My Sin is Great

Gospel

11For the sake of Your name, Lord,

Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.

– Psalm 25:11
(NASB® © 2020)

Confessing sin before God

In Psalms 25, the God-fearing Jews of future days acknowledge their sins. What wonderful words do they say about themselves? “For the sake of Your name, LORD, Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.” Why? “For it is great” (v. 11). How wonderful to say such a thing to God! They could not say it to people. If a criminal asked the judge to forgive his wrongdoing because it was great, the whole court would stare at him in astonishment. They would see his request as sheer audacity. Yet what would be audacity in the world is actually the confidence of faith. That is exactly what God produces in a converted soul – sincerity of heart. A person acknowledges his sins and confesses them. He is then cleansed, not only from his sins, but from all unrighteousness (cf. 1 John 1:9).

Sincerity does not hide sin

This is something different. A work is clearly produced in the soul. Guilt is not merely removed from the soul. Sincerity also appears, and it does not hide sin.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Trust in God’s mercy

This sincerity is brought about by trusting in the mercy of God.

An honest confession of guilt is brought about through confidence in God’s mercy.

The order of the Psalms

And what did confidence in this mercy bring about in Psalms 25? Think about it! What comes before Psalm 25? Psalm 22! The themes of the Psalms follow a definite order. We should not assume the Psalms were placed randomly – they were set in their places by God and were written by divine inspiration. They may have been written in very different times. I do not believe they were written in their current sequence. Yet they are arranged and compiled in an order. That order is as divine as the words themselves. The order of the Psalms is not arbitrary.

Do not move a Psalm from its place

You cannot move a single Psalm from its place without damaging the truth. It would be like tearing a leaf from a beautiful plant. A gap would appear at once. Anyone who knows the plant would notice, as they would know what it should look like and how it was shaped by God.

Great sin and a great sacrifice

This is the point. The grace of God gave Christ to suffer on the cross. That grace moves people to confess their sins. They can say, “For the sake of Your name, LORD, Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.” This is the true reason. The greatness of sin requires a great sacrifice. Yet in view of such a sacrifice, the person does not ask to note that sin was small. Instead, he speaks of forgiveness because it was so great.

Summary: If we confess how great our sins are, it shows a sincerity produced by God. Whoever does not play down his sins shows trust in God’s mercy. That mercy was shown at the cross on Golgotha. A sincere soul that relies on this mercy can be conscious of the forgiveness of sins.

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

Abiding in Christ

This article is about abiding in Christ as both privilege and responsibility: only by living in dependence on His presence can believers bear “fruit” that reflects His character. It stresses that fruit isn’t produced by striving for it, but by focusing on Christ—“without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5

The Favor of the World

This article is about how the world’s praise can be shallow and fleeting. Using Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel and the crowd’s reversal toward Paul, it warns that exaggerated favor can quickly turn into hostility without true inner change.
 Daniel 2,46

Which Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation?

This article is about whether today’s Christians will face the Great Tribulation. It argues the church will be raptured before end-time wrath, explains the rapture vs. Christ’s public appearing, and identifies the believers in Revelation’s tribulation as those who come to faith after the rapture.
Marriage & Family

Situationship

This article is about “situationships”: undefined, commitment-free relationships that blur friendship and romance. Using Leon and Emma as an example, it warns they create imbalance and hurt, and argues from a biblical view for clarity, responsibility, protection, purity, and commitment toward marriage.
Amos 3:3

The Hummingbird – a Masterpiece of God’s Creation

This article is about the hummingbird as a marvel of nature—exploring its unique hovering flight, specialized wing and muscle structure, extreme metabolism, nectar-feeding tongue design, and cooling methods, framed as evidence of divine creative power.
Romans 1:20

Scripture Alone?!

This article is about whether 2 Timothy 3:16–17 undermines “Scripture alone.” It argues the passage supports Scripture’s sufficiency, distinguishes apostolic teaching from later tradition, affirms NT authority, and says the church recognized—not created—the canon.
2 Timothy 3:16.17

Revelation—Not a Book with Seven Seals!

This article is about why the Bible’s book of Revelation isn’t a sealed mystery but an “unveiling” of future events centered on Jesus Christ. It explains key opening verses, symbolic language, the chain of revelation, and the blessing for reading, hearing, and keeping its message.
Revelation 1:1-3
Church/Assembly

All Present Before God

This article is about Acts 10:33 and Cornelius’s gathering as a model for Christian meetings: obedience to God’s leading, awareness of God’s presence, listening to the whole message without picking parts, and speaking only what God commands—nothing added or omitted.
Acts 10:33

Q&A What does it mean, that God has given us “of His Spirit”

This article is about the meaning of “from His Spirit” in 1 John 4:13, explaining it doesn’t mean believers receive only part of the Spirit. Instead, it highlights what proceeds from God’s Spirit—love, truth, holiness—becoming visible evidence that God abides in us.
1 John 3:24; 4:13

Our Great High Priest

This article is about Jesus as the superior High Priest in Hebrews: His once-for-all sacrifice for sin, His ongoing heavenly service with compassion and help for believers, and His continual intercession before God that brings grace, mercy, and confidence to draw near.
Hebrews 2:17–18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24
Bible Study

The Old Man and The New Man

This article is about the New Testament concepts of the “old self” and “new self”: the old self judged and crucified with Christ, the new self created in His resurrection, and how believers should live out their new identity by putting off old traits and displaying Christlike ones.
Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:15; 4:22.24; Colossians 3:9.10

The Fast Mite

This article is about the Southern California mite *Paratarsotomus macropalpis*, the fastest creature relative to its size, sprinting at 322 body lengths per second. It explores its biomechanical limits, tech inspiration for robotics, and raises a creator-related question.
Hebräer 11:3