Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1
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. They
cannot become holy or blessed except by confessing themselves as sinners before
God, knowing that they are regarded as righteous only from the grace of God,
apart from any service or work.
In short, our righteousness is
called (in plain language) the forgiveness of our sins. Or, as it says here: “sins not counted,”
“sins covered,” “sins not to be seen.”
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,
only that the sins of the holy are not counted but covered; and the sins of the
unholy are not covered but counted. One
would have a healing dressing on and is bandaged; the other wound is open and
undressed.
Martin Luther
“Reading the Psalms with Luther”
Concordia Publishing House, 2007
