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.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
King David here confesses his sin of adultery. As he does so he teaches us of one of the fundamental truths of our faith: all of us human beings possess a sin nature, so all are sinners. He states that we are sinful from the moment of conception, something which those who are pro-choice should consider for no one knows what happens to the souls of babies who die before birth. But many do not think of this because every human being is born with a sin nature so every human being is a sinner.
David also tells us that every sin offends God, a truth that quite unpopular. Our culture broadcasts a gospel of self-esteem, that every human being is essentially good and should know it and let everyone else know it too. They maintain God is not angry or sad about their behavior. He wants us to enjoy ourselves and have a good time. He wants us to be successful and prosperous. He wants us to be self-fulfilled.
Unfortunately, those who ignore the reality of the sin nature are not able to tell the difference between good and evil. They will never really be happy or content because they still have underlying guilt which will plague them no matter how much they tend to deny or numb it. Only when we admit that we are sinners can we be content, for then we can confess to the Lord. He is only too happy to grant forgiveness for it was attained for us by Jesus’ death on the cross who died for the sins of all humankind. Once forgiven, the Lord will then give us wisdom and strength to help us overcome temptation. Our esteem or positive self-image comes not from thinking we are good and righteous, or having people affirm us, but in realizing that God loves us in spite of our sin. He loves us so much that He became man, took our sins on Himself and died in horrible agony for us. This gospel of God’s love is what we must teach others.