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Assurance of Forgiveness

Psalm 32:2

Yesterday we took note of the fact that,

    Blest is he to whom Jehovah imputeth not his sin,
    Who hath a guileless spirit, whose heart is true within (PRC Psalter).

This is the versification which we sing of Psalm 32:2 : "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile."

But our attention today must be called to that last part, for it contains a rich truth for us. They in whose spirit there is no guile have this great blessedness of not having their sins imputed to them. This may sound strange at first. If their spirit has no guile, they have no iniquity. Why then does David speak of their sins being forgiven them? Is he perhaps referring to past sins, which they committed before their spirit was cleansed of all guile?

That could never be the case. For then no one would ever obtain pardon for sin. We keep our evil nature till we die. Even that great man of faith, namely, Paul, states in Romans 7:18 that in his flesh still dwelleth no good thing. No, our Psalter versification explains what a spirit without guile is. It is a heart that is true within. It is a heart that sincerely desires salvation from sin. The words "without guile'' mean without deceit, a spirit that is sincere. He who sincerely wants a pardon, from the bottom of his heart wants to be robed with the righteousness of Christ and enjoy fully that which the blood of Christ realized on the cross, has this blessedness of forgiveness.

Why do these have such a blessing? Not because their desire earns it for them. David makes it very emphatic that God forgives, He covers us and imputes to us Christ's righteousness. Sincerely desiring is no prerequisite to forgiveness. We do not earn it by our sincere desire.

The idea is that this sincere desire is the evidence that our sins have been — not will be — blotted out. On the basis of that blotting out we are born again and are given hearts that are true within. 
 

Read: Psalm 51 
Psalter versification: #83:1b

Daily  Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter #357
Why not sing along??
 

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

Genesis 16 ; Genesis 17 ; Genesis 18:1-15 
Matthew 6:1-24 
Psalm 7:1-17 
Proverbs 2:1-5 
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Quote for Reflection:

 "After having exhorted the faithful to save what was perishing, that they might understand that all their efforts would be vain except God worked with them, he testifies that they could not be otherwise saved than through the power of God."   – John Calvin

Last modified on 06 January 2019

Additional Info

  • Date: 7-January
Heys, John A.

Rev. John A. Heys was born on March 16, 1910 in Grand Rapids, MI. He was ordained and installed into the ministry at Hope, Walker, MI in 1941.  He later served at Hull, Iowa beginning in 1955.  In 1959 he accepted the call to serve the South Holland, IL Protestant Reformed Church.  He received and accepted the call to Holland, Michigan Protestant Reformed Church in 1967.  He retired from the active ministry in 1980.  He entered into glory on February 16, 1998.