Psalm 51:1-4 — Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

I am a sinner. Does that surprise you? It shouldn’t. There isn’t one of us who doesn’t fail now and then. Even the great apostle Paul said, “For that which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” (Romans 7:15)
We’re all sinners. Even King David, who wrote the wonderfully penitent Psalm 51.
Perhaps you remember the story? “At the time when Kings go to war” King David stayed at home while he sent his army to the battle. One evening he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing. He sent for her, got her pregnant, and arranged for her husband to be killed. The prophet Nathan was sent by God to rebuke David, and Bathsheba’s son died. David, touched to the heart, repented and Psalm 51 expressed the depth of his repentance.
There is a thing about the Psalm that has often nagged away at me. David says to God, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned”. Really? Not against Uriah the Hittite, whose murder he arranged? Not against Bathsheba, whose marriage he destroyed? Not against the precious baby boy whose life was ended before it began? It always seemed strange to me.
I had an insight into the question today. It came during my quiet time as I thought about my own sins. You know, like Paul, I don’t mean to do this stuff. I can’t remember, either, ever meaning to hurt another person. My sins are sins against God. I get it — But where do those sins come from? Well … “… out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:” (Matthew 15:19).
I’m not really comfortable with the thought that I have a wicked heart. I have taken Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Didn’t I get fixed up then? Well, yes and no. I am saved — but that doesn’t make me perfect — it makes me a work in progress!
David was a work in progress too. But he wasn’t perfect. He was, though, a man “after God’s”. He was a lot further along than me … but He could still sin against God.