When we sin

David was well and truly caught. 

Nathan the prophet brilliantly confronted David with his sin by telling him a story he knew would strike a chord with David: the love of a man for his sheep. 

Knowing David’s background as a shepherd, Nathan told him a story of a rich man taking the beloved lamb of a poor man, killing it, and cooking it for a guest.

David was outraged.  “That man deserves to die!”

Nathan looked right into the eyes of David and said, “You are the man.”

And with that, all David’s thoughts that his actions had gone unnoticed crumbled to the ground.

Nathan’s words are most striking.

You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.  (1 Samuel 12:9)

In other words, just because it wasn’t David’s hand that did the killing, God still held him responsible for it because it was due to David’s plotting that Uriah died.

Nathan went further,

“Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes…you despised [the Lord] and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”  (9-10)

How often do we think of what we’re doing when we sin? Not only are we doing evil, but we’re despising God and his word. 

We’re telling God, “I don’t care what you said in your word.  I don’t care about all the goodness and love you’ve shown me.  I don’t care how much my actions will hurt you.  I’m going to do what pleases me.”

Not only that, when we sin, it allows the people around us to blaspheme God.  Nathan told David,

You have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.  (14)

How often do our actions cause people to say, “Is this what Christianity is about?  If it is, I don’t see any need to become a Christian.  They’re just like me.”

But on top of that, when we sin, there are consequences.  And despite David’s repentance,  despite his pleas, the child born to Bathsheba as a result of David’s sin died.

God forgave David. 

“The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die,” Nathan said. (13)

The eternal consequences were dealt with.  But the consequences on earth remained, and they would affect David and his family well into the future.

Paul writes,

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8)

Sin is a serious thing.  Let us never deceive ourselves into thinking it’s not.