May 27, 2024 - Forgiven Sins Still Have Consequences

2 Samuel 12:1-31

John 16:1-33

Psalm 119:65-80

Proverbs 16:4-5

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

2 Samuel 12:5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

David was able to see the sin of the rich man in the parable that Nathan told but he didn't recognize how it applied to him. I am thinking this is the importance of life application in bible reading. When we read God's word we need to seek out how it applies to us personally and how we can apply it to our lives. It's not just for us to read to understand the context and the story. We can read this story about David and condemn him for what he did just as David did the rich man in the story, but when that is all we do we could be missing out on God telling us about something in our lives.

2 Samuel 12:7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? 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. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

God protects us, provides for us and blesses us, but we still "despise the word of the Lord by doing evil in his eyes". When we sin there are consequences for that sin. The sins we commit don't just have an effect on us and our lives but often effects the lives of others as well. Which means that often others will be involved in our consequences. David's sin though done in private was public knowledge as in broad daylight. As I said yesterday when we sin others see it and it can affect our testimony. As king, David's actions affect all of Israel, so it was important that all of Israel see that there are consequences for David's sin. The death of his son and the loss of his wives is done publicly. In doing so God establishes that David did not escape His eye and got away with nothing. Also David's repentance shows the people that even the king needs to humble himself before God and repent because ultimately it is against God that every sin is against.

John 16:21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.

This made me think of the anguish that Jesus suffered for us and the anguish that God experiences with each one of our sins. But on Jesus return when we are born again into the kingdom of heaven the joy will overcome every bit of anguish.

Psalm 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted

so that I might learn your decrees.

Afflictions that we experience are sometimes because of our sins. If we can recognize that then we can be driven to learn the Lord's decrees and turn from that sin so that we can truly repent and not return to it.

Psalm 119:80 May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,

    that I may not be put to shame.

Then we can follow His decrees with our whole hearts and not shame ourselves and our testimonies for God.

Proverbs 16:5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart.

    Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

David gave into his temptation out of the proudness in his heart. As king he allowed his power to convince him that he should be able to have what his sinful heart desired. We too can allow our pride to influence what we do.

2 Samual 12:13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

Just as the Lord had taken aways David's sin, Jesus has taken away ours. But even forgiven sin has consequences. We can't live our lives with the idea "I believe in Jesus who died for my sins so it's okay if I sin because they are already forgiven". David and Bathsheba should have died according to the law but the Lord saved them from that, but that is all He saved them from. And our sin also should result in eternal separation from God and spiritual death but Jesus has saved us from that but, that is all He saved us from. We to must expect there to be consequences for our sins, even forgiven ones.