PSALM 32:1-6 No Deceit but Confession
PSALM 32:1-6
V. 2 "Blessed is the man... in whose spirit there is no deceit."
Psalm 32 was the favourite of Augustine, an early church leader. He liked the psalm because it teaches so clearly that God forgives sinners out of free grace. The sinner does not have to "improve" himself before he is worthy of God's grace. As Paul teaches, even while he is still a sinner, he is pardoned and justified through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:5). This is the implication of what David says in verse 2, "Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity."
But what are we to make of the second part of verse 2 where David adds, "And in whose spirit there is no deceit"? Does this mean that there is a condition for salvation after all? Do we need to be people in whose spirit there is no deceit before the Lord will forgive us our sins? If that were the case, our salvation would still depend on something we have to contribute ourselves.
The next verse gives us the solution. David describes how he kept silent (v. 3), and how for a while he refused to acknowledge his transgression to God (v. 4). This sounds like the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba, a time of cover-up. There was a stretch in David's life when he was dishonest and deceptive. But then the LORD graciously intervened by sending the prophet Nathan to reprimand him. This led to David leaving behind all deceit. He confessed his transgressions to the LORD and received forgiveness.
In other words, when David speaks of a man in whose spirit there is no deceit, he is not referring to someone who is perfect and without sin. He is thinking of people who fear God, who confess their sins honestly to God (v. 6). By the power of Christ's Spirit, such a person has given up the lifestyle of deceit and lives in daily repentance. David is describing the already-saved and forgiven believer.
We find the same message in the first letter of John: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ, who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2)!
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