Psalm 32

In the name of the Father and of + the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saint and Sinner?

"The 32nd Psalm is an exemplary psalm of instruction that teaches us what sin is, and how one might be freed from it and be righteous before God. Our reason does not know what sin is and tries to make satisfaction for it with works. But the psalmist says that even saints are sinners..."

Psalm 32 is a penitential psalm. For those of you who attend our church the language used by this psalm of David should be very familair. Themes like repentance, justification and forgiveness flow out of the verses of this psalm with great clarity. Like Psalm 51, another of David's well-known penetential psalms, this psalm focuses on repentance and forgiveness for all mankind.

Luther uses the phrase, "saints are sinners" in this psalm. What does that mean, you might ask. How can saints be sinners? Isn't being a "saint" being holy, without blemish? Doesn't sin equal imperfection? How can you be both at the same time?

Luther writes, "Here stand the clear plain words: All the saints are sinners and remain sinners. But they are holy because God in His grace neither sees nor counts these sins, but forgets, forgives, and covers them. There is thus no distinction between the saints and the non-saints. They are sinners alike and all sin daily..."

It is actually comforting to know that your pastor is a sinner. Abraham was a sinner, Moses, David, Stephen the martyr, Peter, Paul, Timothy etc. There is no difference this psalm shows us, all are sinners. Yet, "blessed is the one whose trangression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

You see, all of us by nature are covered in sin. Yet, God gave His only-begotten Son to die in order to wash our sin away. By faith in Jesus Christ the crucified, Christ Himself covers what covers us. Jesus own blood and righteousness ends up covering us completely. No longer are we defined by sin, but rather we are defined by our Savior, as saint.

Still sinner, yet now saint we are "glad in the Lord and rejoice..." for we, who were once poor miserable sinners, have had our sins covered by the righteousness of our Lord.