Founded by Bryant Wright, Right from the Heart is a
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matters most in life. Basically, we cut the fluff and
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Two Presidents And A King Feb 16 2009
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9
Here is the lesson to be learned from the scandals of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. It's not the initial act that destroys you, it's the cover-up. This is also one of the great lessons we can learn from David and Bathsheba. First the sin was committed - adultery with a married woman. Then Bathsheba became pregnant, making it impossible to hide the sin. So, David devised a brilliant cover-up. He sent for Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to be brought home and spend a few days with his wife. David figured that everybody would just assume the child was Uriah's. A brilliant plan! But Uriah didn't cooperate. Since his fellow soldiers were out on the battlefield, he felt it would be wrong for him to enjoy the pleasures of marriage. So he slept outdoors, rather than with his wife.
David's approach to the cover-up wasn't working, so he became more desperate. He finally succeeded by ordering that Uriah be placed on the front-line of the battlefield and be killed. By then, David was guilty of breaking a whole boatload of commandments: coveting another man's wife, stealing, false witness, adultery, and murder. Perhaps he felt like his cover-up worked. The only problem is there is One who always knows. His name is God. No sin can be covered up from Him.
When you commit a sin, recognize the jig is up. God knows what happened; there can be no cover-up. Rather than compounding the chaos, confess your sin, ask forgiveness, and be willing to live with the consequences of your sin. God will forgive - but He will not remove the consequences, in hopes that we will not repeat our stupidity again.
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7 Comments
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Yes, report it NevermindExactly, Pastor. Confession is for our benefit. It cleanses our soul, indeed. As the song goes, "My sin - not in part but the whole - is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, It is well with my soul." Then there's the memory of that sin - one of the consequences. Satan pounces on our regrets of that sin and we keep asking forgiveness for the same sin EACH time it comes to mind. We can have victory over his attempts to keep us in bondage by saying right out loud, "Thank you, Jesus!" "Because of your love for me on that cross - I bear it no more." That's good news! Btw, that song can be downloaded on Itunes. "It is Well with my Soul" - my favorite is Aaron Keys but there are several versions.
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Yes, report it NevermindBryant, You put just the right words together to communicate all of your daily devotions but this one was pitch perfect. I loved the 'when the jig is up" line.I open your devotions first thing every morning and am always touched by your ability to articulate life lessons in such a warm and profoundly wise way. Thank you so much, Linda
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Yes, report it NevermindI like Linda's comment.
Remember the old TV commercial, "It's not nice to fool mother nature". That's what we all do when we think we can hide our sin from God.
For some reason, little children will believe that those elves will see them being naughty of nice before Christmas, but we "grown-ups" think we can slip one by on God.
Today's message is a grand slam home run!
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Yes, report it NevermindThis type of issue is currently going on in Portland, Oregon. It was recently discovered that they mayor had covered up a sexual relationship with a minor just so that he could be elected this past year. The public isn't particulary mad about the scandal itself, just that he blatently lied to get into office. There are recall petitions flying. If he had just come clean earlier....
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Yes, report it NevermindI understand that sin has natural consequences, however, it is depressing to be forever concerned that God is going to punish a person that has commited a sin. After confession following the instructions from 1-john 1:9 and the promise that God gave us that he would remember our iniquities no more, it seems contradictory that punishment would follow every sin if God has forgiven us, cleansed us and forgotten the sin.
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Yes, report it NevermindGod is not punishing you, neiter is he interferring with earthly consequences. Two seperate subjects.
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Yes, report it NevermindFrank, Think about it this way. For every action there is a reaction. If we sin we have to pay the price for commiting the sin. Any responsible Father will punish his child for commiting the sin if he doesn't then the child will not learn a lesson of not commiting it again.