May 12
26
O LORD, Pardon
Chris Cunningham
For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. (Psalm 25:11)
The fact that David’s sin was great might seem a strange argument to set forth to God as a reason for forgiving it. It might seem more properly a reason not to forgive it. Certainly the natural religious man argues counter to this, thinking surely God will forgive my sin since though I’ve done bad things, I am not as other men (Luke 18:10-14). Those who by God’s grace have been shown their true condition before Him and the freeness of His grace find David’s prayer to be perfectly fitting.
This is the appropriate way to pray since the only sin God forgives is great sin. If your sin is pretty bad in your estimation but certainly not as bad as that of some, your sin will never be forgiven. If your sin is very bad, but nothing a good decision and a “sinner’s prayer” won’t fix, you will perish in your sin.
This is a prayer of absolute resignation. David acknowledged his utter inability to do anything about the kind of sin he saw himself to be. His only hope is PARDON. Pardon implies guilt. Pardon knows nothing of extenuating circumstances or loopholes. I must either be pardoned or damned. The magnitude of his own wretchedness overwhelmed him and caused this desperate cry. If God has done all He can do, and now it is up to you to deal with your sin, then this prayer is not suitable for your situation. If you are a great sinner in need of a mighty Savior, I can think of no better prayer.
Notice iniquity is singular showing that it was his sinfulness, not just his sinful deeds that he despaired of. It is not just our sins that need forgiving, but our sin. Not only what we do, but what we are. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. We cannot change what we do because we cannot change what we are. So we must cry for mercy.
For Thy Name’s sake do it. Not because I am a worthy candidate or even worth saving at all. Not because I have distinguished myself from other sinners in any way that would attract Thy grace, indeed, as Thou hast pronounced, I am “even as others” in every way. But because saving sinners magnifies Thy great Name. Because saving sinners is Thy glory and shall be the theme of the everlasting praise of Thyself, because your very Name is “the God of all grace (1Peter 5:10),” yes, do it for that reason.
This prayer honors God, acknowledging the awesome power of His grace. It is only by that very grace, that a sinner can pray this way. Only a great Savior can help a great sinner like me, therefore I call upon Thee. There is efficacy in Christ’s blood to wash away even my massive load of iniquity. There is infinite value in His atonement sufficient to pay even my colossal debt, therefore I fly to Thy throne for mercy.