Romans 3:23.-26:”For all have sinned, and come (fall) short of the glory of God. Being justified freely (without any cost) by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.;

Whom God hath set forth to be a propriation (a mercy seat) through faith in his blood, to declare (demonstrate) his righteousness; for the remission (passing over) of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the JUSTIFIER of of him which believeth in Jesus.”

We all dig Romans 3;23, it is one of the most comforting verses in the Bible, but when you go just a bit farther with it you can really see how we can use that verse to put the enemy and self condemnation to flight.

We all have sinned and sometimes we can fall off that boat as the saying goes but God’s grace is so perfectly described in that passage.

And we never want to be of those who abuse grace or rather their concept of it being a free ticket to sin at will, as often as you will, those people are not saved, they do not know Jesus, and if the refuse to see the truth and repent they will be in for a very sad awakening.

But this post is not about all that, we want to talk about the true covering of grace when we have fallen short, and we are very aware of it, be glad of that, when we feel conviction, when we feel remorse, and we feel repentance, that means we can still feel!

Let me remind you of a passage, Ephesians 4:17-24:”This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth (from this point forward) walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity (futility) of their mind. 

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness (hardening) of their heart.

Who being PAST FEELING have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in him.

That ye put off concerning the former converstaion (conduct) the old man, which was corrupt according to deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

And that ye put on a new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

Lusts can be many things, sin can be many things and satan knows what buttons to push, if he can get us mad and we lose self control and say or do things that we later regret.

He can send temptation in many forms, alcohol, drugs, sex, or by getting you run with the wrong crowd, or an attraction or an affair with another person, which is what happened to King David, which we will get into in a bit, but it can literally be anything and the fact that we feel that remorse, that regret, that repentance means that our hearts are still toward God.

The devil loves nothing more that sending something your way and then raking you relentlessly over the coals after you have fallen into the trap that he set for that very reason. That is how he causes so many to needlesslessy forfeit their salvation.

A very wise child asked me once what was the difference between Judas, who betrayed Jesus and Peter who denied Jesus, the difference as this child could even see as they pondered their own question, is this, Peter repented.

Judas, who was never right with God and was even stealing from their money bag, and in his greed, allowed the devil to use him and sell Jesus’ very life for thirty pieces of silver and when the devil left him, and his conscience kicked in and kicked hard, he choose to commit suicide instead of asking forgiveness.

That is what I wanted to point out in that passage, the mind that is blinded to truth not only commits sin but does so with “greediness”, meaning they wallow in it, love it, can’t get enough because they can no longer feel conviction.

And that passage was written to remind us that we are to forego the old ways and allow God to make us new and that is by having our minds renewed in him, his love, and his mercy.

Think about this, Jesus told Peter to forgive seventy time seven, so how much more will he forgive us when we are truly sorry for whatever it is that we have done, which gets us to God’s faithfulness, 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

And confession there is to God, you never have to tell your darkest secrets to any human, we are to have trusted prayer partners that we can confide in and talk to about anything we are having trouble with, but we are only required to confess to God, who already knows it anyway.

We have to admit our shortcomings so that we can be forgiven and healed, and with each hurdle we jump in life, the stronger we become and the faster we can run.

God uses everything to make us stronger for the kingdom and there is nothing that ever shocks God, he knows every single trip, stumble, or outright face plant that we will have to get back up from on our journeys but that’s the thing, he is always there and will always pick us back up

As you see it is pointed out in that passage that the new man is created after God and God said that David was a man after his own heart, which is why, I believe, it was on my heart to do this post with this story, David was after God’s heart but David was also human and David like all of us , messed up we all make mistakes and some are more severe than others, it is a good reminder that none are perfect and when we stumble or heaven forbid, even fall, we have to get up and go on.

Most have heard and if you have, please just bare with it, but if you haven’t, “listen” carefully.

“And it came to pass. after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children (people) of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah, But David tarried (stayed) still at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass in at eveningtide (evening) that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house; and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness (had already had her monthly cycle); and she returned unto her own house.

And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite, And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded (asked) of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat (gift of food) from the king.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house (Are you not on leave, why did you not go home)?

And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord, Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as my soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

And David said unto Uriah. Tarry (stay) here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk (got him drunk): and at even (evening) he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

And it came to pass in the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest (fiercest) battle, and retire (retreat) ye from him, that he may be smitten (struck down) and die.

And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew the valiant men were.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died there also

The Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, And if it be taht the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee,Wherefore approached ye so nigh (why did you go so near) unto the city when ye dd fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

So the messenger went, and came and shewed (told) David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into a field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants, and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for sword devoureth one as well as another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.” 2 Samuel 11:1-25

Notice a recurring theme here? It came to pass, sin and progression of sin is often slow and insidious, David could have stopped this at any time, he should have been out in battle, he could have turned and walked back into his house when he saw her nude, He could have gotten the point to back off when he was told this was married and married to one of his own men.

He could have resisted the temptation to have her fetched, which was a bad deal because him being king they all had to do as he said, and the truest telling in it all was once he found out that she was pregnant he had Uriah brought back,making small talk and buttering him up, just hoping he would go home and sleep with his wife, and when that failed he tried the old get him drunk routine, but Uriah was too loyal for any of it.

And David, for all he was, all he had done, all his compassion, and all that he had been and his almost unparalleled devotion to the Lord, had in this season of his life turned but for second and that devotion had now became to himself, at this moment, all he cared about was what he wanted, he did not care about Bathsheba, that was lust, he did not care, at that moment about the baby, because his plan was that Uriah would think he had fathered the child, all David had on his mind was cleaning up the mess. 

So he sent one of his most loyal soldiers into battle carrying his own death warrant.

And good old Joab, he didn’t quite retreat as he had been told, and not only Uriah, but others also died, gave their lives in simitude of battle, but this battle was only carry out David’s deception.

Battles that God had been allowing them victories in, victories for their kingdom and now that battle was used as a weapon against one of their own, killing others in the process.

Joab even covering David’s back with his message of how the battle had went wrong, that they just got too close, dressing it up with old war stories to prove how things like this can happen, he made it quite the show, knowing in his heart and GOD knowing, that they only did this to get Uriah killed.

And David in reply that equates this sentiment, “Oh well, people die” and  go back and tell Joab it’s okay, don’t feel bad, just be safe next time.

They laid it on thick with this, talk about manipulation and deception…

I apologize that this is lengthy, but it is a complex story and rather than ask you to read the rest of it on your own, or make this a two part post, I’d rather give it to you here all in one post,

“And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

And when her mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David, And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, the other poor,

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

But the poor man had nothing, save (except) one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat (food), and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared (refused) to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress (to slaughter) for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him,

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that has done this thing shall surely (deserves to) die.

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 2 Samuel 11:26,27 & 2 Samuel 12:1-6

Sometimes we don’t even realize….

“And Nathan said to David, Thou art (You are) the man, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things (much more).

Wherefore hast thou (Why have you) despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and taken his wife to be thy wife, and hath slain him with the sword of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil (adversity) against thee out of thine own house, and I will take wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour. and he shall lie with them in the sight of the sun.

For thou didst it secretly; but  I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord, and Nathan said unto David, The Lord hath also put away thy sin, thou shalt not die.” 2 samuel 12:7-13

That’s the lesson for us, David did not even realize how far he had gone because he was so caught up in it, but once he was enlightened by the prophet, he repented.

God forgave David, he still faced the consequences of his actions because of the severity in killing Uriah and taking his wife, and those who died with him in that battle.

But David pressed on, so if sin starts coming your way, don’t let it “come to pass”, stop it, right where it is, just stop right there and be quick to repent, turn away from temptations before they have a chance to turn you away from God and if you feeling remorseful, repent, go on, and don’t look back.

You know that baby died, but God blessed David and Bathsheba with another son Solomon, who had everything his heart could have desired, but still he fell into pagan worship, BUT repented and wrote one the most beautiful books in the Bible, Ecclesiastes, all about the lessons he had learned on that journey, and the most predominate is that, is this… God “makes everything beautiful in his time” and he does, So get up and go on,, put yesterday behind you and have joy in a brand new tomorrow!

Love & Peace till next time! thank you for reading!

Φλογιζω NBJ 2021/ Rev. Nina Brown Johnson