Psalm 25:11
11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
These words of David’s prayer for forgiveness shows how deeply disturbed in his heart he was because of the reality of sin and its guilt in his life. Every man who is aware of God’s awesome holiness will always be deeply conscious of his own sinful nature, as he constantly yields himself to love and serve God. He knows that he is not worthy of even appearing before God, let alone being His servant to carry out His holy will.
David was often very conscious of his sins and he mentioned his unworthiness many times in his psalms. Earlier in this psalm, he prayed, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD” (v. 7). In Psalm 69:5, he cried out, “O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.” In Psalm 51:9, he pleaded, “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.” David not only acknowledged his sins and unworthiness, but he also implored the Lord to forgive and cleanse him. For instance, in Psalm 19:12, he beseeched the Lord, saying, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”
David also acknowledged before the LORD that pardon of his sins is entirely a matter subject to the glory of His “name”. The term “name” here refers to all that God is, even His sovereignty, divine will, attributes and works. Our plea for God’s pardon should always be based on God’s great mercy and faithfulness to keep all His promises, including His promise to forgive the sins of those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Our plea for pardon, salvation and sanctification must never be based on the merit of our feelings, nature or actions. As Paul said in Romans 9:16, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
God forgives us based on His own goodness, mercy and faithfulness, and for the honour of His name. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Genuine faith depends not on one’s own merit, but on the goodness and grace of God. Even when we repent of our sins, we know that we are prone to sin again. We simply cannot depend on our powers to seek His forgiveness. Oh, how thankful we ought to be that our forgiveness and salvation flow from the infinite depths of His perfections!