DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 22 of 28 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered . . . " (Rom 4:7) – Tomorrow:
"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:5-8, NKJV)
And what does kingly David say concerning the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works? The Spirit calls us to consider Psalm 32:1-2. "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." This is the same man who once cried out under the oppression of guilt, "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psa 51:8-10).
There is something about knowing God sees our sin that strikes fear into the heart. Thus David acknowledged, "If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities (kept a record of sins – NIV), O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared" (Psa 130:3-4). That sins can be identified in our personal history cannot be denied: "All have sinned." Equally true, none of us can say we have committed no sin since coming into Christ, for "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in . . . If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:8,10).
The question is not whether or not we have sinned. We all have! The question is whether or not we "are forgiven!" It is whether or not our sins are "covered."
Now, God's forgiveness must be undergirded by a righteous cause. He cannot forgive us while forfeiting His own righteousness. God will not become unrighteous in order to make us righteous. That is the glory of the Gospel of Christ! It announces that in the Son, God has made full provision for Himself to be righteous in justifying the ungodly. Hallelujah for that!
Our text declares a most marvelous reality. Remember, the Spirit is telling us what David has said about the blessedness of a men to whom God imputes righteousness "without works." He then cites David's statement concerning the remission of sins. He refers to such remission in two ways. First, it is "forgiveness," and second, it is a "covering."
FORGIVENESS
Because sin has caused indebtedness to God, those who are justified are said to be "forgiven." Their debt has been paid in full by the Lord Jesus. That is why Jesus taught us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matt 6:12). He also accented this marvelous benefit when He spoke God forgiveness as dissolving a great debt. "The lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt" (Matt 18:27).
COVERING
Sins that are "covered" are sins that cannot be seen by God. He does not consider them or associate them with the individual. This is the significance of the word "propitiation," a word denoting a covering for sin (Rom 3:25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). A vivid picture of this is seen in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. There, the noblest of our race are placed before us. Included are Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses' parents, Moses, the Israelites, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae David, Samuel, and the prophets.
There is not a solitary sin or deviation of any sort registered against these saints in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Were you to trace their record through the Scriptures, you would find some of their sins recorded. Also, if you were granted a hearing with each one of them, not one of them would say they were without sin, or that they had no need of a Savior.
Why were not their sins mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews? Because they had lived in faith of the coming Redeemer. That Redeemer had come and removed their sins. He paid the debt they owed, and their record was cleared. Their iniquities were forgiven, and their sins were covered. Their sins no longer existed, and thus God could remember them no more. This is true of all who believe on Him who justifies the ungodly!
PRAYER POINT: Father, thank You for removing my sin through Jesus Christ.