology · 20 Soteriology · 16 Theology Proper · 6 Christology · 5 Anthropology · 3 Ecclesiology · 3 Ethics / Moral Theology · 3 Sanctification · 3 Bibliology · 1 Providence / Sovereignty · 1

Bible citations· 18

Illustrations· 6

historical example · unit #6 — The Genesis 3 narrative serves as the archetypal illustration of the four-faceted sin pattern just expounded. The illustration traces transgression, sin, iniquity, and deceit through Adam and Eve's fall, showing this is not a modern problem but the ancient human pattern.
personal story · unit #13 — The car dealership bait-and-switch story illustrates the natural skepticism we feel toward the gospel's promise — it sounds too good to be true, like a deceptive advertisement. The illustration captures the listener's instinctive doubt before the pastor affirms the promise is real.
personal story · unit #22 — The pastor shares his own teenage struggle with pornography as a vivid illustration of the misery described in verses 3-4. The personal story makes the abstract theological point concrete and creates pastoral connection — he knows what it feels like to be trapped in hidden sin.
personal story · unit #24 — The pastor completes the personal pornography story by describing the relief and joy he felt after being found out — despite consequences. This illustrates the psalm's claim that confession, though painful, leads to a better emotional state than continued hiding.
personal story · unit #31 — The ranch story illustrates the stubborn horse imagery from the psalm. The young horses resisting being moved to safety despite the danger of the bulls vividly captures the foolishness of resisting God's leading away from sin.
personal story · unit #36 — The 'dad will not get mad' ticket story illustrates the fear-of-consequence that prevents confession and the power of a guaranteed safe response. The story sets up the analogy to the cross that follows.

Theological claims· 13

Our modern culture's resistance to admitting wrongdoing and taking responsibility extends from public scandals into our most intimate relationships, where we habitually blame-shift and make excuses rather than confess. unit #2
Psalm 32 teaches that the cultural pattern of denying and covering up sin results in slow death, while true confession is a trade by which we exchange sin for blessing, death for safety, and sorrow for joy. unit #3
The psalmist insists on honest sin-language not to promote masochistic self-condemnation but because honest confession is the means by which we trade our sin for God's blessing and forgiveness. unit #11
Though we fear confession will result in loss of reputation or respect, God's actual response to honest confession is to cover our sin, forgive it, and give us blessing in return. unit #12
David's confidence in confessing sin rested on the Old Testament sacrificial system, where God provided a substitute to bear the punishment or outcast status that the confessor's sin deserved. unit #14
The good news is not that we are sinless but that through Christ our iniquities are forgiven, transforming confession from a path to destruction into a path to blessing. unit #16
The gospel of Psalm 32 is better than Roman Catholic theology because our sin is not merely brought back to zero requiring constant maintenance, but is fully covered and forgiven through Christ's complete work on the cross. unit #17
Though Christ's once-for-all sacrifice covers all our sin, we confess not to re-earn forgiveness but to receive the application and experiential help of Christ's already-accomplished work — making confession a key spiritual discipline. unit #18
The trade from sin to blessing requires not just any confession but honest confession without spin, reframing, or excuse-making. unit #26
We resist confession because we fear what will happen next, but the psalm promises that what happens next is not the sorrow we fear but rather being surrounded by forgiveness and joy. unit #34
Many of us resist confession because we distrust God, fearing He will respond like an angry father on his last nerve, but Psalm 32 presents a radically different picture of God's character. unit #35
The cross is God's guarantee of how He will respond to confession: not with anger but with covering, forgiveness, and rejoicing over us, because confession is fundamentally an act of trusting God rather than ourselves to deal with our sin. unit #37
The cross is proof that God is trustworthy to handle our confessed sin with grace rather than condemnation. unit #38

Quotations· 2

"Looking at these words is like holding up a black diamond. We see different facets of our sin." — James Johnson (unit #5)

"David does not say, blessed are those who have no sins, for no one is without iniquity. There are none who are guiltless. But there are some whose iniquities have been forgiven." — Martin Luther (unit #16)

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Full transcript

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0 · The pastor reads the entire text of Psalm 32 aloud and concludes with a brief prayer asking for God's blessing on the preaching and hearing of the word

Psalm 32. As we read, let's remember this is God's very word, a maskil of David. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah, I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found. Surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart. This is God's word. And Lord, we pray for your blessing over the preaching and the hearing of it today. Amen.

1 · The introduction establishes the cultural tendency to use evasive language ('mistakes were made') to avoid taking responsibility for wrongdoing

Well, one of the hardest working phrases in the English language is mistakes were made. Usually the phrase is used after something terrible has happened. And it is used to shirk and shift and obfuscate responsibility for as to who made the mistakes they were made. There's no object there. Right. Somebody made them. And were they terrible? Well, maybe. Were they evil? Maybe. But they're just mistakes, right? It's. It's one of the hardest working phrases in the English language. It was used in 1987 to justify selling arms to Iran. It was used by the Nixon administration after they were caught breaking and entering into the Watergate Hotel. It was used by President Clinton after being caught in adultery. It was used most recently, perhaps by British Petroleum after the massive oil spill in the Gulf. And it is continued to be used by me, Ricky Alcantad, every time I act selfishly in my family. Right. That's what. Even if I don't say it out loud, that's what's going on in my heart. Maybe your heart as well. What what happened here? Well, mistakes were made by someone. Not sure who, but they were definitely made. It is brilliant as a phrase, it is brilliant because it implies that someone, somewhere, probably not me, caused a problem. And the problem, well, it wasn't egregious or terrible, it was just a mistake. And usually it's only resorted to after a long period of denying and covering up, isn't it?

2 · The pastor identifies the cultural resistance to confession as not just a political phenomenon but a pervasive attitude in our personal relationships

Now, we might laugh or cringe when we hear the phrase mistakes were made, but I think it sums up our attitude toward confession. Today in our modern culture, we do not want to admit wrongdoing. We do not want to be the one to have to take responsibility. We are happy to blame, shift to obfuscate, to make excuses, to sidestep. Don't believe me? Well, just ask the people closest to you. Ask your spouse or your kids. Ask your closest friends. Right? We often tend to do the exact same thing. Maybe we don't hold a press conference with a bunch of cameras going off and announce mistakes were made, but that's functionally what we often do when it comes to being caught in wrongdoing. Well, you see, it actually was because of this. Well, I did that because you did that first, right? It's because I was so tired. It was because I was cranky, it's because I was hungry. It was because of any Somebody somewhere did something wrong and mistakes were made.

3 · This unit establishes the sermon's controlling thesis by contrasting the cultural evasion of responsibility with Psalm 32's radical claim

Now, Psalm 32 has an utterly different tactic, doesn't it, when it comes to seeing our wrongdoing? The surprising truth of Psalm 32 is this, that that attitude of mistakes were made, of obfuscating, of denying, of covering up, actually does not result in joy in life, but results in a slow and painful death. Psalm 32 radically jumps into our culture and announces that in fact, it's true confession that brings life and blessing. In fact, Psalm 32 sets up a trade. It helps us see a trade that we make when we confess our sin. We are making a trade according to Psalm 32. And it's the best trade any of us can ever make. Because in confession we trade sin for blessing. Amazing. In confession, we trade a slow slide toward death and difficulty for safety. In confession, we trade sorrow for joy. Now, doesn't that sound like a good trade?

4 · The pastor signals the structural plan for the sermon: a main theme followed by two variations

So today what we're going to do is we're going to set out the theme of Psalm 32 and then after a bit, do two variations on the theme that the psalmist brings in. So first, here's the theme super clear up front. Trade. This is actually the psalmist telling us this trade Sin for blessing through confession.

5 · This unit engages in word study exposition of the four sin terms in verses 1-2 (transgression, sin, iniquity, deceit), showing how each term reveals a different facet of sin's nature: rebellion against God, falling short of His law, the crooked effect on us, and the subsequent covering up

Look back at verse one if you would. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. What we see right up front in Psalm 32 is the opposite of kind of shifting blame or covering it up or trying to soft shoe dance around the issues. He is saying starkly, clearly, nope, this was transgression. This was sin. This was iniquity. This was deceit. James Johnson, one of the commentators I read on this text, says this. Looking at these words is like holding up a black diamond. We see different facets of our sin. The first word, transgression, describes our relationship to God. We have transgressed, we have rebelled against him. The second word, sin, describes our relationship to God's law. We have fallen short. We have missed the mark. God has set out a standard of truth and justice, and we have missed it. The third word, iniquity, describes the effect that sin has on us. It makes us crooked, perverse and guilty before God.

6 · The Genesis 3 narrative serves as the archetypal illustration of the four-faceted sin pattern just expounded

Now, in the Bible, we see that this pattern in our lives is not some new creation in the 21st century. This is a very, very old pattern. In fact, you see this pattern beginning all the way back in Genesis chapter three with Adam and Eve in the garden. Just think of the elements here. God sets a boundary. He sets a generous table for Adam and Eve. He says, take anything in the garden, not this tree, it's for your own good. What happens? Transgression. They choose to defy God. That's what sin is. And then as a result, the design that they were made for to guard and to keep and to protect the garden and Adam's mission to guard and protect his wife, well, it is ruined by sin. They miss the mark of what God has set them to do. And as a result, iniquity comes in. They become bent and twisted from the design God has for them. And then of course, sin is always followed by what? Deceit. They are ashamed of themselves. They are hiding from one another, hiding from God. And that pattern continues today. Every time some politician is caught doing something they shouldn't do, the same pattern ensues. Every time we sin against our loved ones, the same pattern ensues.

7 · The pastor issues a direct challenge asking whether listeners are as honest about sin as the psalmist, calling them to name sin clearly rather than evade it

And so here's the first question I think we should ask in light of Psalm 32. Are we as honest about sin as the psalmist is, as the Lord is, as David is? Do we call it what it is?

8 · The pastor steps out of the exposition to offer pastoral correction for those who wrongly categorize everything (tiredness, being sinned against, forgetfulness) as sin

Now, I want to bring two pastoral cautions. Into this right here. Now, first is a. A less common but still important caution against over applying the sin category with some Christians. I've talked to some Christians, not all, but some that. That are convinced that everything is a sin. Everything. Right. I'm tired. I'm just. Because I'm sinful. Right, right. Meaning, like, you're just exhausted. I just. I just don't love the Lord enough. That's why I'm, you know, and really. But you might think, oh, that's crazy. No, no, no. But this really what happens is some folks, they do really get. Maybe you're there, you get wrapped up in this. Being sinned against is not a sin. Right? Being tired is not a sin. Not being good at communication is not a sin. So we got to be really clear at times about what is not sin. Forgetting something is not a sin. Okay? So be cautious with over applying, especially in certain religious traditions. You got to be careful that not everything is sin.

9 · The pastor issues a second and more pressing pastoral correction for the more common error of underapplying the sin category

But my second pastoral caution is against underapplying the sin category. Now, I. I found this to be much more common in today's world that Christians may rarely or never bring up the category of sin. Right. We will blow up an anger. And rather than going, that was sinful, we say, well, you triggered me. That's why. You got that right? And you're like, didn't you just yell in anger? Yeah, but you triggered me. You see where the emphasis is? You. You know. Now, maybe they created a very temptable situation for you. Maybe they did sin against you. But, brother, sister, if you blew up in sinful anchor, it is still awesome, right? Or maybe you say something like, oh, well, you. You told your friend that you couldn't hang out on Thursday because you don't like them and you don't want to go out, but you made up an excuse. Now, if you did that, you can't say, well, I'm just an introvert. That's why I lied to you about what I was doing Thursday. No, you're like, you lied to your friend, man. Come on, bro. Right. Well, it's just because I'm an introvert. Nope, you don't get to say that. That's not what you say in Psalm 32. Or perhaps being caught in a pattern of pornography. You could say, well, it's because of this in my childhood, or because I am so lonely, or because of this or that. Nope, friend, those things may be factors. But what does Psalm 32 say? It teaches us to say, no, that was sin.

10 · The pastor applies the pastoral correction by directly asking listeners to self-examine which error they fall into — over-applying or (more likely) under-applying the sin category — and calling Psalm 32 to do the correcting work

Now, I have found as a pastor that often people today, and I think this is somewhat generational, as we move toward younger generations, people can talk endlessly about their upbringing and the hurts they endured there, their traumas in life. And some of that is very legitimate. They're very comfortable talking about that. But they are often far less comfortable with getting to biblical categories of I did sin against you. So let me encourage you. Which of those categories do you fall in? And let Psalm 32 correct you. Are you over applying, or perhaps, probably more likely under applying the category of sin.

11 · The pastor clarifies the purpose of honest sin-naming: not self-flagellation but the trade of sin for something better through God's forgiveness

Now, the reason, though, the psalmist brings up the category of sin is not so that we would flagellate ourselves or so that we would just endlessly beat ourselves up or just be like, I'm just the worst, you know, punching themselves almost like this weird masochistic exercise. No, Psalmist 32 is saying this. I am going to be utterly honest about my sin because I would like to trade it through forgiveness for something better. I want to trade this for something better. Because look at Psalm 32, what it says. Blessed is the one whose transgression, honest language is forgiven. Right? We trade sin for blessing through confession. And how does the Lord respond to true confession with forgiveness?

12 · This unit identifies the root fear that prevents confession — fear of consequence, loss of reputation, or what the truth reveals about us — and contrasts it with the reality that God's response to honest confession is to cover, forgive, and trade blessing for sin

Now, this is so critical. We are often fearful to bring our sin out before the Lord or before others because we fear what will happen if I actually tell the truth. We fear, you know, loss of reputation, loss of respect. We fear what it says about us. But what we see is that when we are utterly honest about our faults and failures, the Lord takes our sin and the language here says, covers it, forgives it. He deals with it, he takes it from us and trades us forgiveness that we might find blessing.

13 · The car dealership bait-and-switch story illustrates the natural skepticism we feel toward the gospel's promise — it sounds too good to be true, like a deceptive advertisement

Now, you might say that sounds too good to be true, right? Years ago, we saw this billboard for a car, and it was like, new car, $4,000 or something like that. So my dad and I were looking for a new car and we were like, we gotta go check it out. I mean, it's probably crazy. And so you drive over to the dealership and they're like, oh, yeah, technically that's true. Because like, once a year we get a car that doesn't have air conditioning or, like wheels, and it's 4,000, you know, dollars. And you're like, that's what I thought. Too good to be true, right? And actually, I think they got sued and they had to stop doing that billboard. And that's what we expect in these moments, right? We expect. No, no, no. This is too good to be true. Are you saying. Are you saying if I am utterly honest about my sin and bring it to the Lord in confession. I'll be met with not condemnation or destruction, but forgiveness. Is that what you're saying?

14 · This unit explains the Old Testament sacrificial system that stood behind David's confidence in confession

Yes, that's what Psalm 32 is saying. And it is not too good to be true because for the psalmist, they understood something probably better than us in many ways. For David making this confession, he understands that when we bring our sin to the Lord, something must be done with it. But the Lord provides a way for something to be done with it. In the Old Testament, at different times, they, the people would confess their sin before the Lord at the temple and and something would be done with that sin. They would confess over an animal and that animal would be killed, symbolically taking away their sin, bearing the punishment for their sin. Or other times they would confess over an animal and that animal would be sent into the wilderness as an outcast. So what the psalmist is saying is he understands that when we confess our sins, God takes it and does something with it. God takes it and, and brings death to something else, not us. Brings outcastness to something else, not us. And we trust that he and he alone. Does that work.

15 · This unit resolves the mystery of the Old Testament sacrificial system by showing how it typologically pointed to Christ

Now there is a great deal of mystery though in the Old Testament are like a wait. How does that exactly work? How can a bull or a goat take away sins? Well, as the New Testament clearly teaches us, it was never meant to take away sins. It was meant to point forward to the true and better Lamb that would finally and fully take away sins. Because what Jesus Christ does is when we confess our sins, they are placed on the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. And what happened to him on the cross? He was killed for those sins. What happens to Jesus Christ? He was outcast for those sins. So on the cross God provides a way to turn confession into blessing through the cross of Jesus Christ.

16 · The pastor brings Luther's voice in to reinforce the gospel claim that blessing comes not to the sinless but to the forgiven

Now that. Does that sound too good to be true? It does. Is it true? It is. It is the only time probably in history that you'll think that sounds too good and it's better than you think. Martin Luther says this. David does not say, blessed are those who have no sins, for no one is without iniquity. There are none who are guiltless. Listen to this. But there are some whose iniquities have been forgiven. Isn't that good news? Right. Apart from Jesus Christ, our confession would only be met with destruction or being an outcast or being cast away from the presence of God. But because of Jesus Christ, our confession is met with forgiveness because of what Christ has done. Oh, it's such Good news.

17 · The pastor clarifies a critical theological distinction between Roman Catholic sacramental confession (where ongoing confession is necessary to avoid purgatory) and the Protestant gospel (where Christ's once-for-all sacrifice covers all sin)

Now, I want to be really clear though, about something. In our culture, we do not believe as a church, as the Roman Catholic Church does, that you must keep going to confession over and over and over again. Otherwise you, you will build up a sin debt or a purgatory sentence, right? Strictly speaking, the, the theology of the Roman Catholic Church is that Jesus, I'm going to oversimplify, gets you back to zero. But man, you better stay above the line, right? You better. If you sin, man, you better get to confession. Otherwise, you know, you're not going to be outcast forever, but maybe for a few thousand years. This is the theology. And friends, the Gospel is so much better news than that. The gospel of Psalm 32 is so much better news than that. Do you hear how David is met with, met by the Lord in this? Blessed is the one whose transgression is not. Well, it's not paid out in a long term sentence. No. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is what covered, right? That's the good news of the gospel.

18 · The pastor answers a logical objection: if Christ already covered all our sin, why confess? He explains that while Christ's sacrifice is once-for-all, ongoing confession is the means by which believers receive the application and experiential benefit of that finished work

Now you might think, well, okay, well, if God did that on the cross, do we have to confess? Well, the pattern in Scripture is that we do not confess. We, we once for all trust Christ, that he might cover our sins past, present and future. But the healthy pattern of the Christian saint is that when we sin, we do not hide it, we confess it. That we might receive not the sacrifice of Christ, but the application of the existing work of Christ, that we might receive the good of Christ's forgiveness and cleansing and help. Right? That is why we confess. So confession becomes a key spiritual discipline for the Christian. And it is, friends, the best trade you or I will ever, ever make.

19 · The pastor signals the structural shift from the theme statement to the first variation — David's personal testimony

That's the theme. I could just stop right there and just be like, okay, David man, you've given us a lot to think about. That is crazy. And he goes, I'm not sure you get it yet. So look at verse three with me. He brings in a variation of the theme. He tweaks the theme just a little bit that we might hear the melody more clearly. And this variation comes in the form of David's personal story. David made this trade and he is here to tell us about it.

20 · The pastor provides crucial background on David as the author — this is the David of Bathsheba and Uriah, whose sins were enormous yet forgiven

Now, one piece of background before we read verse three. Remember, this is the David of Psalm 51. This is the David who sinned by committing adultery, by committing manslaughter, by trying to cover it up. This is the David that sinned grievously, multiple times, but yet went to the Lord in the end confessed his sin and found forgiveness. So whatever you're hiding, unless you have, well, committed adultery and then had the husband killed, which of course we probably need to talk about the legal ramifications of that. But unless you've done that and you're going, well, but can the Lord really forgive my sin? Man, let David talk to you, okay? Let him talk to you.

21 · This exposition of verses 3-4 unpacks the physical and spiritual effects of hiding sin: internal groaning, wasting away, God's heavy hand of conviction, sapped strength

Look at verse three. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me, My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah, meaning, think about that. Now, these verses give us the effects in our lives of hiding our sin, of denying our sin, of ignoring our sin, of. Of blame shifting, of refusing to take responsibility. And the language is intentionally vivid and painful. He is wrestling and groaning internally with his conscience. God's presence, man. God's presence is in his life, but it is there for conviction, right? It is no like happy days with the Lord. It is the presence of conviction. God is opposed to the proud. He is opposed to the deceiver. And so David is feeling this opposition of the Lord in his relationship. His strength feels sapped.

22 · The pastor shares his own teenage struggle with pornography as a vivid illustration of the misery described in verses 3-4

Now, look, I hope you are familiar with this. I'm going to be honest here and, and talk about how in my early teens, I was caught up more than once, sadly, in a cycle of, of using pornography. I, early in my teens found access to it and I could not stop looking. And do you know what happened? You'd think, okay, the world's perspective would be, oh man, free source of pornography for a 13, 14 year old boy's gotta be the best day ever. No, I was miserable. Couldn't stop looking at it. And I felt absolutely miserable. And I couldn't figure out how to stop. And I remember silently even praying one day, lord, please help somebody find this out. Because I didn't know what to do. I couldn't do anything. This is what I felt. This. Have you felt this before? It is a terrible place to be. Maybe you are here today. Maybe you're like, man, what's going on? In my relationship with Lord, I just don't feel close to the Lord. Well, maybe that's something like this. Maybe your strength has been sapped because of something like this. Look, sin says it offers life, but in the end it only leads to death. And hiding your sin tells you it will bring you life if you can just move past it. But in the end, deceit will only lead to. To death.

23 · This exposition of verses 5-7 traces David's movement from misery to deliverance

So what does the psalmist do? Does he stay there? No, look at verse five. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. And then he offers advice. Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found surely. And the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me. You preserve me from trouble. You surround me with shouts of deliverance. I love this language. There is a. It's pictured deceit and being wrapped up in. In sin is pictured as a, as a flood. Like if you've ever been a white water rafting and you just begin to be taken by the current and you're, you're. You fell off the boat and you know, I've heard stories from friends, you get knocked out of the boat and all of a sudden you're like, okay, there is nothing to hold on to. That is what the psalmist is experiencing. But then he acknowledges his sin, but then he refuses to cover his sin. And, and what happens? He is lifted out of that rushing stream to a safe place, to a high ground place, to a stable and secure place like in God's grace.

24 · The pastor completes the personal pornography story by describing the relief and joy he felt after being found out — despite consequences

In my story, eventually my prayer, God answered my prayer and I was found out for my sin. And you know what? You'd think that, like, man, I would be ashamed and embarrassed. And I was. But my predominant emotion the next day was joy. I felt better, man. I was grounded for a long time, but I felt way better. Wasn't allowed to use the computer for a long time. I didn't care. I felt better.

25 · The pastor invites listeners to recall their own experiences of confession bringing relief, then applies the flood imagery directly to them

I hope you've experienced that in your life sometime. Remember that feeling. The psalmist is kind of saying, here's my story. Is your story like that? Do you remember a time in your life where you were wasting away because you were hiding something? And then was there a time in your life where you actually told the truth and you were. All of a sudden you felt much better that he said, hold on to that. Because, friend, are you looking for a safe place in life? Does it feel like you're caught in the rapids of your sin? Friend, there is no safer place than the Lord. The Lord answers our prayer of confession by lifting us out from the rapids onto a safe place.

26 · The pastor introduces the critical qualifier that not just any confession will do — it must be honest confession without spin

But notice something, the psalmist highlights something here, that the way we make that trade is not just through any old confession. It is through honest confession also. Key. So key. Have you ever seen a presidential debate? I'm sure you have, probably. And my favorite part of the presidential debate, and least favorite part as an American, but my favorite part as an entertainment value person is the spin room. Are you guys familiar with the spin room? So here's what happens. All the candidates go. They do the debate, and then there is a room for reporters, and there's a room for, like, the representatives of the candidates. And they go into the room and they try to spin what happened in the debate as positively as they can for their candidate. Like, well, when my candidate forgot the name of Iran, it was because he cares so deeply about the Middle East. He carries all of the Middle east at his heart all the time. And it's, you know, it's like your kids, you're like, you know, Cohen, Ford, whatever your name is. I care about you, all right? You're just spinning. You're like, really? You know, but this is what they do in the room, the spin room. Everything's. Well, actually, it was because of this, because of that. And this is what the temptation is. The temptation is in our sin. We set up our own personal spin room, right? Like, well, wife, you don't understand. Yesterday, when I said that, what I actually meant was, I love you. Because I love you so much, it makes me angry how much I love you. And sometimes my anger comes out, out of my love for, you know, you're just. And your wife's just like, like, no, that's not. Not it.

27 · This exposition of verse 5 identifies three elements of David's 'no spin room' confession: (1) clear personal ownership ('I acknowledged'), (2) no partial disclosure ('I did not cover'), and (3) vertical orientation ('to the Lord')

Notice what the psalmist is doing here. He does the opposite of the spin room. He sets up the no spin room. Look at the phrases. I acknowledged my sin. Notice what he's doing here. He's taking clear ownership. He's not saying, someone sinned, mistakes were made. He is saying, I did the sinning. Yep, that was me. And notice what else he says. I did not cover my iniquity. Oh, man. Isn't there temptation always there to cover it just a little bit? Like, maybe you, you. You let 60% of it out, but you're like the 40% we don't even talk about, you know, I didn't shade it, didn't cover it. No excuses. No, but you did this. No, but my upbringing did that. No, but I'm an introvert, you know, none of that. I did not cover it. And then he says this. I will confess my transgressions. Notice this to the lord. Now, Psalm 51 reinforces this pattern that, that our sin, done against others horizontally is. Is fundamentally first and foremost, a vertical sin, a sin against. Now, you might think, well, why Would a guy who committed adultery say against the Lord, I've sinned? Well, consider this. Who made that woman? Who united that couple? Who put the image and mark and of God on them? Who created the standards of justice? Right? All of those things created by the Lord, that is his very daughter, that you have sinned against her Maker, that you have sinned against. So all sin, Right? First is I will confess my transgressions to the Lord. Doesn't mean you never confess to others, but it means fundamentally you acknowledge that your sin wasn't just against a wife or a friend or a child or a co worker. It's against the Lord first and foremost.

28 · The pastor applies the 'no spin room' principle by asking listeners to evaluate their own recent conflict resolution

So let me just ask you this. If it is true that we can trade these raging waters and turbulent waters of deceit and sin for a place of safety, let's remember that the way we do that is through honest confession. Not spin room confession, but honest confession. And let me just ask you this. How do your press conferences sound lately? Right? Somebody had a recording of you and your last resolve spouse resolving a conflict last time. How do you think you did? What's the spin meter, you know, on your side of the conflict? Yeah, yeah, it's. It's because I was so hungry. Now look, man, maybe you should probably eat a sandwich before you try to resolve a conflict. That's probably just good practical wisdom. But the sandwich. But your, your tummy didn't make you do that. Okay, what's the spin meter for your conflict resolution?

29 · The pastor signals the second variation on the theme, this time focusing on the sorrow-for-joy trade and introducing the element of trust

Second and last variation, we trade sorrow for joy through trusting confession. Right? This just very much the same, but a variation here. Look at verse 8.

30 · This exposition of verses 8-10 identifies the rhetorical shift in the psalm from testimony to instruction

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay with you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked. So David has stated the principle. He has given the example of his own life and now he's shifting to instruction. He's saying, learn from my mistakes. Let me help you here. Okay, Will you listen to me for a minute? And what he does first is warn us. He warns us that staying stuck in sin and deceit and refusing to practice the discipline of confession, staying stuck there. He gives us this, this picture. It is like a mule that will not go where it needs to go, or a horse that does not want to go where you need it to go.

31 · The ranch story illustrates the stubborn horse imagery from the psalm

Now, a number of years ago, back in like, gosh, man, my teens or Something I went with some friends of ours who had a ranch in Mexico. And I remember vividly how, you know, the difficulty of moving cows from one area to another. But also. And they used the horses to do that. But also, I remember at times there was this. A couple younger horses that they were trying to get out of the way because they were about to bring in a bunch of bulls and brand them, and the bulls don't get super happy when that happens. And. And they were trying to get these horses into another area, but the horses were young, and they were like, nope, not gonna do it. And like, you can't explain the situation to the horse, right? The horse doesn't say a whole lot back. And so the vaqueros were just like, we got it. Come on, come on. And the horse is just like, nope, no, no. And you're just like, this is for your own good. And they had to bring in more vaqueros to try to get the horse into the area where it would be safer. And the whole way, the horse, you can just tell its eyes are going, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. And eventually, at one point, the horse just, like, just stuck his feet, and they were, like, trying to drag it. And you're just thinking, horse. You have no idea, man. These guys are trying to save you from getting gored or something. That is what David says we are like when we stubbornly stay in our sin and deceit, right? He is saying, watch out. His summary is this. Many are the sorrows of the wicked. He's essentially saying, you can stay there, but you're not gonna like it. You can stay in sin and deceit, but it's like a mule resisting what is good for it, and it's only gonna lead to sorrow.

32 · The pastor applies the stubborn horse warning to listeners whose lives feel hard, suggesting that some of that difficulty may be self-inflicted resistance to God's leading

Now, look, maybe this is the reality for you. Maybe today life is hard and you're blaming everybody in life, but there is an element of truth that partially your life is hard because you've made it hard because God is pulling you in a direction, and you're like, nope, nope, nope, don't do this. Psalm 32 says, don't do this. He says, this many are the sorrows of the wicked.

33 · This exposition of verses 10-11 establishes the sharp contrast between two ways of being surrounded: the wicked experience God's heavy hand dragging them away from danger, while those who trust experience joyful deliverance

But look at the contrast. But steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy all you upright in heart. I love the contrast here. The contrast is being surrounded by the Lord's presence to drag you to where you should go but don't want to go, which is not. Not fun or being surrounded by shouts of joy and rejoicing in the Lord. And so the psalmist is going, which would you rather be surrounded by? You want to be surrounded by God's presence to kind of drag you away from danger? Or do you want to be surrounded by joy? You're like, man, I think I'd rather do the joy. That's what the psalmist is recommending.

34 · The pastor identifies the core fear that prevents confession: fear of what will happen next

Now, here is the reality. One of the challenges is we often believe that if we trade sin and deceit, it will only lead to sorrow and notice something here, the psalmist is helping us see that often when we are afraid to confess, we are afraid of what will happen next. Have you ever been there where you're like, I need to talk to you about something, but I don't want to say it because I'm worried about what's going to happen next, how you're going to view me next, what's going to happen in my life next? And the psalmist is saying, let me help you with that. It may not be pleasant in the moment, but. But what will happen next is you're going to be surrounded by forgiveness and joy.

35 · The pastor diagnoses the distorted view of God that fuels resistance to confession — seeing Him as an angry, frustrated father on his last nerve

Now, look, I think too many of us look up at the Lord skeptically because we don't fully trust him. We wonder if we actually bring our sin to the Lord, if he will respond like an angry, frustrated on his last nerve kind of dad ready to slap us straight. But that is not the picture in Psalm 32.

36 · The 'dad will not get mad' ticket story illustrates the fear-of-consequence that prevents confession and the power of a guaranteed safe response

You know, a while ago, I saw something online that I tried to implement with my boys. And at first I thought it was kind of a silly idea, but I was like, well, I like the symbolism of it. So what I did is I made little tickets for my kids. And the tickets, I think I gave them five each or something. And the tickets said, turn this in when you need to tell dad something he's not going to like but are afraid he will get mad. This ticket is for one. Dad will not get mad at anything you say ticket, right? And so I had some other language and it made it look like a little certificate. But basically it was like one instance of dad not getting mad and promising to respond to you well. And so a number of weeks ago, so I gave him out, and everybody was like, oh, that's so great. And one of my boys, a number of months ago, we were talking to him about something, and I was like, well, buddy, what happened? And he goes, can I be right back? And I was like, why? He's like, I just need to get something. And I was like, okay. So he runs upstairs, comes down with the coupon, and he's like. And he, like, gives it to me sheepishly. And actually, it was really helpful for me as a dad. Be like, oh, I did. I did issue this coupon, so I'm not gonna get mad, right? But then he shared he had messed up in a particular way. And I thought, okay, why did that work? Why did that work? And I realized, I think it works because it answers the question, if I tell the truth, what will happen next? Because deep down, we fear if we go to the Lord and we actually tell the truth, we're honest before Him. We fear what he will do next.

37 · This unit brings the ticket illustration to its theological resolution

But, brothers and sisters, Psalm 32 reminds us of what will happen next. What will happen next is that the Lord may grieve our sin, but if our hearts are contrite, we are coming to him with true confession. We're not doing it cavalierly. We are owning what we need to own. He will respond by forgiving us, by covering us, and by rejoicing over us. Look, do you notice the language he uses? I did not cover my sin. But what happens in the end? The Lord covers his sin. He's coming with his sin uncovered that the Lord may do the covering. And, brothers and sisters, we have something way better than a ticket that says, our Heavenly Father will not get mad. We have the cross of Jesus Christ. Look, this symbol means that this is how the Lord deals with sin. How does he deal with sin? He goes to the cross and covers it. How is the Lord going to deal with your sin? He went to the cross to cover it. How will the Lord's disposition to you be? It will be him surrounding you with love, the same love that he showed by going to the very cross for you, friend, do you worry about what will happen next? Trade joy for sorrow through. Notice this word trusting confession. Because the choice is really clear, actually, when it comes to sin in our lives, we either trust ourselves to deal with it or we trust the Lord to. Those are the only two choices. By not confessing, you're saying, I trust myself more than I trust God. But true confession is, I trust God more than I trust myself.

38 · A single-sentence theological claim posed as a rhetorical question, inviting the listener to affirm that the cross demonstrates God's trustworthiness with our confession

And brothers and sisters on the cross, hasn't he proved himself trustworthy?

39 · The pastor signals the sermon's conclusion and previews two specific applications to come

Well, let me. Let me wrap this up. There's so much here that we could talk about, but I want to encourage you to think about two particular applications today. If it is true that in confession we trade sin for blessing, which is insane, but true. If that is true, I want to encourage you toward two applications.

40 · The first application calls listeners to immediate action if they have unconfessed sin — whether unbelievers who have never confessed for salvation or believers with hidden patterns

One, if there is anything significant that you have not talked to God about, don't wait anymore. Don't wait anymore. The verse here is, therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found. Meaning this, that there is a limited time that we have to go to the Lord in confession and honesty. Now, maybe you've never done that even for salvation. Maybe the reality is you've been trusting your own self with all of your life, not just with this sin or that sin, but all of your sin. You've never decisively come to the Lord. You've never trusted in him for your salvation. And you, rather than trusting the Lord to deal with your sin, you're trying to deal with it yourself. Well, friend, today you can go to the cross of Jesus Christ and give it all to him that he might cover it fully. And finally, and if that's you, listen to the David's encouragement, the Lord may not be found forever. You have no idea how much time you have left. Go to the Lord today, or maybe if you're a Christian, even that you've trusted him for salvation. But there is still something in your life that you don't want to talk to others about. Whatever the pattern might be. You know better than me what it is like. I just feel like the Lord's pushing on in my heart, pushing on that issue of you have been trapped by wondering if I actually tell the truth about this, what will happen next? And friend, I want you to see in Psalm 32 what will happen next. You will trade the rushing waters that you're living in right now for a place of stability. It may not be easy, doesn't mean everything in life is going to be easy, but it will be safe. And you can trade sorrow in your life for genuine joy. It doesn't mean that it won't be mingled with grief or need for repentance, but it means that there will be genuine joy in the salvation of the Lord. So go today to him. Go to. Let me encourage you, go to the Lord and go to a trusted Christian friend. That's such an important step we're called to confess our sins one to another, that we may be healed in our hearts. So go to a trusted Christian friend that if you're stuck, come talk to a leader or a pastor even. We would love to help you, but do not stay there.

41 · The second application calls for confession to become a normative spiritual discipline, not just for catastrophic failures but as a regular pattern with God, spouse, children, and friends

And the last category is just this. Maybe you don't have some big secret thing that you've, I don't know, gambled the finances away at Las Vegas or something. Maybe you don't have that, but let me just encourage you. This should not just be a once in a blue moon, big sin confession. The Lord calls us in the Lord's Prayer to confess our sins, meaning that it's meant to be a normative pattern for our Christian lives. So let me just ask you, has it been a normative pattern? Are words of confession, honest confession, part of your relationship with God? Are they a pattern in your marriage? If you're married, is it always mistakes were made, or is it, honey, I've sinned against you in this. What about your kids? Have your kids ever heard you confess honestly that you may have sinned against someone, your close friends? Let this be a pattern in our lives. Not because we're masochistic, not because we're just like you. You know, back in the weird areas of church history, they would get a little whip and, like, whip themselves in the back, like, just so bad. That's not what Psalm 32 is doing. Psalm 32 is saying, Friend, trade sin for forgiveness and blessing in the Lord. Amen.

Where this fits

Recent preaching context

The three sermons immediately preceding this one in the preaching schedule.

Jun 29, 2025

A Praying Church

The instinctive response of believers under threat is to pray—not for safety, but for fresh boldness to continue gospel witness, trusting that God sovereignly ordains even opposition for His purposes and answers such prayers by filling His people afresh with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:23-31

Jul 13, 2025

The Pain Club

God will not forsake those who feel forsaken, as proven ultimately by Christ's forsaking on the cross for our sake.

Psalm 22

Jul 16, 2025

Carry The Fire - Week 6

July 20 · This sermon

Mistakes Were Made

True confession of sin to God — not evasive blame-shifting or partial disclosure — is the means by which we trade the misery and spiritual death of hidden sin for the forgiveness, safety, and joy that God offers through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 32

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

When you read Psalm 32:1-2, the psalmist celebrates being forgiven and having sin covered. What does it mean that sin can be 'covered' rathe…

Daily readings

5-day reading plan

This week we walk through the arc of Psalm 32: from the misery of hidden sin, through honest confession, to the joy of God's covering forgiveness — learning that the trade from death to blessing requires us to stop spinning and speak the truth.

Prayer

A Trade of Honesty

Father, we come before You knowing that You see us — not just our public faces, but the hidden places where we hide our sin behind excuses a…

Family table

The Trade We Make

This prompt invites your family to think concretely about confession as an exchange—what we give God, and what we receive in return. It's no…

Couples

Confession as Trade, Not Shame

What sin or failure have you been hiding—from God, from each other, or from yourself—and what has that hiding cost you?…

Memorize

Psalm 32:5

This verse is the hinge of Psalm 32 — it's where David moves from the misery of hidden sin to the joy of confession and forgiveness. It captures the sermon's central claim: confession is a trade in which we give God our sin and receive His covering forgiveness through Christ. This single verse contains both the pattern (honest acknowledgment without evasion) and the promise (you forgave) that the entire sermon unfolds.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

When you read Psalm 32:1-2, the psalmist celebrates being forgiven and having sin covered. What does it mean that sin can be 'covered' rather than simply erased or forgotten?

Psalm 32:1-2

→ How does that picture of covering change the way you think about confession and forgiveness?
The sermon identifies a pattern in our culture and in our own lives: we tend to deflect responsibility with phrases like 'mistakes were made' rather than owning our sin directly. Where have you noticed this evasion in your own life this week—not in public scandals, but in your home, your work, or your relationships?
According to Psalm 32:3-4, what happens to David's body and soul while he is hiding his sin and refusing to confess it?

Psalm 32:3-4

→ What does that physical and spiritual deterioration tell us about what sin does to us when we cover it up rather than bring it to God?
The sermon calls confession a 'trade'—we give God our sin and receive His covering forgiveness. What are we actually trading away when we confess, and what are we receiving in return?

→ What makes this trade so difficult for us to accept, even when we know God offers it?
The psalmist promises that after confession, we are 'surrounded by songs of deliverance' and 'steadfast love' (Psalm 32:7, 10). What fear keeps us from believing that God's response to our honest confession will actually be blessing rather than punishment?

Psalm 32:7, 10

→ How does the cross change what we can believe about God's character when we confess?
The sermon emphasizes that confession is not a one-time event but a regular spiritual discipline. What would it look like for you to practice honest confession—without spin, without excuse-making—as a normal rhythm in your relationship with God and with others in your life?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Genesis 3

When Adam and Eve sinned, their first move was not confession but evasion: they hid, they made excuses, they blamed others. That pattern is not new to our culture — it is rooted in human nature itself, the moment sin entered the world. We inherit that instinct to cover up, to reframe, to blame-shift. This week, we learn a better way.

Tuesday Psalm 32:3-4

The psalmist describes the physical and spiritual toll of covering up sin: his bones wasted away, he groaned all day long, God's hand was heavy upon him. Hiding sin is not a neutral choice — it is a slow death. Confession, by contrast, is the path to life. We cannot trade death for blessing until we stop pretending we are not dying.

Wednesday Psalm 32:1-2

Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. This is not the blessing of sinlessness but the blessing of honesty met by God's grace. The psalmist opens with the promise: this kind of life — joy, safety, blessing — is available to us. It is available through the cross of Christ, who bore the sin we confess and offers us His covering in return.

Thursday Psalm 32:5

When I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity, you forgave the guilt of my sin. Notice the exchange: the psalmist stops covering (stops hiding, stops spinning), and God forgives. This is not masochistic self-flagellation — it is a transaction. We give honesty; God gives forgiveness. We surrender the burden of hiding; God gives us the lightness of being known and covered.

Friday Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is David's fuller confession of his grave sin, and it teaches us that confession is not a one-time emergency measure but a way of life with God. We confess not because we are unusually wicked, but because we are regularly wayward — and God has given us the practice of confession as the means by which we stay close to Him. This is the Christian life: honest acknowledgment of our sin, trust in Christ's cross, and the joy of being perpetually forgiven and restored.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

A Trade of Honesty

Father, we come before You knowing that You see us — not just our public faces, but the hidden places where we hide our sin behind excuses and half-truths. We confess that we are a people prone to blame-shifting, to softening our language, to saying 'mistakes were made' rather than naming what we have done. Like David covering his transgression, we know the misery of hiding from You and from one another. We carry the weight of unconfessed sin, and it is killing us slowly.

But here is the good news: You do not ask us to carry that weight alone. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, You have made a trade available to us — our sin for Your forgiveness, our shame for Your covering, our death for Your blessing. The gospel of Psalm 32 tells us that what happens next is not Your anger but Your grace. Christ bore what our sin deserved, so that when we confess honestly — without spin, without excuse, without reframing — we do not receive punishment. We receive a Father who surrounds us with songs of deliverance and joy.

Give us the courage this week to confess what we have been hiding. Not because confession earns Your love, but because it receives the application of Christ's already-accomplished work. Teach us to speak our sin truly, to one another and to You. Replace our fear that confession will destroy us with the deeper truth that hiding our sin is what destroys us. Surround us with the forgiveness and safety that only You can give. We commit ourselves to honest confession as a way of life with You, trusting that You are far more trustworthy than we have feared. Glory be to You, Father, for covering us completely through the cross. Amen.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

The Trade We Make

For the parent

This prompt invites your family to think concretely about confession as an exchange—what we give God, and what we receive in return. It's not about shame but about the relief and joy that honesty brings. Listen for what your kids already understand about hiding versus telling the truth.

In the sermon, Pastor Ricky talked about confession as a 'trade'—we give God our sin, and He gives us forgiveness and joy in return. Tell about a time when you hid something wrong and it felt heavy, and then you told the truth and felt lighter. What was the difference?

Works for ages 7+. Younger kids may need help naming their experience; older kids can reflect on the emotional shift from hiding to honesty.

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Confession as Trade, Not Shame

What sin or failure have you been hiding—from God, from each other, or from yourself—and what has that hiding cost you?
Where do we blame-shift or make excuses with each other instead of naming what we've actually done, and how might honest confession change the safety between us?
How can we pray for each other this week to have the courage to confess—not as punishment, but as the trade that leads us back to God's forgiveness and joy?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

Psalm 32:5

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Why this verse: This verse is the hinge of Psalm 32 — it's where David moves from the misery of hidden sin to the joy of confession and forgiveness. It captures the sermon's central claim: confession is a trade in which we give God our sin and receive His covering forgiveness through Christ. This single verse contains both the pattern (honest acknowledgment without evasion) and the promise (you forgave) that the entire sermon unfolds.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Cross of Grace Church

About us · What we believe

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# Cross of Grace Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [A Praying Church (Acts 4:23-31, 2025-06-29)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/06/a-praying-church)
- [The Pain Club (Psalm 22, 2025-07-13)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/07/the-pain-club)
- [Carry The Fire - Week 6 (2025-07-16)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/07/carry-the-fire-week-6)
- [Mistakes Were Made (Psalm 32, 2025-07-20)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2025/07/mistakes-were-made)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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