Psalm 51

    Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
        and in sin did my mother conceive me.
    Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
        and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (Ps. 51:5–6)

Scripture not only reveals the glory of God and proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ; it also speaks with authority about the condition of humanity. In the Gospels, Christ, the great physician, addresses our grave state. From him we learn that, by nature, we love the darkness and hate the light (John 3:19) and that everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin (John 8:34). God’s word diagnoses truths that are often hard to hear but are vital to understand.

As we prepare to think carefully about the human condition in light of Scripture, let me ask you: What is your understanding of our sin nature?

Psalm 51:5–6 offers a sobering evaluation of the human condition. Between the parts of the song in which David acknowledges his transgressions and pleads for cleansing, he addresses the pervasive presence of sin in his life. Through his admission, we are awakened to our need for healing and forgiveness from sin. Ultimately, this psalm confronts us with the fact that only God can provide the cleansing and restoration that our hearts so desperately need. Psalm 51:5–6 in particular offers a specific two-part diagnosis for our condition.

Psalm 51:5 presents the first part of our two-part diagnosis: From the very beginning, we’re all inherent sinners. David traces the origin of his sin back to a time before his adulthood, before his adolescence, and even before the moment of his birth. He traces it all the way back to the moment of his conception.¹

Part 2 of the two-part diagnosis of the human condition is conveyed in Psalm 51:6: Sin dwells in the deepest parts within us, so none of us are untouched by it. Our problem is not just skin deep; it begins in the fabric of our being. 

As we read of David’s sin, we must come to terms with the sobering reality that this is not only David’s condition; it is ours as well. The heart of the problem is the problem with our hearts. We are all sinners from the start and sinners to the heart. And what we need is a Savior.

As we mature in our faith, our grasp of our own sin deepens, and our understanding of God’s holiness grows. At every moment—no matter how narrow or how wide the gap between our deep sense of sin and our view of God’s holiness—the cross is sufficient. The cross always covers the distance between sinful man and our holy God. As a result of our growing awareness of our sin and God’s holiness, the cross seems bigger and bigger than it did at first, not because it has changed but because our understanding has. The mercy of God becomes more and more beautiful and believable. Though Jesus had not yet come when David wrote Psalm 51, David looked to the Lord by faith and trusted in the word of God. He was saved by grace, just as we are. And when he penned this psalm, his understanding of God’s holiness and his own sinfulness was clearly growing. For David, the mercy of God must have seemed more precious than ever.

There is a cure for our sinful condition. 

A Savior has come to heal, to cleanse, to restore, to repair, and to make all things new. 

Christ is the sinner’s cure.