Blessed is the Man Whom the Lord Will Not Impute Sin

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.(Romans 4:8, KJV)

Consider the profound blessing David recognized and Paul reiterated: a grace where sins aren’t counted against us. David, who faced severe consequences for his transgressions, foretold a time of grace unlike any in his era—when God would no longer keep a tally of our sins.

“Impute” here is akin to recording debits in a financial ledger. In a broader sense, it’s about attributing someone’s good or bad deeds to their account. David unveils a profound truth: true blessedness belongs to those whose transgressions are not logged by God. Imagine a scenario where every sin you commit is noted in your “sin account” and judged accordingly. This was the reality for Old Testament Israel, lacking the privilege of complete forgiveness offered through Christ’s sacrifice.

This revelation is both startling and freeing. As God’s children, our sins aren’t charged against us, courtesy of Christ’s sacrificial work—a blessing David longed for but only glimpsed in the future.

In our Christian walk, it’s crucial not to underestimate this profound forgiveness. The promise made to Abraham—and extended to us—is not primarily about financial prosperity but the forgiveness of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit( Acts 3:26, Gal. 3:13-14).

Realize how truly blessed you are. David perceived it and declared it through the Spirit. The absence of sin accounting doesn’t encourage sinfulness or grant a license to sin. Indeed, some may abuse God’s grace, but this isn’t a flaw in grace itself—it’s a reflection of their character. For you, God’s children, you are immensely favored and blessed. Your heavenly Father isn’t tallying your sins; He remembers them no more. This realization deepens our love for Him and fuels our desire to live a holy and righteous life that pleases Him.

Meditate

Ponder the impact of God not counting our sins. How does this change your relationship with Him?

Apply the Word

Many believers grapple with accepting this core Gospel truth. Embrace in your heart the reality of God’s grace and boundless forgiveness.

Pray

Offer thanks to the Father for the extraordinary blessing of having our sins uncounted, made possible through Christ.

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. (Leviticus 20:7–8, KJV)

Jehovah Mekaddishkem showing washing gloves, cleaning fluid and sponge

As the Great I AM that I AM, God revealed Himself as the Lord who sanctifies His people in the Old Covenant—Jehovah Mekaddishkem. But this was only a shadow of something greater that was coming in the New Testament.

Jehovah Mekaddishkem is the English transliteration of the Hebrew words for “I am the Lord which sanctify you” ( “mekaddish” = sanctify, “kem” = you). Divine names and titles in the Old Testament often reveal an aspect of God in relation to His people.

There are three keywords that underlie the meaning of sanctification: “wash,” “consecrate,” and “separate.” Sanctification essentially means to make something holy. Sinlessness is a core aspect of holiness, but there is more to holiness than sinlessness. It is the very nature of God. However, when used in reference to us humans, it means to be cleaned from sin, set apart for God, and consecrated to Him.

In the passage above, God tells the people first to sanctify themselves and then reveals He is the One who sanctifies them. Thus, He gives us the two sides of sanctification—the God side and the human side. There’s something God does and something His people do for their sanctification.

This truth was only a shadow in the Old Testament. It is in Christ that we see God fully revealed as Jehovah Mekaddishkem to His people through the sanctifying work on the cross. In speaking to the Corinthians, Paul revealed,

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11, KJV)

This is Jehovah Mekaddishkem fulfilled in Christ: We were washed and sanctified. Note that these are in past tense, describing something God has already done. The day you received Christ, you received the bath of your life, a heavenly bath by the Spirit of God that removed every stain of sin through the precious blood of Christ. And as you continue to live on earth, the Spirit continues to sanctify you daily.

Following the sanctifying work He has already done in us, He commands us,

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:” (1 Thessalonians 4:3, KJV)

Now that you are clean, washed, and sanctified, He tells us to put that sanctification to work outwardly. Paul explicit states it is what God wants—His will. He gives us a very specific example of sanctification here: abstain from sexual immorality. Few things defile us, like sexual impurity. But sanctification certainly includes more than abstaining from fornication or adultery. As above, it includes living a consecrated and separated life to God daily in the way we talk, act, think, feel, and handle our bodies.

He is Jehovah Mekaddishkem, the God who has Sanctified you in Christ and continues to sanctify you every day.

Meditate

Is our sanctification completed, ongoing, or both?

Apply the Word

This is the crucial part of this devotional. Until you receive the truth that God has already sanctified you by His Spirit, you will not be empowered to be sanctified practically. Put God’s sanctification power to work in your life daily by faith in the finished work of Christ.