“Blot Out My Transgressions” (Ps 51)

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.” (vs1)

We want God to blot out, remove from His sight, and purge from our life and conscience the guilt and shame of sin (vs1-6). We want peace with God by the blood of Christ, justification by faith in Him, and we want to know that our sins are gone, removed, and utterly non-existent as a cause for His displeasure and vengeful judgment. In short, sin separated us from God, and we want the sin REMOVED, so that we can have God and the benefits thereof.

Many think that sin is no big deal, and God has no choice but to tolerate it.... “after all, we can't be perfect”, but God has made sin to be something He alone puts away. Therefore, we need Christ, and we return to Him by faith, when we are guilty, filthy, and filled with shame. We believe IN THE FACE OF the horrible things that we've done, trusting God is gracious enough and great enough to remove the stain - to pay for it Himself and to give us the joy of peace that's missing. He says, “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities” (vs8-9). Bless His holy name! He can and will BLOT OUT your transgressions, if you come to Him, like the Psalmist did, admitting your shame, without any power to help yourself, begging the Lord by faith. He says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise” (vs17). Faith may be instant, and all the shame is gone, like a new born child utterly forgiven. Or, faith may involve days or years of pleading with God until we experience the total removal of stains.

Secondly, you want holiness if you want pardon from God (vs7-11). He says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow... create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me”. He doesn't give forgiveness only; instead, He always CLEANSES the life and the conscience simultaneously. The faith of God's elect is not, “Pardon me, so I may sin in peace”; it is “Forgive me, so I may sin no more” (John 8:11).

If you want holiness by grace, forgiveness that makes us godly, and true salvation, then bring nothing except your sins and God's faithful character, His promises, and the Son. He will heal you, not because you contributed, but because He loves to make the ugly beautiful and to make the despicable clean.

Finally, if God saves, then we can serve Him and help others (vs12-19). He says, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit, then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness”. We say, “Lord, save me, so that others can hear Your praise and my worship may be acceptable in Your sight”, and this is wise! He says, “Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then they shall offer bulls on Your altar”. Yes, pardon, so that I can preach!! You see the Psalmist isn't into man-made, hypocritical, self-righteous religion, which preaches in order to earn points and serves in order to be served later. No, the GOSPEL received produces love, which is God's only method of converting others: you and I taste grace, speak grace, and others hear our experience in God and rejoice with us in His Love.