God's Help Overcoming Sin

Who can discern his errors?
    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
   and innocent of great transgression. Psalm 19:12-13 (ESV)

Sometimes it may feel like God just barks out commandments and then abandons us to struggle to figure out how to keep them. But God helps…

“Who can discern his errors?” It’s hard to see ourselves as we really are and to know our mistakes and sins. God shows us in His word what is right and wrong, good and evil, good for us and bad for us to help us! (Do we want to see our sins?)

“Declare me innocent from hidden faults” And what about the things that are “hidden” from us, the sins we never see? God’s people can ask God to even forgive those sins, and He will! (Do we ask God to do this?)

“Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins” God can help us avoid “presumptuous” (deliberate, willful, assuming when we don’t know) sins. When we love the will of God over our own will, then sins of the will can be avoided. When we consult God’s revealed Scriptures we can avoid sins of ignorance and assumption. (Do we pray that God will help us avoid following our own will?)

“Let them not have dominion over me” Sin can have “dominion” (control, rule, authority) over us. This can be everything from simply following our own desires for what is wrong to various forms of addiction. Sin becomes a form of slavery (Jn 8:34), controlling and dictating how we think and what we do. (Do we ask God to help us avoid sin and overcome its harmful control?)

“Then shall I be blameless, and innocent of great transgression” Blamelessness (no guilt) and innocence (clean, seen or judged as not guilty) is only received from God – after showing us our errors, He declares us innocent (even of our hidden faults and great transgressions) through forgiveness in Christ. Don’t say God’s not willing to help! (Do we pray for this help?)    dd