Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Dilemma of Sin (Part 2)

The Dilemma of Sin (Part 2)

 1And 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, and the other poor.  2The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:  3But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.  4And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress 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.  5And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:  6And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.  (2nd Samuel 12:1-6)

On the matter of Bathsheba; David could have chosen to stop and turn from what he was doing at any point, he however kept going deeper and deeper into sin.  We should understand that once sin gets started, it is difficult to stop. James 1:14-15 says:  "14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." The deeper we get into our mess, the less we want to admit to having caused it in the first place. We make excuses for evil thoughts, and wrong actions.  Excuses like: "everybody's doing it" or "nobody's perfect."  James is saying that when we play around with out own desires (like David did), we are dragged away and enticed.  Then after your desire has conceived (formed), It gives birth to sin.  If we stop our messes in the onslaught, we have a better chance of not going into sin. It is easier to stop sliding down a hill when you are near the top than when you are halfway down. Stop it before it starts, because once it gives birth to sin, you are in trouble.  Sin will grow, and once sin becomes fully grown, it will give birth to death!

How do we stop it in the onslaught?  First, take responsibility for your wrong thoughts and actions. "The Devil did not make you do it, nobody else is to blame, yes, you could have helped yourself, and no, no one pressured you." Secondly, confess!  James 1:9 says: If we confess our sins, he is faithfuland just to forgiveus our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When confronted with the dilemma of sin, David confessed his sins. In Psalms 51:1-4, David prayed this prayer:  "1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."Finally, ask God for forgiveness.  In verses 9-12, David cries out for his iniquity to be blotted out, the creation of a pure heart, a renewed stedfast spirit, the joy of salvation, and a willing spirit that would sustain him. 

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