The Difficulty of Attaining to a Knowledge of Our Sin
Psalm 19:12
Who can understand his errors? cleanse you me from secret faults.


We have here a question put and a prayer offered. But the implied answer to the question must be taken with some limitations; for —

I. SOME KNOWLEDGE OF ONE'S ERRORS IS ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION. Such as —

1. Will awaken the soul of man.

2. Drive him out of all the refuges of lies to which he will betake himself for salvation.

3. Convince him that he is utterly helpless and deserves to perish.

4. Make him come to Christ and accept the Gospel. But when men are brought to all this, then they ask —

II. WHO CAN UNDERSTAND HIS ERRORS? For —

1. He cannot understand the errors that he knows — their nature, their variety, their number, their aggravation, their demerit.

2. Of many of his errors he has no knowledge at all. See how long men remain in sin and are not disturbed by it. Conclusion: How humbled should we be. How forbearing is God. How precious Christ's redemption. How mighty the work of the Holy Spirit. How thorough in its working true faith is. But how little of it there is.

(J. R. Anderson.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.

WEB: Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.




The Deceitfulness of Sin
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