(2 Sam 11:26-27 NLT) When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” By now we all know what David did. David slept with another man’s wife. Not just any man’s wife, but a man who was completely loyal to him. David committed adultery, he disrespected a man’s marriage, he violated the man’s trust, he got the man’s wife pregnant, and he then had the man killed. If I were talking about a character in a movie on TV then this would not be a big deal, but I am talking about one of the major contributors the Bible. This was a man who wrote many of the most memorable Psalms. This was a man who would go down in history as a man after God’s own heart. And here we find him committing some of the most horrible acts imaginable. But as I have so told you many times in many different ways, that is the good news here. The essence of the message of Grace is that we are not good enough, God knows it, and He chooses to use and bless us anyway.
As we close out the week I want to tell you that the message of Grace is not a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. Just because God loves you and chooses to bless you by Grace, it does not mean that there will be no consequences for sin. In our text David brought a pregnant Bathsheba to the palace after she had mourned her dead husband. He made her one of his wives, he validated her position, he covered her in her time of sorrow, and he looked forward to having the baby. But the Bible says, “The LORD was displeased with what David had done.” The Lord was not looking the other way. The Lord was not going to dismiss David’s terrible acts. If David thought he got away with it, he had another thing coming. What happens in the next chapter brings David to his knees. If David was going to go on to be the man God called him to be, David would have to repent and learn from this horrible act. While God did not expect him to be perfect, God was also not going to ignore David’s sin.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. You will reap what you sow. In the New Testament Paul said it this way, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (Gal 6:7,8). Once again, you don’t have to be perfect and God knows you will make your share of mistakes, but that does not mean you won’t reap what you sow. If you sow bad seed, you get a bad harvest. This does not cancel out grace, it just means that grace does not cancel out your bad decisions. God will use you in spite of your bad decisions, but you may still have to deal with the consequences of them.
2. Grace is not a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. Let’s use the term “jail” to mean the consequences of bad decisions. Grace means that God will use you in spite of the fact that you went to jail, but it does not always mean He will keep you from going there. Said another way, Grace does not mean that God will always keep you from enduring the harsh results of bad decisions, it just means that God will use you in spite of them.
3. God knows you won’t be perfect, but He does not bless mess. Don’t mistake the message of Grace to mean that you can do whatever you want, even when you know you are doing things that are clearly against God’s will, and that God will somehow gracefully bless what you are doing, even though you know it’s wrong. No, God does not bless mess. God will use you in spite of the messes you make, but He is not going to bless your mess. If you make the bed, you may have to lie in it. Grace just means that after you get up from it, God can still use you for His glory. God is not looking for perfection, but He is also not looking to promote disobedience. God still requires us to be holy, to submit to His Kingdom plans and purposes, and to make every effort to live a life that is pleasing in His sight.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for the message of Grace, and I also thank You for helping me to understand it. By Grace You choose to use me for Your glory, even though You know I am not perfect. By Grace You look down and see me as righteous, not because of my works, but because of Jesus’ works. By Grace You accept me as a conduit of Your light, love, glory and power. By Grace You flow through me every day and in every day. By Grace You bless me to be used in ways I know I do not deserve. You know I will sin. You know I am not perfect. You know all the mistakes I have made and all those I have yet to make. By Grace You still want to operate in, with and through my life. But Grace does not mean You will cancel bad harvests from bad seed. Grace does not mean I am free to sin without consequence. Grace does not mean I have a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card. Grace does not mean You will bless my mess. NO! You are a Holy God and while You and I know I am not perfect, and actually far from it, I am still required to walk in the holiness wherewith You have called me. You still require me to do what’s right, because it’s right, and then do it right. You still expect me to make every effort to live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. Grace means my mistakes don’t disqualify me. But Grace does not mean I won’t have to deal with the consequences of my mistakes. So Father, as I enter this day, I seek to live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. I know I can never earn righteousness, but I also understand that Grace is not a license to sin. I thank You for this understanding. I live my life under Your Grace while I pursue holiness. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
