Acknowledging Our Sin

 

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love…”

—Psalm 51:1

Sin is so pervasive that most people seem barely aware of the entrapping patterns that sin has created in their lives.

Our enemy, Satan, uses every clever trick at his disposal to normalize sinful behavior. That’s why our culture glorifies and celebrates sin.

In contrast, the Psalmist lived in a state of constant awareness of the hold sin had on his life. Please note these words from Psalm 51:1-7:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

While we absolutely must glory in the salvation that God has provided for us through His Son, Jesus, we must first consciously acknowledge our sin.

Without diminishing our gratitude, nor reducing the praise to God on our lips, let’s ask the Holy Spirit to heighten our awareness of our sin.

Being watchful and making decisive choices to step away from sin is a worthy part of following Jesus.

 

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