For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you may be justified in your words

and blameless in your judgment.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. - Psalm 51:3-6

Continuing in our reflections on Psalm 51, verses 3-6 provide further insight into the nature of sin.

First, sin is not a topic to avoid or a problem that we will be free from in this life. It is part of our ongoing reality. So, the psalmist declares that he knows his sin. And that word for ‘know’ speaks of more than head knowledge. He deals with it directly and acknowledges that it is ever before him, that is, a consistent part of his experience, not some infrequent or minor concern.

Second, in language that strikes some as odd, the psalmist states that his iniquity is against God alone. Quickly, we are aware that we have sinned against other people. So, what does David mean? There is a real sense that all sin is ultimately against God. When we sin against another, we are sinning against one who bears the image of God. More importantly, it is God who determines how we should and shouldn’t treat other people. So, if I gossip about someone, yes, I have sinned against them but I have also sinned against God, who established the law that I should not gossip. Every sin is a sin against God, even if it is also a sin against another.

Third, God’s judgment on sin is just and perfect. He doesn’t go too easy on us. Nor is His assessment ever wrong. If He says it is sin, then it is sin. It is not open for negotiation.

Fourth, sin is with us before we were even born. We don’t come into the world basically good and then fall into a state of sin. Nor are we blank slates. We arrive in this world already mired in sin which we inherit from our father, Adam. This tells us something about the depth of sin.

Finally, sin is not merely external action or words. Certainly, we do sin in action and in words. But the problem runs deeper. It is buried in our inward being even to the core of our being, the secret heart. This is part of Jesus’ message in teachings such as the Sermon on the Mount. There he addresses not only the outward sins of murder and adultery but also the internal sins of anger and lust. And at one point, He specifically says it is what is inside a man that corrupts him.

Saints, it is not an easy or pleasant task to look upon our sin. It rightly convicts us and saddens us. But a growing understanding of our sinful hearts is the only way to grow in our love for and thanksgiving to our Savior. The ugliness and darkness of our sin serves as the backdrop against which the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ shines more brightly. The good news is good because we are in such a bad way because of our sin. Don’t downplay your sin; acknowledge it for what it truly is and what it truly deserves and then look once again to Jesus and His atoning work on your behalf and give Him great praise for delivering you out of your bondage to sin into a life of freedom.