...So when we realize who we are and what we have done...there should be this sense of brokenness. We have sinned against God. Perhaps, I should have reversed these two aspects of worship, because when we realize who God is and what He has done, there would be genuine brokenness over who we are and what we have done. Nevertheless, this is who God is and what He has done.
When we give in to temptation and cave...when we try to cover our sin and lose our faithfulness, there is one thing that remains faithful...God sees and knows it all.
2 Samuel 12
1. God already knows
David has seemingly escaped consequence without a hitch. He has successfully rid himself of key witnesses by disposing of them. He has made his relationship with Bathsheba legitimate while making it look heroic to the public. David is probably feeling relieved. He forgot, however, that God knows already. God sends Nathan to David. Nathan tells a story to David about a man who killed another man's beloved sheep. This story was actually an analogy to the sin that David was engrossed in. David was angered by the story and pronounced a judgment on the man in the form of a death sentence. Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!" Now, David has more choices...He can realize what he has done and repent or he can kill Nathan for accusing the King. God has just reminded David how he became King in the first place and has reminded him exactly who He (God) is.
2. God desires repentance
David made the right choice and repented. The consequence (which still exists) was that the child dies. David however did not count this as unfair or unjust. He did not get angry with God. Instead, he does the right thing and gives praise to God in the midst of this huge storm. During this, he wrote Psalm 51 where we learn the next section...
3. God washes us clean (forgives)
Read Psalm 51
David realized who he was and what he had done, and now he is beginning to realize who God is. This is the same God who destroyed Sodom, but also the same God who is faithful and just to forgive. David has now surrendered his life and is begging forgiveness. Our God, who is full of love, grace, and mercy, forgives David and washes him clean from all unrighteousness. This is the same God that is faithful and just to forgive us. God desires that our relationship with Him be restored. That is the whole point of the gospel. We sinned and God wants to restore our relationship. Think of it in the sense of adultery. We are the bride of Christ and we have chased other lovers. God, however, does not long to divorce us, he wants to restore the true relationship. God will forgive you for your sin. God forgives me for my sin. All we need to do is come humbly before God and beg forgiveness and He will do it, according to the Word. This is who God is (the Holy God who is perfect in every way) and what He has done (sent His son to die for our sins so that our relationship can be restored).
As a result, we who claim to follow Christ should live each day, each second, as a display of praise to God. Dr. Pete Sanchez Jr. told my class one time that worship is "Praising God for all that He is with all that we are." That is worship. We realize that we are sinners and not worthy of forgiveness, yet God in his infinite mercy forgives us, therefore we should live our lives as a bondservant of Christ because we do owe our lives to Him. Not to earn salvation...we do not work to earn salvation. We have been saved, therefore we work.
Worship is realizing who we are and what we have done, who God is and what He has done, and living accordingly.
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