Sound Doctrine

Guest (Male): We know that God deals with sin as he sees fit, but how do you deal with the sin in your life? Here is Pastor Jeff.

Jeff Johnson: What are you going to do when you sin? How are you going to handle it? How are you going to deal with it? You're going to put it off like David did for a year and not deal with it at all? Just hide it and bury it and do something with it just to get it out, just go on with life like you didn't do it?

I think that's unwise. God doesn't teach us to do that. That's a terrible way to handle it. To ignore it is wrong, but to react the other way and actually see yourself as forsaken or lost because you've done it, and that you don't have another chance in the world to do anything for God because you've blown it, I think that's totally off the wall too and wrong.

Guest (Male): Hello again and welcome to Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff Johnson. We are so glad you've joined us today as we continue Pastor Jeff's verse-by-verse survey of 2 Samuel. As we continue in chapter 12 today, we are reminded once again that sin always has consequences.

If you pay attention to social media and television, you would get quite the opposite impression. Sin is accepted. Sin is celebrated. And if you dare confront someone with their sin, be prepared to be ostracized and criticized, even marginalized. Let's join Pastor Jeff in 2 Samuel chapter 12.

Jeff Johnson: David finally got the fear of God in Psalm 51 and verse four. David said, "Against thee, Lord, and thee only have I sinned, and I have done this evil in thy sight." And he realized it. He understood then, "Wow, I lost it." Not only has David ruined a family and destroyed lives, but he did it before God.

And he hid it from man. But he didn't hide it from God, and that's just it. God sees everything. Now, you say, "Well, did God warn David before? I mean, did he give him some warning and did he help him to see that's just not the way you do it?" Of course, he did. God always warns us. God always lets us know, "Don't do this."

God gave to David Deuteronomy 17:17. It says you shall not collect unto yourselves wives as the king of Israel. Don't do it. And David just went, "Well, I just have one little weakness. I'm just going to do that. It's not a big deal." Well, don't tell me that. I know what the Bible says.

God let him know about Deuteronomy 20:10 where he says don't have an adulterous affair, don't go into another man's wife. David knew that. "Well, but this one time, I mean, come on, I really love her and I think she loves me." What he said? God said, "Don't do it." "I don't want to hear that."

David, enticed by his own lust, disobeyed the Lord, committed adultery, committed murder. And God is saying to David, "David, you killed Uriah as you killed him with your own hand. You committed murder." What could he say? What kind of man crucified our Lord? A man that thinks like you and I. Our sins crucified Jesus.

Verse 10, "Now therefore," Nathan says, "the sword shall never depart," and this is the word of the Lord, "from your house because thou hast despised me. You've taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife." David, you've sown to the flesh, you're going to reap corruption.

Sin in David's life brought all kinds of corruption: in his moral life there was corruption, in his political life there was problems, in his home life, in his family life there were problems. To not take heed to God's word is very severe. And if there is anything you get out of this this morning, get this: it is severe and it ends up in incredible problems.

And you bring it on yourself by not obeying what God said. God says, "I really—your sacrifices are great, but it's not really what I want. It is I just simply want your obedience. You need to obey me. It's so important. I'm out for your protection." The next 10 chapters, you're going to see a man that's going to suffer greatly.

His life would be filled with trials of death and sorrow. The sword will not depart out of your house, and this is a prophecy that will be fulfilled. In fact, his oldest son, Amnon, would be killed by his brother, his youngest brother, Absalom. And then David's second son, Absalom, would be killed as he was in rebellion against David.

And then finally, David's third son, Adonijah, was killed by Solomon when he took the throne. David had death and devastation all around him, and he saw two of his sons die by the sword. That had to be unbelievable grief and sorrow. To see your own son, your own child, killed in front of you—that's hard to forget.

Verse 11, "Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will rise up evil against thee out of thine own house. And I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun." When Absalom rebelled against David, his second-born, he was marching from Hebron with an army, and David fled Jerusalem.

He didn't want to have confrontation with his son. And I think parents, this is a wise move, to not seek confrontation with your children. At times, we just have to trust the Lord with them. And that's exactly what David did. David gave the problem and the situation to God and he said, "Lord, I trust you with my son, with what's going on.

He's trying to overthrow me. You know what's happening. Lord, he's yours." And he left. He didn't confront him. As Absalom entered into Jerusalem, his counselor Ahithophel told him, "In order to establish yourself as king, you need to take a tent, build it on the porch of the palace, bring all of the concubines of David into that tent, and go into them.

And this will establish you as king, as the manner of kings was. This is how they would take over a kingdom: they would take over the harem." And this he did before all of Israel. So David would be shamed before them all by his son. Verse 12, "For thou didst it secretly," God said, "but I will do this thing before all of Israel and before the sun."

What David did secretly, now God is saying, "I am allowing it to be openly done." So David's sin not only found him out, it was shouted from the housetops, if you will. Everybody knew about it. There was a brother years back that was committing adultery and he was in ministry.

And it came to my attention and I questioned the brother about it. And he promised me he wasn't guilty. He said, "I'm not lying." Because of one thing I said, "Don't lie to me. Tell me the truth. Is this true?" He says, "No, I am not doing this. It is not true. I'm being set up." Love believes all things until proven otherwise, right?

And I listened and I said, "Well, that could be." And I've seen a lot of things and this could happen. An allocation came again. I had to call them over to my house. They came over to my house. I wanted to question them some more. As we were sitting there in the front room, he swore to me again, "It's not me. I didn't do this."

And then there was a knock at the door. The very woman who he committed adultery with was driving by, just so happened, saw his car in the driveway, said, "That's it. I've got to let it out of the bag." Came into the house, pointed at him and said, "You're the man." And I went, "Whoa, is your name Nathan?"

I couldn't believe what was happening in my front room. This whole story came to life and we all began to weep as it was revealed. There was a release with that though. There's that hiding and there's that afraid and there's that running, but when it's finally out, you just break down because it's such a mount of guilt and shame that you're carrying around.

We're not built to handle that. God didn't make us that way. And because he was in ministry, he had to go before the church and confess what he had done. You might say it was shouted from the rooftops, from the housetops. After true repentance, though, and a year after being restored, this man's back in ministry, doing well.

You say, "What, Jeff? You're telling me that you put a man who had committed adultery back into ministry?" "Wait a minute, he shouldn't be in ministry. Hey, off with his head!" And there's a lot of people that see it that way. But wait a minute. God said of David, "David, you're a man after my own heart." After all of this stuff went on.

"David, you're a man after my own heart." Why is that? Because David truly was sorry. He didn't try to justify it once he was busted. And he was busted. And I think David is to be an encouragement to us that even though David was a great sinner, God was a great forgiver. And he forgave David. Listen, we're not perfect, none of us.

In Romans chapter seven, it says we're going to blow it. That's a promise. You can stand on it. You're going to sin. What are you going to do when you sin? How are you going to handle it? How are you going to deal with it? You're going to put it off like David did for a year and not deal with it at all?

Just hide it and bury it and do something with it just to get it out, just go on with life like you didn't do it? I think that's unwise. God doesn't teach us to do that. That's a terrible way to handle it. To ignore it is wrong, but to react the other way and actually see yourself as forsaken or lost because you've done it, and that you don't have another chance in the world to do anything for God because you've blown it, I think that's totally off the wall too and wrong.

You say, "Why, Jeff?" Because of this: when Jesus died on that cross, he died not only for my past sins, but he died for my present sins and future sins. God has made a way. It's an awesome way. I don't understand it. God's love is so deep I can't get to the bottom of it. His grace is so amazing it baffles me that God can forgive sinners such as us.

It is amazing. And forgive us over and over again. Jesus died for—see, I think a lot of times we think, "Well, I got saved and God forgave me, and now, God forbid, I've committed the unpardonable sin." And then the devil's right there, condemning us. Where the Lord says, "I don't condemn you. I died for you."

So God's got a plan. Jesus died for my sin so sin can be dealt with. What I'd like you to do as we close this chapter now and as we're coming to an end, I'd like you to look and put a marker in Psalm 32 and Psalm 51. We're going to come back one more time to 2 Samuel, so keep that also.

So you should have three markers, right? Because we're going to look at both of these chapters. Now remember, these two Psalms were written during this time that David was going through this whole thing. So Psalm 32, put a marker, and put a marker in Psalm 51. This is how David was restored.

And not only is it for how David is to be restored, but all of us who would come the way of David. Let's look at Psalm 32 first of all, verse three. David cried out and said, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night, thy hand was heavy upon me. My moisture is turned into the drought of summer."

For one year, approximately one year, David was in misery. Why? Because he wrestled with his sin. He wrestled with the Holy Spirit who was seeking to convict him of his sin. He was stubborn, and because he was stubborn, he was in agony. He was suffering. Then he got busted, convicted by God through Nathan.

His sin, you might say, found him out. And going back to 2 Samuel chapter 12, verse 13, notice what happens: and David said to Nathan after Nathan said, "You are the man," David simply said, "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan simply said unto David, "Then the Lord also has put away your sin. Thou shalt not die."

David repents of his sin. He's truly sorry. "I have sinned." Go back now to Psalm 51, verse one. "Have mercy upon me, oh God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, cleanse me from my sin, and for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me."

David realized that he had sinned. The Lord through Nathan said, "Now that you have repented, David, your sin is forgiven you." Just like that. You say, "Wait a minute, it can't be that easy." It is. "Well, don't you have to do some penance or something or don't you have to..." No.

"Well, then how come you counseling?" Well, you've got to work through it. You've got to work through some of the real hurts, especially in an adulterous situation. It takes a little time to heal, but when does forgiveness happen? Right when you repent. Immediately. David, you're not going to die.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Leviticus 20 says that if you have an adulterous affair with a woman, whoever does that shall be put to death. Nathan says, "David, don't worry about this. You're not going to die." Now that's grace.

You're not going to die because I died for you. I already took the punishment for your sin. Back to Psalm 32, verse five. David says, "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord." Notice what happened: "And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."

The release valve is open. Why? Because of confession to God. It just releases it. Once you confess, he's shown you it. Now you confess it and he says, "I'll forgive you." Do you remember the prodigal? Remember when he came to his senses and he said, "I just want to go home and be a slave in my father's house."

And as he started to walk home, the father was looking for him and he saw him way off in the distance. The father ran towards him. What does that show? That God is quick to forgive. He wants to forgive. He's waiting for you to confess. Look at Psalm 51, verse seven now.

David goes on, "Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, oh God.

Renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." And then David says, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit." That our joy would be restored—that's why we need to confess. That's why we need to get it right.

God wants us to have joy unspeakable and full of glory. Notice now Psalm 32, verse seven. David after being forgiven said, "Thou art my hiding place. I should have come to you a long time ago. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble. Thou shalt compass me with songs of deliverance."

Verse nine, "Be not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come near unto thee." And then he says in verse 11, "Be glad in the Lord, rejoice you righteous. Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart."

God was restoring David, but notice how he did it. He allowed him to have the bit and the bridle a little bit, didn't he? And just as a father loves his children, has to spank them once in a while. I hated it when they were younger. It hurt me worse than it did them, but I knew I had to do it.

So God allows pain to come in our lives. And if our attention won't get caught and he doesn't have our ears, he allows pain to go a little stronger. And he has to use it sometimes. But if it is to bring us back to himself, praise God, do it, Lord, whatever it takes. Because we get off, don't we?

Look at Jonah. Jonah so stubborn. God says, "I want you to do this." "No." "Alright, gobble." And this big fish just ate him. And he's down there in the belly of this fish complaining for three days going, "I hate this seaweed. These gastric juices, it's so hot in here. I hate this place." And just on and on. He was so hardhearted, suffering.

After three days though, the third day is going, "Lord, I give." Took three days to really give. And he finally went, "Alright, what? I've sinned. I'll do whatever you want me to do." And then God burped him up out of that fish onto the shore and Jonah's just, "Whoa, I'm going to do what God's asked me to do."

Sometimes the pain is necessary. Why? Because he wants us, first of all, to be sensitive. Don't be stubborn. Don't be like the horse. Don't be like the mule. When you feel the bit begin to pull, go ahead and turn. When you feel the Lord's tug, go ahead. Confess it. Give it to him. Get it right.

And you'll be forgiven and you'll be restored. Confess your sins unto the Lord. He is faithful and just to forgive you and wash you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. Now, the consequences will be there when you come out of this. Many times it's still there. I mean, if you're pregnant, you're going to still be pregnant.

You've still got to deal with this. But let's deal with that now. Now that you've confessed it, let's deal with it. We can—there is all kinds of alternatives. There is foster homes and you can just pray about it and whether you want to give it up for adoption, whatever, or whether you want to keep—there is options.

Now that you've crossed that path and said, "I'm sorry, God," let's take it from there. Maybe you've got to go to court. You've got to go to trial because of what you've done. Well, I've come to the Lord though and I've asked his forgiveness. He's forgiven you, but let's go through it.

God's going to give you wisdom in that court situation. God's going to deal with that judge and God's going to be with you and he's going to restore you because that's what he's into doing: delivering and restoring. That's God's business, isn't it? To set us free. He's come to set us free and we've got to let him do it by just trusting him.

The key though, do you see it, is confession. We don't earn it, we're not worthy of it. Salvation is a free gift of God. We just need to confess it and we receive his forgiveness. And it's interesting how we all react differently to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. David, he held on to it for a year.

Can you imagine? What a miserable year. Peter, the Lord was right there and he said, "Lord, depart from me. I'm a sinful man. Just get away from me. You don't want me." And yet later on, Peter would see his Lord on the shore. He'd go, "That's the Lord," and he'd just dive out of the boat, swim to the shore and want to be by his Lord's side.

Why? Because he caught what God came to do through Christ. Just to forgive us, love us, and we should all want to be by his side. We should all want to walk with God. We should all want to have a close relationship with God. But the enemy tries to keep us away and sin will always keep you away. It needs to be confessed.

When finally David confessed, look at Psalm 32. It was music to his ears. Listen, Psalm 32, verse one. "Blessed, oh how happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Oh how happy is the man whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile."

That man's going to be happy when he finally realizes that God loves him and wants to forgive him. And when God forgives, he forgets.

Guest (Male): Forgive and forget. Oh, how many times have we tried to do that without success? But our perfect and holy God does that very thing when it comes to our sin. This is Sound Doctrine and you just heard a message from Pastor Jeff Johnson in 2 Samuel chapter 12. He'll be back in a moment with a closing thought.

Hopefully as you listen to these messages in 2 Samuel, you'll have ears to hear what the spirit is saying in these critical times. God's word is so practical, giving us direction, instruction, and wisdom to our lives. To hear this message again, simply go to sounddoctrineradio.org or listen through the Sound Doctrine podcast app.

You can also hear Sound Doctrine on OnePlace.com and wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We would very much appreciate your support. It helps us deliver Sound Doctrine on stations like this one all across the nation. And you can donate to this radio outreach at sounddoctrineradio.org.

Now to wrap up today's program, here is Pastor Jeff once again.

Jeff Johnson: Are you this man? Are you the man that said, "Off with his head! He must die."? If you will just confess, if you will deal with the Lord with that, your situation, and ask God to forgive you, you won't die, but you will be forgiven. He will bless you.

There is nothing like the cleansing of the Lord. Because I mean, when he cleanses, all the guilt and all the shame is gone. It's removed. And you are forgiven. You've got a brand new slate. Happy is that man or woman. If you are to come to your senses today and say, "You know what, I'm doing my own thing, I'm rebellious against God, I am not right with God."

"I need to get saved because I'm not even saved, I'm not even a Christian and I know it." Oh, I've told a few people I'm a Christian and I've got a Bible and I come to church, but I know that I don't have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. You need to have that. You need to confess your sin that you've been rebellious and come to the Lord.

Maybe you've been in a relationship situation where you need to confess it. You need to give it to him. He wants to deliver you, set you free, and give you this, "oh how happy is the man." He wants to give you his joy. Our study of 2 Samuel resumes next time on Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. Read ahead in 2 Samuel and join us then. This program is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Downey.