Tag: forgiveness

We Cannot be Sinning Christians

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Imagine a convicted felon who has received a pardon, and the court has expunged his record. That person is no longer identified by his or her past crimes. If someone asks if they have ever been arrested, they can say “No.” And they can say this without being a liar because the record of their arrest and conviction has been expunged. What they CANNOT DO is choose to continue to engage in criminal activity. If they refuse to accept their new found position in society as a law abiding, free citizen, and instead choose to commit criminal acts, their continuing crimes will cause them to be arrested and convicted. And although their past crimes have previously been expunged, the prosecutor can use those past crimes to show a pattern of continuing behavior, and to ask the judge to enhance their sentence after conviction. That’s exactly what Satan wants to do to us.

1) Introduction

We live in a world where even those who claim to follow Christ have forgotten God’s command to “Be holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Many churches have allowed the culture around us to dictate what is acceptable, instead of allowing God’s word and the Holy Spirit to guide.

To be honest, God’s people have always struggled with this in some way. Jesus recognized it among the Jewish religious leaders. Paul had to deal with it in his day, particularly in the Corinthian church. It has been this way throughout Christian history, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Church needs to address it today.

2) Following Jesus is more than saying a prayer

Not all who claim to follow Jesus are Christians. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus gives a very somber warning; that on judgement day there will be many who call out, “Lord! Lord! Look at all that we did in YOUR name!” Jesus’s response will simply be “Go away. I have no idea who you are.” Good works, even when supposedly done in the name of Jesus, are not a guarantee that we are following Him, especially when we have refused to obey his commands.

Matthew 13:24-30 warns that even among the righteous there will be those who claim to belong to Christ, yet in the end they will be uprooted, separated from the righteous, bound and thrown into the fire. Why?

3) Do you want to be defined by your sin, or by Jesus

What do you choose to define you? Your desires or Jesus? It’s pretty simple, those who do wrong will NOT inherit God’s kingdom. (1 Corinthians 6:9)

If we allow our sin to continue to define us, then have we truly repented? Too many people who claim to be Christians have accepted the lies of Satan under the fallacy that, “God created me this way, therefore I can’t (or don’t need to) change.” If I’m honest, I have to admit that I have tried to hide behind this lie. We mostly hear this argument from those in the LGBT lifestyle. However, before we condemn them, let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 6:8-10.

“Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers. Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.” (NLT)

Paul mentions several sinful behaviors here. Paul also mentions those who worship idols, thieves, the greedy, drunkards (we’d probably also include the drug users), abusers, and those who cheat people. Let’s make one thing clear, sexual sin is sexual sin. Too often I have witnessed Christians condemn LGBT, then in the very next breath they’re lusting after a member of the opposite sex. Many times these people are married. It’s still SIN.

How many times have we gotten angry and attempted to justify our lashing out at someone? Or maybe we’ve attempted to justify cheating others, or the government. Many attempt to justify greed by saying things like “God wants to bless us.” Thieves often claim they deserve what they’re stealing, because it’s owed to them. In Romans, Paul includes gossip in a similar list. How often have we participated in gossip, claiming that we’re “just sharing a prayer request”, or “passing on information.”

For every sin, we can create a multitude of excuses. While we all may have a tendency toward certain behaviors that God calls sin, we always have a choice. We can choose to lean into those tendencies, or we can lean into Christ.

Accepting the excuse that “I was born this way” to justify sin denies the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Let me say that again, justifying any sin with the excuse that “this is just who I am,” or “God made me this way,” denies the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us.

4) God has called us to be HOLY

After going through this list of sinful behaviors, Paul continues in verse 11 reminding the Corinthians that some of them were once guilty of one of more of these sins. But now they are clean. Their records have been expunged. They have been made HOLY. They have been made right with God.

If we go down to verse 20, Paul reminds them that we were bought with a high price. That price was Christ’s death on a cross. So we must honor God with our bodies.

I go back to the example of the convicted felon who has been pardoned. He has a choice. And you and I have a choice. So I ask again, what defines you? Your sin? Or Jesus

5) Invitation

By His grace we can choose to ask for and accept His forgiveness, and receive the pardon that He is so eager to give us. We can choose to be identified as a child of God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit we can reject our tendencies toward sin and allow Him to guide us into a new identify in Christ Jesus.

YOU are invited to accept Jesus, and begin your relationship with Him. And you don’t have to wait for a church service. You can do it right now, wherever you are.

There are no magic words, or special prayer required. It’s simply acknowledging to God that we have sinned, asking for, and accepting, His forgiveness. Accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, and to change you.

Am I Really Dead to Sin?

/ CD Hamman

Romans 5:20-6:18
Something has been running over and over in my mind that I have found disturbing. Even more disturbing was that, upon reflection, I found myself somewhat in agreement with this particular thinking. It is often used to make someone feel less guilty about sin, almost like a way to excuse the sin, and it goes something like this: Well, God knows how I am, and that I can’t help it. Besides, He’ll forgive me. He always does.
Let that sink in a minute… We just flippantly expect God to accept our excuses for sin, even when we intentionally sin.
I have applied to have my felony record expunged. In speaking with my attorney a few weeks ago, I found out that specific signatures must be obtained in order for the judge to consider expunging my record, including the DA, and the local police department who arrested me. Even if all required signatures are received, the Judge can refuse to expunge the record if he feels it best serves the interest of justice, or public safety.
Bottom Line: Am I dead to sin?
1) The Law EXPOSES our sin (5:20a)
God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. (NLT)
If there is no law written down, then there is no crime. For something to be considered illegal, the specific act must be written down, and the elements of the crime must be described. For a drug to be illegal, its chemical composition must be specified in the law as being illegal. Rapidly changing technology has made things very difficult in some cases, as those who seek to do harm seek out new ways to avoid detection.
Before God gave a law, there was no sin. However, once He told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from a specific tree, there was a law. Once they violated that, sin entered the world, and it rapidly became anything goes, so long as my wants and needs are met.
God’s law allows us to see just how sinful we are. If you haven’t dealt with the criminal justice system, when you hear the word “conviction,” you may think of it in terms of what you might have heard in church. “She’s under conviction,” meaning that the Holy Spirit is dealing with her, and calling her to repentance. But it is so much more than that. In legal terms, a person under conviction refers to someone who has been convicted of violating the law. It’s the same with the person in church who is under conviction. God has found them guilty of violating His law.
2) Grace COVERS our sin (5:20b-21)
But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful kindness became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful kindness rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (NLT)
Now that our sin has been exposed, what are we to do? Even while we were still sinning, God the Son, Jesus, came, and fulfilled the law, paid the penalty for sin with His own life, and breaking the hold that sin had on us. Through His resurrection, He broke the hold that death had over us.
Back to this word, “conviction:” in an earthly court, upon a person being convicted, the court imposes punishment. However, when we are convicted before God, in His undeserved grace, He calls us to repent, and accept His grace and forgiveness, because He does not want us to be separated from Him. He wants us to spend eternity in fellowship with Him. If we accept His grace, because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have a right standing, and a right relationship with God.
Before I was eligible to request a pardon from the governor, I had to complete the punishment that had been imposed on me by the court. Then, I had to also prove, through my behavior, and obedience to the law, that I might deserve forgiveness. And even then, the Pardon and Parole Board could have denied me. Even after they recommended me to the governor, the governor could have rejected my plea, and denied my request. Then I have to request the court to expunge my record.
Compare that to God. Even while we are still sinning, God reaches out to us, and offers to forgive us, and to expunge the record.
3) Holiness REPLACES our sin (chapter 6)
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin how can we continue to live in it? (vv 1-2, NLT)
So since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? (15-16) Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness. (18)
I received my pardon last March. And this past Friday, my attorney called me to let me know that the judge had signed the order to expunge my record. Two acts of grace from the state that I am so very thankful for. And I know without a doubt that God was at work, and made it happen.
Now, imagine that I commit another crime, even after the grace and forgiveness that the state has granted. As I am standing before the court, I look at the judge, and I say, “Your Honor, I couldn’t help it. It is just the way I am wired. You know how it is. I just wasn’t able to resist my desires. But I know you’ll forgive me again.” How do you think the judge is going to respond to that? Then after being convicted, I apply for another pardon. How do you think the members of the Pardon and Parole Board will respond? Likely, the request wouldn’t even make it to the governor.
And yet, so often, we act in ways that are flagrant violations of God’s law, and we make those same excuses. “Well, God, I just couldn’t help it.” “I know I shouldn’t have cussed that person out, but you know how my temper is.” I know I shouldn’t be gossiping, but, well God, it started out as a just a prayer request for someone, and I just had to get all the details.”
Remember, God forgives us even while we are in sin. In the Bible, Jesus always met people right where they were. He met their need, healed them, and then told them to stop sinning. Today, the Holy Spirit still meets us right where we are. God calls us from our sin, and He still tells us to sin no more. We are called to holiness. He doesn‘t tell us to try to be holy. He tells us to be holy, because He is holy. But he doesn’t leave us alone to figure it out. The Holy Spirit is always with us, always calling, always guiding us; IF we listen. Too many times we pray “lead us not into temptation,” as we continue to walk right into it, knowing full well what is going to happen. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are dead to sin. The old lifestyle no longer fits us.
We need to ask ourselves, “Am I just playing at being a child of God? Or am I truly dead to sin, and alive in Christ?
Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death, but that God’s free gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus.

Faithful Daddies Lead by Example

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Sermon for Fathers Day 2019

Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 4:2-4

Before I dig in, I feel like I need to start by acknowledging that not everyone has, or had, a good father, or father figure, for many different reasons. Sadly, this is the result of a fallen, sinful world. To those who did not have a good example of a Godly father, I want to encourage you. Psalm 68 4-6 tells us that God is the father to the fatherless. And that He places the lonely in families. Seek His heart. Because I also want to challenge you men to be ready to be fathers to your own children, or to fill that role for someone who needs you to be that father.

As I address fathers today, I am not talking to only those men who have had children by blood or adoption. I am talking to anyone who fills that role of a father figure: Dads, Step-Dads, foster Dads, Grand-Dads, Uncles, and any man who has stepped up and mentored children or young adults. You see, I know first hand how important these men are, when Dad can’t be there.

Men, we have a job to do. And it is NOT for the faint of heart. We are instructed to raise our children, to disciple them, in the ways of God. In the passages in Ephesians and Colassians we readily read that wives are to obey their husbands, and we have no problem reminding our children that God wants them to obey their parents. But, for some reason we want to ignore those verses after those others. You know, the verse that tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, and then the one that tells us dads not to provoke, exasperate, or discourage our children.

Why do I mention husbands loving your wives? Because that is part of teaching our children. How we men treat the lady we have promised to love sets the standard. We teach our sons how they are to treat a lady by how we treat our wives, or girlfriend (in the case of single dads), and our mothers. By this we also teach our daughters how they should expect to be treated by a guy.

Finally, we must set the standard in our walk with God. Men, do we know Jesus, or do we only know of Him? Have we met the LIVING Christ, the Saviour? Or have we just heard of Him, but think eh, he was a good teacher? Are we faithful in our commitment to God, and to our relationship with Christ? Do we obey when the Holy Spirit speaks, or do we insist on our own way? Do your children see or hear you pray? Do you ever pray with your children. Do they see you pray with your wife? Guys, if you’re single and dating, do you pray with your girlfriend? Are you setting the standard for your children? Do our children find us faithful?

Dads, please allow me speak to one more thing. We have all failed at times. Some worse than others. At least that is often how we see it through our human eyes. And we often find it easier to ask for forgiveness from God, and maybe even our children. We may even have forgiven our fathers for their mistakes and shortcomings. But, we have refused to forgive ourselves. It’s time to forgive. Whether it’s a hurt from your own father, or another father figure, or if it is yourself, it is time to forgive. Forgiving doesn’t mean that the wrong was ok. But it does mean that you are letting go. Letting go of the hurt, and the pain, and you are releasing whatever the wrong was to God, so that He can dispose of it. And when satan tries to remind you, and he will, because he is like a crooked attorney, but when he does, remind him that the Judge, the Chief executive has pardoned you, and that you have asked, and allowed Him to pardon the wrongs done to you. It is the only way to be free. And it is yet another way that we set the standard for our children.

If you don’t already know my Jesus, I invite you to let me introduce you to Him.

Pardoned

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

About a week ago I found out that the governor had granted my request for a pardon. I had thought about what I might say if the day ever came, and now, I’m not sure what to say, other than “Thank you.” Thank you, God. Thank you, Governor Stitt. And there’s so many other people to thank, the members of the Pardon and Parole Board, my family, especially my children and my parents, my attorney, Michael Risely, my pastor, all those who have prayed for me, and for my kids over the last almost 17 years, and so many more people who took a chance on me and believed in me.
Even as I find myself thinking about dreams that I dared not even hope for, it still doesn’t quite seem real. I keep checking to make it’s real. And I’m brought to tears.
I think I have a tiny bit more understanding of what it means to be forgiven by God. The most emotional and important part of the certificate of pardon, for me, is the sentence that ends with the phrase, “…do hereby grant Carl D. Hamman a full pardon to restore unto him all the rights of citizenship.” If God were to hand us a certificate of pardon, it might read, “…do hereby grant Carl D. Hamman a full pardon to restore unto him all the rights of citizenship, and a son.” In both cases, I have an obligation to strive to be a good citizen. God commands it.
There are a few things that had to take place before I could receive a pardon. First, of course, is I had to be convicted. I had to serve my sentence. I had to accept my guilt. I also had to not commit any other crimes, both while completing my sentence, and after my sentence was complete. Finally, I had to ask for a pardon, following the proscribed procedure. Then wait.
Of course God does not make us wait for His pardon. The Holy Spirit convicts us. But, He doesn’t require that we first serve our sentence. Jesus Christ already served our sentence on the cross. But, we do have to accept our guilt, and confess our sins, and repent. God grants immediate forgiveness, without making us prove ourselves first. By the way, true repentance means we stop sinning.
As I contemplate what will I do with my new life, post pardon, I am reminded that we all have to answer that same question with God. What will I do with my new life in Christ?
What will you do with yours? Are you ready to receive your pardon?

My challenge for 2014

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. (Colosians 3:12-15 NLTse)

My challenge this year is to put the above passage into practice. What would happen, first in our individual lives, then in our local churches, then in our communities, if each of us who call ourselves Christians would seek to put this passage into practice? If instead of seeking to condemn another person, we simply forgive them. I suspect that there would be a gradual transformation that would spread, and we would become even more effective than ever at reaching those who are lost.
Now, I am certainly not going to claim that this is an easy thing to do. Forgiveness is not for wimps. It’s actually one of the hardest things to do, and even when we manage to forgive, the memories creep up on us when we last expect it. But it is possible. If we will allow the Holy Spirit to work within our hearts, He will transform us into more Christ-like individuals, who are able to share the love that Christ has for is with those whom we may otherwise find unloveable.

Also notice it doesn’t say forgive if the other person asks you to forgive them. It says we are to make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends us. Further, this isn’t a suggestion. It is an order, a command. Paul goes on to say that we must forgive others.

I admit, I have felt some serious conviction over this. Forgiveness does not come easy. But I must. Because God demands it. Because Christ forgave me. And because, if I want peace in my own life, then I have to be willing to let go of the garbage that comes along. It doesn’t say forgive only if the offense was unintentional. And it certainly does not say it’s ok to hold a grudge if the other person purposefully offended you.

Further, it is love which binds us together as believers in Christ. Can you, or I, truly love others if we refuse to forgive? I don’t think so. In fact, I’ll change that to a straight “no, we cannot.” Because when we refuse to forgive we allow our hearts to begin to harden. A hard heart is simply not capable of love, or peace.

Finally, be thankful. When? Always. I’ll be honest, I think Paul was a bit off his rocker here. How am I supposed to be thankful when so much of life gets in the way? You know what I mean. How am I supposed to be thankful when all the bad things like bills, accidents, sickness, death, foreclosures, and disasters seem to be an endless cycle? I have to honest here too, this is also a tough one for me, and probably for many people. But I think I have a solution. Instead of waiting until Thanksgiving to figure out something to be thankful for, think of at least one thing each day. I don’t care how depressed you get, and I am talking from experience, if you ask God to name just one thing that you have to be thankful for, and listen to Him, He will show you several things.

So I think I can sum up this challenge with just a few words: forgive, love, peace, and thankful.

Will you accept this challenge? Or maybe God has a different challenge for you this year. Whatever He asks of us, may our Heavenly Father bless us, and help us to grow stronger in our faith, and in our love for one another this year.

Cleaning out the clutter

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

As 2013 comes to a close, and we prepare for 2014, I realize that I have been holding onto some clutter. Some of this clutter is in physical form, old papers, old clothes that just don’t get used anymore, and a couple boxes that actually relate to a good chunk of my emotional and spiritual clutter. In fact, as I moved from one home to another this past March I had to pull out and move those two boxes of papers that I had previously hidden away. These boxes actually represent some mental and spiritual clutter that I thought I had gotten rid of. So, as I clean out the physical clutter from this year, I must also clear out the emotional and the spiritual clutter, lest they kill my spirit and render me useless to God.

Getting rid of physical clutter is often as easy as throwing it into the trash. Or, if it is something that someone else can use, then it may be donated. But how can I get rid of the spiritual and the emotional clutter? For me the first thing is to forgive those who have sinned against me. Maybe it was lies and gossip that have been told about me, or about my family. Or maybe it was unloving, and unkind attitudes from those who should know better. Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter. I have decided to forgive, and release those individuals and their offenses to God. Why? Well, first of all, because we are commanded to. Think for just a moment about one phase in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I see two ways of looking at this phrase. First, I am asking God to forgive me according to how I forgive others. Second, as I am asking God to forgive me, I am also asking Him to help me forgive others. Either way, we are expected to forgive others as He has forgiven us. I do not want to be like the wicked servant who, after being forgiven a great debt, refused to forgive a fellow servant of a much smaller debt. Another reason to forgive is to allow myself to have peace. God knows the truth, and He is the only one I am responsible to answer to. So whether or not any person who has offended me acknowledges his or her guilt before me or before God, I choose to forgive. I release them, and the debt to God.

The harder person to forgive is myself. But if I do not, then I will continue to drag the clutter with me. So I choose to forgive myself. God has forgiven me. My sins and failures are covered by the Blood. If God has forgiven them , then I must accept by faith that they are no more. Either God has forgiven me, or He hasn’t. But His Word tells me that if I have confessed my sin, then He is faithful and just, and forgives that sin. And I have. So, now I choose to forgive myself.

Finally, I ask forgiveness from those whom I have offended.

So I am ending 2013 on a note of forgiveness. And when the devil tries to remind me of old sins, whether committed by me or against me, I can remind him that I cleaned out the clutter, and they are covered by the blood of the Lamb. And 2014 begins uncluttered, and with a clean slate.

Confession of an adulterous, murdering king

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Hi. I have been known by many titles: shepherd, warrior, king, man after God’s own heart. Truth be told, though, the labels adulterer, thief and murderer also described me. I definitely wasn’t always good at seeking after God’s heart. In fact, as much as I wanted to please God, I often lived to please myself.

In fact, I have to confess what may be my biggest indiscretion. One evening I was up on the roof of my palace and I glanced next door and saw the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, bathing. Well, instead of being a gentleman and thinking with my brain, and my heart, I allowed myself to become a walking hormone. Once she caught my eye, I was hooked. I mean, in my defense, she was H-O-T, HOT. I knew I should have looked away and not looked back, but I couldn’t help myself. Honestly, if I had been out on the battlefield with my army, as I should have, I would not have found myself in this predicament, but my advisors assured me that my presence wasn’t needed. So I stayed behind. And at that moment, I was very happy that I had stayed at the palace.

Well, anyway, I’m just staring, watching this gorgeous babe. Even if it had been available, she did not need any type of plastic surgery. Like far too many guys, I quit thinking with my brain. I think all the blood rushed away from my brain, honestly. I just had have her. I saw her and I knew what I wanted. I just had to be with her. So I asked some of the palace staff about her. To be honest, I really don’t think I paid attention to anything other than her name, Bathsheba. Beautiful, gorgeous, lovely Bathsheba. I think someone might have said something about her being married, but I really wasn’t paying attention to that part. Nor did I really care. I sent for her immediately.

Well, she came to the palace and I wined her and dined her. And yep, you guessed it, we spent the night together. What a night. Well in the morning, she went back to her place, and I was just on cloud nine, and all was well. And, I was pretty sure I had gotten away with it. That is, until she sent word several days later that she was pregnant.

Pregnant?! How in the world did that happen? Oh no! And there was definitely no way I could pull a Bill Clinton, and claim “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” My deed was about to be exposed. Man I couldn’t let that happen. After all I’m the king. I can’t even just marry her, because she’s already married; to one of my most loyal warriors?! Yep, she was the wife of one of my most trusted and faithful warriors, Uriah, the Hittite. I had to think, and fast.

So, I did what any smart leader in my position would do. I decided a plan that was fool proof. I figured all I needed was for Uriah to spend some quality time with his wife and, no more problem. In fact, I would be able to congratulate Uriah on the birth of his baby. So, I sent for Uriah, under the pretense of wanting him to bring me word from the battlefield. When he arrived I listened carefully to his report. The very next thing I did was to send him home. Whew, problem solved, right? Well, I thought so, until the next morning. Remember how I said he was one of my most loyal warriors? Yeah, he was too loyal. He slept in the palace courtyard by the gate. I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. So I ordered him to go home and sleep with his wife, and enjoy her company. I even tried getting him drunk. Even drunk he was loyal to me. Man, what is wrong with him? If I had been away from my wife that long a team of wild horses couldn’t have kept me away from her. But not Uriah. He insisted that as long as the ark and the armies of Israel and Judah were sleeping in tents in the field, that he would never go to his own home and sleep with his wife. This guy was just too loyal.

Well, I had to think quick, again. So I relented, and sent him back to the front. But I included a note to my commander, Joab. I told Joab to put Uriah at the front, where the fighting would be the most fierce, and to suddenly pull back so that Uriah would be killed.

Joab did as I commanded. Unfortunately, Uriah wasn’t the only one killed. I actually lost several good men that day. But most importantly, my secret was now safe. As soon as she was done mourning, I married Bathsheba. Shortly after we were married, she gave birth to our son. Wow, now I was lucky enough to be married to the most gorgeous woman in the world, and she gave me a son. And best of all, no one would ever know what had really happened.

Not. So. Fast. You see, not long after our son was born, the prophet, Nathan, showed up. He told me about a rich farmer who had plenty of land, crops, flocks and herds. This rich farmer had a neighbor who was really poor. The poor man had one lamb, that was really more like a pet. Actually, it was more like a beloved member of the poor man’s family. Some of you can relate, I’m sure. I’ve seen how some people treat their pets like a member of the family. I mean this man even let the lamb eat from his own plate.

Well, it seems that one day this rich farmer wanted to throw a banquet for a guest, but he didn’t want to use an animal from his own flock or herd. So he took the poor man’s lamb, killed it and prepared and served it to his guest. I was so furious when I heard this that I immediately declared that the rich man deserved to die. Then Nathan looked me in the eyes and he proclaimed “You are that man!”

What?! Nathan proceeded to remind me of all the Lord had given me. And I stole another man’s wife, to satisfy my own lust. Then, to hide my sin I murdered him.  When I confessed, Nathan told me the Lord had forgiven me, and that I would not die. But my son whom Bathsheba had given birth to would die.

Soon after Nathan left our son fell deathly ill. I prayed, and fasted, and begged God to spare our son. I knew how much his mother loved him, and my heart ached for her too. In spite of all of my begging and pleading, God carried out His judgement. My sin and my attempts to cover it up had caused several deaths, and much grieving. Oh, how I suddenly wished I could undo my sin. And the problems my family suffered because of my own sin. My family was in turmoil the rest of my days. It is not a pleasant story at all. One of my sons raped his sister, and another tried to steal my throne. It’s pretty difficult, if not downright impossible to tell your children how to behave and serve the Lord when you, their father, don’t live and act as you know you’re suppose to.

There have been attempts by many to try lessen my guilt of my sin of lust. In fact one Jewish tradition has it that what really happened that day on the roof was that Satan took the form of a bird and in my attempt to kill the bird, I missed and knocked over the privacy screen that had been set up. Others have tried to say that Bathsheba should have refused. But folks, I am here to tell you that I alone am responsible for my sin. I didn’t have to take that second look. I didn’t have to continue to stare and lust and scheme. I alone sent for her. I alone am responsible. Not to mention, would you have had the courage to tell the king “No”? And I alone plotted the murder of a most trusted servant, which also took the lives of several other good men.

I was an adulterer, a thief, and a murderer. But the most amazing thing is that there was still hope. When I repented, God forgave me. And in spite of my sin, and because of my repentance, God still used my relationship with Bathsheba for his glory. She later gave birth to my son, Solomon. He was the one the Lord had chosen to succeed me, and to build His temple.

It’s amazing how the Lord works. Even the most wicked can be redeemed, if only we repent and commit to following His way. If God could forgive my sin, then he will forgive any sin. All you have to do is repent and commit to following His commands.

To be sure, our actions do have natural consequences, and God seldom, if ever, relieves us of those consequences. But He does, when we repent, and follow Him, relieve us of the ultimate consequence of sin…an eternity in hell. Instead, because His Son, Jesus, paid the price of our sin by His death on the cross our sins are forgiven. Of course, His resurrection also gives us the assurance and hope of eternal life. We are now joint heirs with Christ. We are adopted as sons and daughters of the King. The Creator of the universe is our father. So please, leave your sin behind. Turn and follow after Christ. There is new life in Him. He has promised to forgive us, of only we confess sins to Him. And He’ll give us His Holy Spirit to guide us, and to help lead us away from temptation. Temptation will always find us as some point. But God gives us His Holy Spirit to show us a way out. And to show us the way back when we do sin.