What is the foundation of happiness?

The world has its various ways. I detailed some in a previous post. Some say happiness is found in money. Fame. Power.

But when you look at the Psalms, God reveals a different path to happiness.

In Psalm 1, we saw that happiness comes from listening to God’s word.

In Psalm 2, we saw that happiness comes from submitting to God’s King.

The next Psalm we should take a look at is Psalm 32. It opens with this amazing couple verses:

“How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered.

How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin

And in whose spirit is no deceit.”

Twice the word joyful or happy appears in these verses. Read through the rest of the Psalm.

There are three things I want to point out in this Psalm. This Psalm contains the foundation of happiness. All happiness.

You will never truly experience lasting happiness without understanding the truth of Psalm 32.

Psalm 2 revealed humanity’s fundamental problem: rebellion against God.

Psalm 32 reveals humanity’s only hope: free forgiveness from that same God.

Point 1: Happiness comes when forgiveness comes

This point is clear from the very first verse of the Psalm. Instead of connecting happiness to circumstances, possessions, or status, the Psalmist connects happiness to forgiveness.

This forgiveness is not another human forgiving you. It is God not charging you with sin.

How can the Psalmist say this? Why is God forgiving, covering, and not charging someone with sin so important?

Your fundamental barrier to happiness is not your circumstances. It isn’t your lack of money or power. It is your state before a Holy God.

Once you grasp this point, it will completely change your life. A lot of times you miss out on happiness because you are constantly aiming for happiness. You seek after happiness and never attain it.

This first verse declares happiness is an effect, a result of a proper relationship with God.

You can pursue happiness your whole life but until you deal with your sin, it will escape you. The reality is, each and every human born on this earth is in rebellion against God.

You cannot find lasting happiness in this state. If you want to be happy, God must first forgive you for your sins. For your rebellion. For exchanging the glory of God for lesser things.

Pursuing happiness apart from God is nothing but idolatry masquerading as wisdom.

This Psalm starts where everyone’s happiness starts. God’s forgiveness.

How can this be? Because Romans 1 says God’s wrath is revealed against our sin. Against our rebellion.

Until that wrath is dealt with, how can you hope for happiness in this life and in eternity?

Thankfully, amazingly, the Bible presents Psalm 32 as a hope for you and I.

We can have happiness. Not because of anything we do ourselves. But because somehow, in the eternal wisdom of God, the Lord has chosen to provide a way for our sins to be covered.

Point 2: Forgiveness comes after confession

But this covering of sin doesn’t just happen automatically. When Jesus was on the earth, He declared “The kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.”

In Psalm 32:3-6, the Psalmist starts by keeping silent. By not confessing or repenting. What was the result of keeping silent?

Verse 3 and 4 says it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The Psalmist bones were brittle and he groaned all day long. He languished. God’s hand was pressing down on him.

The guilt of unconfessed sin will always quench your happiness.

And that is a good thing. It shows your conscience is working. You and I were not meant to live in rebellion against the Lord and feel nothing.

But once the Psalmist realizes this, he confesses his sin to God. And in Verse 5, the amazing result is God took away the guilt of his sin.

Oftentimes you want to get rid your guilt, but you go about it in the wrong way.

Note that forgiveness only came after the Psalmist acknowledged his sin, took it before the Lord, and stopped trying to conceal his guilt.

Repentance, turning from disobedience to obedience, is crucial to your happiness. Repentance is simply agreeing with God’s assessment of you and/or your behavior.

You acknowledge you are a sinner. That you rebelled against God. You recognize your sin deserves punishment because God is just.

A truly happy person does not hide their sins from God. Instead, they acknowledge their guilt and plead God’s mercy in Christ.

I’m sure it was a humbling thing for the Psalmist to openly confess the worst about himself to God. But there was no other way.

Point 3: Experiencing the forgiveness of God

And the Psalmist does experience God’s forgiveness after confessing. It isn’t merited. It isn’t deserved. But once God grants it to him, the Psalmist has the foundation of true happiness.

Then, in verse 6, the Psalmist turns and addresses the reader. Everyone who is faithful should cry out to the Lord!

In an amazing passage in Romans 4, Paul calls this forgiveness as God blessing you apart from your works.

Don’t try to earn God’s forgiveness by doing good things. It is only repentance and believing in God’s promises that leads to right standing before Him.

This Psalmist experienced amazing, free forgiveness. You can to.

However, because you have the full revelation of God in the New Testament, you have an even clearer picture of God’s forgiveness than the Psalmist had.

It is through Jesus Christ that you can have the happiness of God’s forgiveness.

Unlike you and I, Jesus lived a perfect life and kept God’s law perfectly. But still, when on the cross, Jesus cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Was God forsaking Jesus for His own sins? No, Jesus was perfect.

God was pouring out His wrath on Jesus for the sins of all who would believe the gospel.

Romans 3 explains it like this:

“God presented him (Jesus) as a propitiation through faith in his blood to demonstrate His righteousness…”

To experience the forgiveness of God, you must run to Jesus and the Cross.

Psalm 32 celebrates the truth of God freely forgiving sins. You only fully understand how God can forgive by looking at the cross.

As Jesus said, repent and believe in the gospel. That is how you are forgiven. That is your foundation of happiness.

How is God’s forgiveness the foundation of happiness?

Here are two effects God’s forgiveness has on your life.

Effect 1: “There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”

Jesus bore God’s wrath against the sin of all who would believe the gospel.

What that means is if you put your faith in Jesus, there is no longer any wrath against your sin. God promises you forgiveness.

Romans 5 puts it this way:

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Peace. Not the peace the world talks about. But real, objective peace with a Holy, all-powerful God.

That is good news. Life-changing news.

There is nothing like the happiness of knowing God will not condemn you or remove His love from you.

Peace with God is the sweetest daily experience you can have. As one who has faith in Christ, you can cry out to God in repentance when you sin and know God forgives you.

Peace with God is a happiness too inexpressible for words. But it is the blessing of Psalm 32 and the Christian life.

Effect 2: Your happiness is no longer dependent on circumstances

Perspective is integral to your happiness. If you make your happiness dependent on other people, on your own goals, on your life circumstances, you are headed for disappointment.

The Bible completely shifts your perspective on what you need. It isn’t more stuff or people to like you or your dreams to come true.

Your personal happiness is dependent on your status, dependence, and obedience to God.

This might not seem like good news at first, but think about what that means.

You can still be happy in awful circumstances. That is what Paul says in Philippians 4. Why? Because you know God is still with you in those circumstances.

You can still be happy during disappointment. Why? Because ultimately, you know God has given you everything you need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1).

When you taste the forgiveness of God, you tie your happiness to what He already has done, not what you may or may not do.

Life is still uncertain. You still suffer. You still have disappointments.

But Psalm 32-happiness is built on the foundation of an eternally faithful and unchanging God.

And He is a foundation you can build your life on.

Want to meditate more on how belief and repentance affect your life? Listen to this sermon I recently preached.