Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

The Forgiving Christ
2 Samuel 12:1-25
Vs 13 Nathan replied,”The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not to die” 
This passage tells us of how David has been confronted by the prophet Nathan for his dishonourable acts of adultery with Uriah’s wife and the covering up of Uriah’s death as a means of covering up his immorality.
We can define the passage into 3 points where we see:

1. The Repentant Sinner receiving God’s mercy
David deserved to die but God causes David’s sin to pass from him so that he does not die. He identified himself with the child and it was doubtless - the acute realisation of his wickedness and the inevitable consequences, which God had revealed him that sent him into this frenzy of fasting, praying and hoping that he would spare the child. Even though the baby died, David understood that God remained worthy of all praise. David had experienced God’s mercy and God’s justice.

2. The Repentant Sinner is fixated on God’s grace:
Inspite of his sin, David remained a man after God’s own heart, explained beautifully by the writer Dale Ralph Davis “ To be the man after God’s on heart is to be sinlessly perfect but to be among other things utterly submissive to the word of God”. After having experienced God’s grace, David became fixated on God’s grace. It influenced everything he did in the aftermath of God’s mercy. David understood that God’s grace was his only hope, in the face of the present crisis and was the only reason he was still standing. David was humbled and driven to worship the One who is much greater than us, the one who holds not only life and death in his hand but also grace and mercy. The mercy and grace we have received through Jesus Christ, the truly innocent Son should drive us to worship inspite of circumstances when we have suffered loss.

3. The Repentant Sinner is blessed by God’s love:
Even when David still has to face divine consequences that have been laid out for him, he is reminded of God’s ongoing mercy in the birth of a new baby Solomon.
David is comforted by this new baby because this baby reassures him of God’s promise given through Nathan. God’s promise to give his family an eternal throne will stand. He will face the consequences of his sin but he will do so with hope in God’s promise. David was even a lesser sentence, when God’s word came to him. But we have a better message: Forgiveness.
Its forgiveness that not only sets us free fro past but restores us to Godin the present and assures of a future life in God’s presence. And its all because of the Innocent Son that died.
Do you recognise that your life is so much better because of what Christ did? Let’s thank God for reminding us this morning of these things and pray that we go forward as changed people.

 
PRAYER
Dear Lord, I thank you for the power of forgiveness. Help me bless those who have hurt me. Help me walk in righteousness, peace and joy demonstrating your life here on earth. In Jesus name. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Let this lent season may be a time of transformation through repentance.

DEEPA BABY JOHN   W/O   REV BABY JOHN  VICAR  ADOOR MAR THOMA CHURCH
Christian Education Forum, Diocese of NAE of the Mar Thoma Church

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