Romans 4:6-8 - Blessed are those who are forgiven

Having referred to Abraham Paul makes a brief digression to David before returning to Abraham. David, of course, was a key figure in Jewish history. Paul’s shows that he too found that righteousness does not come from works. There are numerous Psalms he could have quoted from, but the one actually chosen is Psalm 32:1,2. Although he just quotes from the first two verses, the whole psalm is an expression of David’s joy at receiving God’s forgiveness. In the psalm he speaks of the agony he endured when he refused to confess his sins, followed by the release when he finally acknowledged them. David tells of how God has then become his hiding place, his deliverer. Then we are urged not be stubborn, but to receive the guidance of the Lord. This so aptly applies to the Jews, but they were still persisting in their stubbornness, refusing to confess their sin and come to Jesus in need. On the two verses actually quoted, blessedness belongs to the one whose sins are forgiven. It also expresses the completeness of Christ’s sacrifice. Our sins are covered and will never be counted against us. Any apparent blessedness based on any so-called goodness of our own is illusory, only blessedness based on God’s forgiveness is real.