"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."
Psalm 32:1-2
Part 3
Yesterday:
How God treats the sinner and his/her sin.
1. His “transgression must be forgiven” (v. 1)
God is the one who can and will forgive sin.
2. His “sin must be covered” (v. 1).
God cannot look on sin! It must be covered from His holy gaze.
3. His “iniquity must not be imputed to him” (a, v. 2).
For a man/woman to be truly forgiven, their sin cannot be held against them.
Today:
3. His “iniquity must not be imputed to him” (b, v. 2).
Unlike the person who will “never forget,” and vows to hold the person who has wronged them forever guilty, God is the opposite! To the “forgiven” sinner, God does not impute his/her iniquity to their account!
God has not “charged” it to him. His sin, “perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt,” is not held against his/her account[1] (BDB).
Paul, thinking of how God treats us, quoted David in Romans when he wrote,
“Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8).
Indeed, this is a “blessed” man or woman! When we forgive others who have wronged us, we should remember that we are forgiving them in a God-like manner.
“And in whose spirit there is no guile” (v. 2).
There is no “guile,” deceit, or falsehood in the forgiven sinner’s spirit. There is now no need to try and “duck” away from God, and “cover” his/her sins as Adam and Eve did.
“He who is thus justified, however, is only he in whose spirit there is no… deceit, which denies and hides, or extenuates and excuses, this or that favorite sin”[2] (K&D).
“The man whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is hidden, God having cast it as a millstone into the depths of the sea; whose iniquity and perversion are not reckoned to his account; and whose guile, the deceitful and desperately wicked heart, is annihilated, being emptied of sin and filled with righteousness, is necessarily a happy man”[3] (Clarke).
Only Jesus Christ could do all of these things for the sinner. He is the one who forgives sin and removes it “as far as the east is from the west.” He does not hold the forgiven sinner’s sin against him/her. He is the only answer to mankind’s sin issues. Thank you, dear Lord, for your amazing grace!
Quote: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
[1] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] Keil & Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Adam Clarke, Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.