David’s Confession

Paul continues with his discussion on faith and righteousness with a quote from the Old Testament king, David.  Here are verses 5-8:  “⁵ But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:  ⁷ “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,  And whose sins are covered;  ⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”  Verses 7-8 are quotations from Psalm 32, a psalm that seems to indicate how David felt before he confessed his sin with Bathsheba.  The same principle that works in salvation also works in forgiveness.  When we confess our sin we are forgiven.  We need not do acts of penance or good deeds to earn God’s forgiveness.  We often say things like, “What can I do to make it up to you?”  These words are an indication that we really don’t understand forgiveness.  David didn’t do anything to make it up to God.  He simply confessed and received forgiveness.  As God justifies the ungodly by faith, God also forgives by faith.  Don’t make forgiveness so difficult that you refuse to ask for it.  Is there something about which you refuse to seek forgiveness? Ask for that forgiveness today.  “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin”.