A Holy Life

Recently I had a chat with a fellow believer and a well-known worship song writer came up in conversation.  "I hope he continues to follow God and lead a holy life," she said.  "It's always a shame when Christians fall."  I agreed with her sentiment wholeheartedly.  It is a shame when Christians fall into sin or choose to walk away from the LORD.  It is awful when a private or public scandal leads to an opportunity for unbelievers to blaspheme--and it can happen to a man after God's own heart.

David, the shepherd, king and sweet psalmist of Israel, sinned by committing adultery and then resorted to murder to try to hide his transgression.  From a human standpoint, David managed to sin without any negative personal consequences.  But because the God of Israel is loving and all knowing, He sent Nathan the prophet with an indictment in the form of a story.  David became incensed to hear a rich man had stolen and butchered the only lamb of a poor man and pronounced the sentence of death upon him.  Nathan famously answered, "You are the man!"  Publicly in the royal court, Nathan spelled out the sins of king David in excruciating detail for all to hear.

2 Samuel 12:13-14 reads, "So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."  David did not make excuses or try to justify himself:  he confessed he had sinned against the LORD.  God revealed by his sinful deed he gave great occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme, and as a consequence the child would die.  Sin brings death--literally.  The enemies of God were given an excuse to blame God for what had occurred, to revile and reproach God who is only good.  It is a sobering thought our sin can bring reproach and blame upon God who is righteous, holy and pure.

God's enemies will stop at nothing to blame God:  they would blame him for anointing David to be king knowing he was imperfect and what he would do and blame God for the death of the child!  It struck me the worst thing about what David did with Bathsheba and Uriah was give great opportunity for God's enemies to blaspheme Him.  This knowledge ought to prompt Christians to live for God's glory and continue walking with Jesus.  I am encouraged God anoints imperfect men to be kings, and that He loves us enough to expose and convict people of sin so we might repent and grow in relationship with our LORD.  The LORD also puts away our sin when we repent, forgives and cleanses us, and gives us abundant life now and for eternity.  May the LORD guide and help all His people to walk in newness of life.