“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1-2) 

The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines forgiveness as a term used to indicate pardon for a fault or offense; to excuse from payment for a debt owed. The two main terms for forgiveness in Hebrew are nasa’, “to take away (sin)” and salach, “to pardon.” Based on these definitions, God takes away and pays for all of my sins; therefore I am forgiven. Praise the Lord! 

The psalmist tells us that forgiveness is available to every person who is willing to accept God’s forgiveness. Why is forgiveness available to all of us? Because we all have sinned and because we are all sinners, we are all open to His blessing called forgiveness. 

God will forgive our sins for He is faithful and just. If we repent, He will not count our sins against us. If we turn to Him in faith, He will cover our sins.

Three promises are made in this Psalm for every person who has the faith to believe. God declares that He will do the following for our sins: 

1. He will forgive our transgressions. Transgression means violation of a law or command. The Psalmist promises that God will forgive every law or command we violate. Praise the Lord! 
2. He will cover our sins. The word cover means to conceal. The Psalmist promises that God will cover or conceal your sins. Praise the Lord! 
3. He will not count our sin against us. To not count means that God will not keep track of my sins. Praise the Lord! 

My Part 

“In whose spirit there is no deceit!” God wants us to be transparent and real. He wants us to be sincere, honest, and open. God does not want us to put on a religious act or try to cover up our shortcomings, nor does He want us to make excuses. God wants us to be humble and sincere. He wants us to acknowledge that we have sinned; that we deserve His wrath and judgment. God wants us to turn away from our sin and confess and acknowledge that we are sinners so that He can forgive us. 

God wants us to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness, since He has forgiven us. He wants us to practice the habit of forgiving those who have wronged us or sinned against us. My hope and prayer is that we learn how to cultivate a habit of being honest with God. “Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.” (Mat. 6:12 The Message)

Purchase Bishop Jemmott’s books and sermons including his latest release entitled “Still Standing” here.