When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his ungodly act, he admitted he had been wrong. When God saw that David was repentant, He extended His mercy to him. Nathan assured David that he had been forgiven. In fact he was delivered from death (the penalty of adultery and murder). However, the deed had been done and certain consequences could not be averted. David’s family would be at the mercy of strife. David’s sin had caused the Lord’s enemies to lose all respect for Him, (2 Samuel 12:14).
Sin has a way of making God’s Children misrepresent Him. When a high profile preacher is found guilty of financial corruption, skeptics reiterate their conviction that men of God preach the gospel solely for material gain. They conclude that Christianity is a sham. God’s Name is dragged through the mud.
In our individual lives we have people: relatives, friends, colleagues etc who will have a reason to distrust the gospel if we fail morally. If we suffer from the same things they suffer from morally, financially etc they won’t have a reason to believe in the Jesus we claim to serve.
Rick Warren, author of the bestseller: The Purpose Driven Life was being interviewed by a journalist on national television. The journalist believed preachers of the gospel are in it for what to gain. To affirm her conviction, she asked the pastor “How much does your Church pay you?” (paraphrased). Rick responded that he had never collected a dime for serving his Church for over 2 decades. She was shocked. Rick recalled that it felt good to dismiss her belief. God feels good when His Children represent Him faithfully to the world by living like Him.
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