The Flight of Faith

“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.”—Psalm 32:5

Airports. Anyone who has flown knows how stressful and difficult it can be to get to the airport, get your ticket, have your bags screened, and then pass through security to get to your terminal. I remember flying after September 11th. There were new security measures in place. After passing through security, you had to place your bag on the conveyer belt so that an airport screener might examine it, along with your shoes and any other metal. The first time I went through after September 11th, I took everything out of my pockets and placed them in the small plastic basket, then took off my shoes and placed them in the plastic tubs, along with my bag, and my laptop. I stood waiting for the passenger ahead of me to pass through the metal detector. After she made her way through, the airport screener motioned for me to come through. I stepped through only to hear the alarm beep. The screener asked me if I had anything in my pockets. I felt in my pocket only to discover I had some change that I had missed. I stepped back through, put my change in the basket and turned around to face him again. He motioned me through and once again, the alarm went off. He asked me if I had anything on me that would cause the detector to go off. I said, “No,” so he grabbed the handheld wand detector and waved it over my body. The wand was quiet until it passed over my belt buckle, and then it beeped. I passed back through the detector, took off my belt, and placed it in the basket. He motioned to me once more and I stepped through successfully. I put my keys in my pocket, my shoes on my feet, and my belt around my waist and then made my way to my terminal where my flight awaited to take me to my destination.

Walking with God is like catching a flight. We have an eternal ticket given to us by Christ Himself, but we always have to pass through security, which is the Holy Spirit’s screening process. We lay out our lives before Him, allowing them to pass through the Holy Spirit’s examination. Inviting Him to

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”—Psalm 139:23-24. 

Confession is when we empty our pockets and lay their contents in the basket. If we don’t confess our sins to God and then try to pass through the Holy Spirit’s detection, the alarm of the Spirit beeps. The Holy Spirit’s screening process always alerts us to the sins that we have not confessed. And to be sure, we can’t soar on the flight of faith with sin in our hearts. We must make a full confession. That’s what today’s passage is about, confession. The Psalmist confesses to God and receives His forgiveness. Confession is not only the means by which we pass through the Holy Spirit’s detection, but it is also the means by which we can enter into the presence of God in prayer. When we fail to listen to the Holy Spirit’s beeping, then God will not hear our prayers. As Psalm 66:18 says, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Or Isaiah 59:2,  

“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” 

God takes sin very seriously, like an act of spiritual terrorism. He will have none of it, and will not let even the tiniest sin pass through the Holy Spirit’s screening system. We must make full confession of sin and then be ready to step aboard the flight of faith where we will commune and soar with God our Savior to heights unimaginable. Amen.