Psalms 32:1

Psalms 32

Psalms 32:1-2 says, “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.”

Men are wicked and sinful. But the greatest failure of men is to repent of sin and to trust in Jesus Christ of Nazareth for salvation. What a blessing it is to have the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This message is the Gospel. This is why the Gospel means good news. This is also why anyone who stands up to preach and does not preach the forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ alone is a false prophet. Acts 4:12 says of Jesus, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

In these verses two sets of 3 words are given. One set explains what sin is and the other explains what forgiveness is. These verses in Psalms are also quoted in the New Testament in Romans 4:6-8 which says, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 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.”

In other words these verses describe for us the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works. The greatest problem of the world is not global warming, or famine, or disease, or war, or racism or slavery, but it is the sin problem. There is a solution: “righteousness without works.”

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” All men are sinners. All men are in need of righteousness. The problem is that most men look to themselves or to other men for righteousness. It’s good to care about human beings and their sufferings and to do things to help like feed the poor and donate money to HIV-aids foundations. However, this does not make you a good person. You are still a sinner in need of righteousness.

To see your need for righteousness you must first see your own sinfulness. You can see your own sinfulness by seeing the Holiness of God. By seeing the Holiness of God, you will understand what sin is. God’s Holiness is revealed in His law, which is His Word, which is the Bible.

Concerning sin, the three words given here in Psalms are: “transgression”, “sin”, and “iniquity”. To transgress means to go beyond the limits or boundries. It means rebellion. Disobedience to the law of God is rebellion. The word “sin” used here in Psalms means offence. And the word “iniquity” means to twist, to pervert, to make crooked. To see just how sinful you are simply read the Ten Commandments and you will see that these 3 words describe all men on this earth: transgression, sin, and iniquity.

Exodus 20:3-17, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the sea. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”

The wickedness of man on this earth is very great. Thou shalt not murder, thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not commit sexual immorality, thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. “Transgression”, “sin” and “iniquity” describes all men very well.

Now consider these three words in these 2 verses: forgiven, covered, and imputeth. What does forgiveness mean? Genesis 4:13 says, “and Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.” Here the same word, “forgiveness” is used and is translated, “bear.” Man cannot, “bear” the punishment for his own sins to receive forgiveness from the Holy God. Judgment is coming for the sinners of this world who do not turn to Jesus of Nazareth for forgiveness. It is Jesus that has born the sins of the world on the cross of Calvary. This is where forgiveness is found.

Psalms 24:7 says, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.” Here the word used in Psalms 31 and translated “forgiven” is used in Psalms 24:7 and is translated “lifted up.”

In John 12:32-33 Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.” Jesus Christ who is the LORD Jehovah, came to this earth 2000 years ago born of the virgin Mary, lived a life without sin, died on the cross of Calvary becoming sin for us, and rose again on the 3^rd day. Jesus was lifted up onto the cross and bore the judgment of God so that there can be forgiveness of sins to all those who turn to Him and repent. “Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven,” says Psalms 32:1.

Now consider the word “covered.” This word is elsewhere translated to cloth or to hide. Genesis 7:18-19 says, “And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed, exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.” Revelation 19:8 says, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Unlike the judgments of men and of governments, the judgment of God is always just, and holy, and covers the whole earth. All men will be judged. All must stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Blessed is the man who stands before the judgment seat of Christ and is arrayed in fine line, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

To have your sins covered means to have the righteousness of Christ spiritually to cloth you. If you die and stand before God without the righteousness of Christ, then you are spiritually naked and instead of being judged according the work of Christ on the cross you will be judged according to your sins and you will be cast into hell for eternity. Blessed is the man who has his sins “covered.”

The word “imputeth” means: to reckon, purpose, think, cunning workman, counted. Genesis 15:6 says, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Jeremiah 36:3, “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” Romans 4:6-8 says, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 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.” James 2:23, “And the scripture was fulfilled which said, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the friend of God.”

It is God that does the imputing through Christ. Christ did the work by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. The word “impute” is a word which emphasizes the work of Christ on the cross and the righteous of Christ being given to those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus. Righteousness without works, or you could say righteous by the work of Christ, because Christ is God. There is no righteousness which can be obtained by man through man’s own effort.

These three words: forgiveness, covered, and imputeth explain why those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus are blessed. To be forgiven by God through Christ means to be given the righteousness of Christ which is of grace through faith and not of works.

The last phrase in Psalms 32:2 says, “In whose Spirit there is no guile.” The word “guile” means deceit. Interestingly this word can also be translated “slothful.” To be slothful implies a lack of willpower or the use of one’s will. In other words forgiveness is for those who truly repent of their sins. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone that saith unto me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” It says in John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Jesus said in John 6:40, “And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

There is a hymn which goes, “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.” At the moment of salvation when a person bows the knee to Christ for repentance of sin it involves the surrender of one’s will over to Jesus. Some people never truly repent of their sins when the Holy Spirit touches the heart and draws that person to Christ. They never truly believe. When a person becomes saved that person receives a new nature. Unsaved people are by nature the children of wrath. Concerning the elect, it says in Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” To be quickened means to be made alive spiritually. “In whose Spirit there is no guile.”

Forgiveness, covered, and imputed: these three things are blessings of repentance of sin unto to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Some people say, “I believe in Jesus Christ,” but in their hearts they do not really. Some people say, “I am a Christian,” but they have never repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation. “Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile.” Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD Jesus Christ imputeth not iniquity but imputeth the righteousness of God. That person will have eternal life in heaven in the presence of God.

Psalms 32:2 says, “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” John 4:23-24 says, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

An excellent example of false repentance is the Mormon religion. Mormons say they believe in God. Mormons even say they believe in Jehovah. But they do not believe in Jesus Christ. Jehovah is the Old Testament name for Jesus. A person has not truly repented of their sins and does not truly believe in God unless they believe in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. True belief involves repentance and confession of sin to Jesus who died on the cross of Calvary some 2000 years ago and rose from the grave. “Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile.”

What good is repentance without forgiveness? No good. Sometimes people repent of things they do wrong, and do change, but it is still not true repentance because repentance to self and to man is not repentance to God through Jesus Christ. Anything other than trusting in Jesus for forgiveness of sins is a form of self-righteousness, and there is no righteousness in man. “Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile.” Sadly, most men go the way of Cain instead of the Able; the way of self-righteousness instead of faith. Hopefully you will make the right choice and repent of your sins to the only begotten Son of God: Jesus Christ.

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