Sinclair Ferguson on the Nature of Sin

by Paul Tautges | February 18, 2015 7:35 am

While meditating on Psalm 51 and the gracious work of God in David’s heart, Sinclair Ferguson, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, describes the layers of sin that dwell in our hearts. Understanding the depth of our sinfulness should cause us to worship the Savior, who assumed our guilt in His body on the cross, and long for His return. What a merciful God we have who forgives and cleanses us from all our sin when we confess it to Him while trusting in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf!

Layers of Sin

As Ferguson reflects upon the Psalm, he writes, “What stands out in David’s confession is his excruciating discovery of what was really in his heart. There were layers of sin in his soul, or, to change the metaphor, peaks of evil, which rose one beyond the other, another becoming visible only when one had been scaled. He ransacks the Old Testament vocabulary as he explores his soul and provided a series of vivid word pictures to describe his need.” He then exposes four “layers of sin” in our hearts, which the Spirit exposed to David.

Today, let us give thanks to God for His mighty grace that is greater than our sin.

Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2015/02/18/sinclair-ferguson-on-the-nature-of-sin/