How Does Forgiveness Relate To Our Happiness?

How does forgiveness relate to our happiness?

O the happiness of him whose transgression [is] forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1, YLT

Christians are happy, real ones, because they know that their sins are all forgiven. R. A. TORREY

RUTH BELL GRAHAM told the story of Alexander Grigolia, a brilliant but unhappy immigrant to the United States from Soviet Georgia. He was struck by the demeanor of the man who shined his shoes. One day, looking down at this man who worked cheerfully and enthusiastically, and considering his own misery, Grigolia asked, “Why are you always so happy?”

Surprised, the man said, “Jesus. He loves me. He died so God could forgive my badness. He makes me happy.”

Grigolia said nothing in response but could not escape those simple words. Eventually he came to faith in Christ, became a college professor, and had a strong influence on his students, one being future evangelist Billy Graham.^a

Anyone unaware of his or her guilt before a holy God is in the worst possible condition. What if a person with a burst appendix couldn’t feel pain? He might happily stay home and watch a movie rather than go to the hospital. And then he would die.

Satan is the enemy of God’s happiness and ours. While he can’t rob God of happiness, he specializes in sabotaging ours, catching us on the baited hook of pleasure. The first hit of a drug, the buzz of alcohol, or the thrill of illicit sex seems so good at the time. But then the very thing that brings us a taste of joy robs us of true and abiding joy. Sin is the ultimate killjoy.

To sin is to break relationship with God. Therefore, sin is the biggest enemy of happiness and forgiveness its greatest friend. Confession reunites us with the God of happiness.

If we truly believe that sin is never in our best interests, it will clarify many otherwise hard decisions in which we imagine we must choose between helping people do right and helping them be happy.

For instance, a young woman who believed that abortion takes the life of an innocent child nonetheless told me that because she loved her friend, she was going to drive her to the clinic to get an abortion. She said, “That’s what you do when you love someone, even if you disagree.”

I asked, “If your friend decided to kill her mother and had a shotgun in hand, would you drive her to her mother’s house?”

“Of course not!”

But other than legality, what’s the difference? Too often, in the name of love, we assist people in taking wrong actions which, because they’re wrong, will rob them of happiness. We may congratulate ourselves for being “loving,” but what good does our love do if it encourages their self-destruction? It’s only when she and her friend acknowledge their individual sin and seek God’s forgiveness that they can be restored to the happiness a kind and gracious God has waiting for them.

We fall for Satan’s lies over and over again. But God tells us the truth about what will make us happy. Our ultimate happiness hinges on whom we choose to believe.

Jesus said, “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29, NASB). In moments of strength, we need to make godly decisions in preparation for moments of weakness. For example, we shouldn’t put ourselves in places and with people or objects that move us toward sin (including anything with Internet access if pornography or social media is a problem).

I received an e-mail from a young man at college who gave up his virginity. His utter despair was palpable. Of course, an unbeliever might think his misery was due to “unnecessary” guilt feelings. But in this case, they were accurate indicators of genuine guilt.

This young man might feel temporarily happier if he denied his guilt, just as someone jumping from a plane, not realizing his parachute is defective, can be temporarily exhilarated as he falls. But the moment he understands his true condition, he’ll be terrified. If he has a backup parachute, the man’s realization will serve him well. Likewise, if this young man repents and embraces Christ’s forgiveness, the crushing feelings of guilt that brought him to repentance will be God’s grace to him—his backup parachute.

David chose the sin of adultery and subsequent murder to cover up his sin so he could be happy. Yet his groaning caused his body to waste away.

But his confession changed everything:

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not hide my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Psalm 32:5, NRSV

David went on to describe the relationship with the one who delivered him from the unhappiness of sin:

You are a hiding place for me;

you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

Psalm 32:7

Spurgeon said, “It does not spoil your happiness . . . to confess your sin. The unhappiness is in not making the confession.”^b

Martin Luther said, “Sin is pure unhappiness, forgiveness pure happiness.”^c It’s hard to imagine a more concise and accurate statement. Sin must be dealt with directly through awareness, confession, and repentance. Only in forgiveness can we have relational oneness with God and, hence, enduring happiness. If we believe this biblically grounded truth, our lives will be transformed.

Jesus, thank you for all you’ve done to make it possible for us to live in eternal happiness with you. Help us to see sin for what it truly is. Allow us to embrace your forgiveness and then freely extend it to others. For your sake and ours, please make us sorry for our sin so we will turn to you, confess earnestly, and experience the freedom and happiness of forgiveness. You made such a horrific sacrifice because of our sin, and we’re forever grateful for your incredible eagerness to forgive us. Saying thank you is not enough, but we say it anyway, from the depths of our souls.