Forgiven for His Glory

Psalm 25:7, 11

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!...

For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.

...............

There are many verses in this passage that could be dwelt upon and savored. The psalmist is speaking of his loneliness and affliction in the face of very real and fearful enemies. The psalm presents a heartfelt prayer that balances the depth of human need with passionate cries to the only One who is both strong and merciful enough to save him.

I picked out the verses above because at first they seemed counterintuitive. Pray for forgiveness for the sake of God's name and goodness? That's backwards, right? I tend to pray for forgiveness because of ME - my guilty feelings, my need to avoid God's judgment, my desire for cleansing and peace of mind. What does this mean to plead for forgiveness for the sake of God's reputation?

A friend explained this idea to me once, and I can't think of a better metaphor at the moment. Imagine you have fallen into a deep dark pit. You are helpless, alone, and afraid. The darkness wears on after hours of calling for help. You despair and wonder if anyone will ever find you in time. Then, suddenly, you see a rope thrown down and the voice of someone above saying they are here to save you. You wonder how he can manage to pull you up from so great a distance. Your wonder turns into gratitude as you grab hold and find yourself being pulled to safety in a feat of effortless strength. There are others present as well, a crowd who is equally amazed to see their friend who was feared dead suddenly emerge into the light of day, all thanks to the strong and steady arms of this rescuer.

So, who gets the glory in this illustration? The fallen victim? The watching crowd? Or the one whose arms look strongest when all other hope is lost?

This is a little bit like how we should pray when we feel the sting of sin and guilt within us - "God, help me for the sake of your name! Please show mercy to me and show the world how good and merciful you are by covering my sin, removing my sin, and making me new again!"

The psalmist says this another way:

Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
(Psalm 25:8 ESV)

There is something fundamental to God's goodness that involves forgiving sinners and teaching them to walk in his ways - restoring the image and likeness of God in them. In restoring that image, we find that forgiveness is really all about God's glory and reputation being more clearly and wondrously displayed in the simple miracle of repentance and faith. When weak and weary sinners turn to their good and powerful Savior, he gets all the glory - and there can be no greater joy for the Christian than seeing this good Savior magnified and shown for who he is. May our hearts be compelled by this kind of prayer, even in our moments of greatest need.