Psalm 19:12 KJVS
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
We continue our look at questions taken from the Psalms and see how they point to, or testify of Jesus.
“Error“, as mentioned by the psalmist, speaks to sin:
James 5:20 KJV Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
The sinner who converts or turns from “the error” of their way, is the person who turns away from the sinful lifestyle they once lived. But before one can turn from the error of sin, we have to first recognize or understand that we have, and continue to err. This is where we get to see how this speaks of Jesus.
Jesus is the Word of God:
Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
It is the Word of God (Jesus) who shows us the error of our way for the purpose of bringing correction:
2 Timothy 3:16 KJV All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
The same Word that reproves, also corrects. Said another way, the same Word that helps us to understand that we have all erred, is the same Word of God that corrects our error.
But how does the word of God correct our error?
Hebrews 9:7 KJV But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:
The blood of the lamb offered by the high priest for the error of the people, was a shadow of the blood of the slain lamb of God, which was shed to wash/cleanse us of sin/error.
We all, like the psalmist, understand our error through the word of God. We all, like the psalmist, are cleansed from our error through the word of God (Jesus).
Before we conclude, it is important to note that persons can recognize and correct error through the letter of the word. An example of this is: a person can learn through the word of God that stealing is wrong and correct that behaviour, but not necessarily receive the spirit of the word in being corrected.
2 Corinthians 3:6 KJV Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
It means taking the principles of the word without accepting its’ author. Receiving correction via the letter, but not via the spirit means, sins have not been washed and therefore, though behaviour has been changed, spirit has not been cleansed of sin. Correction via the letter without the correction of the spirit is labouring without God, such labour will always be in vain.