Forgiveness brings a happiness so deep it can’t be put into words, according to Watts. The person whose sins are no longer held against them, whose debts are cancelled, feels an inner release—their soul literally expands with freedom. There’s a changed life here too: such a person now despises falsehood, speaks honestly, and guards their heart and eyes to keep a clear conscience.
Then the voice shifts inward, remembering the miserable time before confession. While guilt was kept secret, there was no quiet at all—only a burning, tormenting sense of divine wrath that racked the mind. But the moment he revealed those troubled thoughts and hidden wrongs, grace forgave the fault and sealed the pardon. The relief is so overwhelming that it becomes an invitation for everyone: when temptations rise like a flood, our strength and refuge is a God who forgives. The mood moves from cramped anguish to a grateful, steady peace.