All the sordid details are there. No one can ever accuse God of whitewashing the details of the very human conduct of His people. The darkest chapter in King David's life is there for all to see; this man after God's own heart.
His sin, like most, begins with idle time: "Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle ... But David stayed at Jerusalem." (2 Samuel 11:1). The place for warriors and kings in the spring of the year is the battlefield, but for reason not disclosed, David remains at home with little to do. He is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is vulnerable to temptation and sin.
Sin rarely sneaks up on us and overwhelms us; it begins through compromise of thoughts and activities. We allow our idle mind to gravitate toward sinful thoughts, and we allow ourselves to be in circumstances that easily compromise conduct. James describes the process all too well:
"each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (James 1:14-15)
Sin is an issue of the mind before it ever becomes an issue of the flesh. The dramatic fall from grace that we too often see with public figures doesn't happen overnight; it is the culmination of a lengthy mental process.
Ultimately the battle is the battle for the mind: "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). This is why Paul challenges us to preoccupy our minds with right thoughts (Philippians 4:8). It is also why Jesus reduces sin from action to thought in the Sermon On the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
Some sins are obvious and carry enormous consequences, like David's sin of adultery and murder. But, while some sins carry greater consequences than others in this age, all sin is a serious matter in the eyes of God: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)
I'm a member of the universal club of sinners like everyone else, but I'm learning more and more the importance of waging war against sin in my mind. I see the wisdom of Paul's admonition in "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5). Winning the battle of the mind is key in winning the battle of the flesh.
I'm certain that I'll not be completely victorious over sin today, but at least I know where to fight the battle. May we each step on to the battlefield equipped with the only armor that can be effective (Ephesians 6:13-17) and achieve the victory that the Lord who loves us wants to bring.
Steve
His sin, like most, begins with idle time: "Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle ... But David stayed at Jerusalem." (2 Samuel 11:1). The place for warriors and kings in the spring of the year is the battlefield, but for reason not disclosed, David remains at home with little to do. He is in the wrong place at the wrong time and is vulnerable to temptation and sin.
Sin rarely sneaks up on us and overwhelms us; it begins through compromise of thoughts and activities. We allow our idle mind to gravitate toward sinful thoughts, and we allow ourselves to be in circumstances that easily compromise conduct. James describes the process all too well:
"each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." (James 1:14-15)
Sin is an issue of the mind before it ever becomes an issue of the flesh. The dramatic fall from grace that we too often see with public figures doesn't happen overnight; it is the culmination of a lengthy mental process.
Ultimately the battle is the battle for the mind: "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). This is why Paul challenges us to preoccupy our minds with right thoughts (Philippians 4:8). It is also why Jesus reduces sin from action to thought in the Sermon On the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
Some sins are obvious and carry enormous consequences, like David's sin of adultery and murder. But, while some sins carry greater consequences than others in this age, all sin is a serious matter in the eyes of God: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)
I'm a member of the universal club of sinners like everyone else, but I'm learning more and more the importance of waging war against sin in my mind. I see the wisdom of Paul's admonition in "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," (2 Corinthians 10:5). Winning the battle of the mind is key in winning the battle of the flesh.
I'm certain that I'll not be completely victorious over sin today, but at least I know where to fight the battle. May we each step on to the battlefield equipped with the only armor that can be effective (Ephesians 6:13-17) and achieve the victory that the Lord who loves us wants to bring.
Steve
posted by steve @ 12:57 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home