“Who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin?” Proverbs 20:9
There are a few themes that keep coming up in God’s Word - from beginning to end. There is an unbroken chain of truth. And what is that truth? Man is sinful at the core and aside from God we are without hope. Solomon’s father David said as much in Psalm 14:1-3, and Saint Paul echoed the same truth in Romans 3:10-12. The gospel is the epitome of this truth - all are sinful and must repent of their sins lest they die (death being another way of saying eternal separation from God or condemnation).
No one can save himself. It is no different than a man caught in a raging river. He will surely perish if not for the intervention of another. Jesus is our savior who throws us the lifeline of forgiveness. It is He who makes us pure with His purity when we trust in Him, repent, seek forgiveness, and are made clean.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Amen.