IN 2 Sam. 12 we have the above three important things brought out, each in their own individual importance. Yet the three form but one chain of three links. Their importance, as connected with every individual soul of man, cannot be overstated.
David had sinned a great sin. He had slain Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon, and had taken his wife to be his wife. The thing was offensive and displeasing to God, but as yet David was blind to the awfulness of his sin. He was hardened, no doubt, through the deceitfulness of sin, and perhaps had well-nigh banished from his mind the fearful crime that lay at his door.
In this we have a picture of man—the natural man. His life is one of independence of God, consequently of sin. Sin is lawlessness, or independence of God, and this is what characterizes the natural man. He sins, but forgets it; and if now and again his conscience condemn, he excuses himself, and succeeds in relieving his conscience. He says, “I am not so much to blame; I am not so bad as my neighbor; and God is merciful.” And by such excuses and false reasoning, he quiets his conscience, and puts it to sleep again.
No doubt David, the fallen king, had to resort to such means to quiet his conscience, and by what we read in the word of God, one is disposed to think that he had well-nigh succeeded, for when Nathan the prophet came to him with his parable of the rich man robbing the poor man of his only lamb, he grew angry, and said, “As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die.” Righteous enough in dealing with others, as he supposed, how little prepared was he to be confronted by the prophet of the Lord, and charged with the sin referred to in the parable and how little prepared was he for the utterance of those words of divine conviction: “Thou art the man.”
Thus it is with the gospel, while people may be excusing themselves and condemning their neighbors, it thunders in their consciences, and says to each individual, “Thou art the man.” Individually we have to do with God, and the gospel, used by the Holy Ghost, brings individual conviction. It stands before each one and says, “Thou art the man.”
My reader, are you unconvicted? If so, the gospel of God says to you today, “Thou art the man.” But you say, I am moral; still “Thou art the man.” You say, I am religious and thoroughly temperate; but “Thou art the man.” “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God;” and “Thou art the man,” The law of God says, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” You have broken the law, and therefore “Thou art the man.” It also says, “The soul that sinneth it shall die.” You have sinned, therefore “Thou art the man.” It is no question of your neighbor, or of any one but yourself, for “Thou art the man.” You stand before God a proved guilty soul. I beg of you, therefore, to appropriate the words of Nathan to David: “Thou art the man.”
Those four words— “Thou art the man!” — did: a work in David’s conscience, a work that produced the deepest repentance. Those words were but God’s arrow, which buried itself deep in his conscience, and prostrated him in deep humiliation of soul before God. Hear the language of his broken heart, “I have sinned against the Lord,” and again, “I acknowledge my transgression; and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psa. 51:3, 43For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalm 51:3‑4)). Truly divine conviction led to true repentance in this case. David is brought face to face with God; it is not merely matter between him and Uriah; but he had sinned against the Lord. Here is what sin is: it is against the Lord. He is the Governor of the Universe, and it is against Him. David said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” “Against the Lord” — “against thee” —is what the soul feels and confesses when divinely convicted.
There may be sins against our fellow man, but they are traced up to their true meaning, viz., rebellion against the authority of God. It is against the Lord.
My reader, God commands all men everywhere to repent. Have you owned his claims, believed His word about your sins, and breathed the confession of true repentance?
God demands repentance: the soul’s acknowledgment of its guilt and rebellion against the authority of God Conversion is no mere sentimental thing; ah, no, it is heart work about the authority of God, about one’s sins against him, and turning to Him in true repentance of soul. It is not merely turning over a new leaf, joining the Church, and being zealous for the cause. No, my friend, you may have done all this, and be lost forever. You may have done all this without your heart and conscience feeling your sins, and owning in repentance that it is against the Lord you have sinned. The Lord Jesus said to the religious Pharisees, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:33I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3)).
David took the ground of one guilty, and confessed his sins to the Lord, and the God of all grace was there to meet him with pardon.
David said unto Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord”; and Nathan said unto David, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” God was there in grace to meet the sinner as soon as there was repentance and confession. He against whom the sin was committed was the One, and the only One, that could put it away, and He did. “The Lord hath put away thy sin.”
It is so now. God, the God of all grace, meets the returning and repentant sinner with pardon and salvation. Jesus, the Son of God, has died for sinners; and now God is able in righteousness, to pardon and justify the ungodly who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a pardon that must be that comes from God to us as the fruit of the precious blood of His dear Son? “Without shedding of blood there is no remission.” But blood has been shed, even the blood of the spotless Son of God; now God is free, in righteousness, to pardon and save forever all who believe from their hearts on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, my dear reader, how unspeakably blessed is all this! We have not to labor on, as if it were by our toil we were to obtain forgiveness of sins ah no, the work is all done. “It is finished,” cried the dying Saviour. And now in brightest glory He sits, the object for faith to rest on, and the Saviour of all who put their trust in Him. Do you know Him as the object for your faith? Do you know Him as your Saviour? Do you know Him as the One who has saved you? Think of his sufferings and death—of His shed blood. Can you say that, through His precious blood, your sins are forgiven and gone forever? appropriating that beautiful text to yourself: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
If so, right happy are you; and who has such cause for happiness as you? Surely none. Oh, then, forgiven sinner, fellow-Christian, and fellow-heir of glory, seek now to walk so as to honor and glorify Him who has done so much for you. Let these words be thy motto: “He loved me, and gave Himself for me;” therefore, “For to me to live is Christ” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20); Phil. 1:2121For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)).
E. A.