A Missing Ingredient

A friend of mine was letting me watch his DVD of the History Channel series called “The Bible.” This episode was recounting the lives of David & Saul. I do understand that the History Channel is not TBN nor any other network that claims to be Christian and they made one huge error (among many huge errors in my opinion) that shows the worlds attitude towards Christianity and how it is wrong in regards to true, biblical Christianity.

It was the exchange between Nathan and David after David had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and then arranged to have the man killed in battle. Nathan announces that the child will die but all is well with David because “God loves him and it will be all right.”

What? Are you kidding me! We seem to be light a few facts here, let us fill in the details. (See 2 Samuel 12:1-13)

• Nathan telling a compelling story about how a man who was rich in flocks stole the only ewe lamb of a poor man and killed it and cooked it for a passing traveler to serve as a meal. This lamb was a pet beloved by the poor man.
• David in his fury pronounces judgment that he would have to repay four fold and he would forfeit his life.
• Then Nathen springs the trap: Thou art the man! (verse 7)
• Nathan pronounces the judgment: The sword will never leave David’s house, another man will sleep with his wives from his own house, and the child born from this affair will die. What David did in secret will be done to him in broad daylight. This reminds me of what Jesus said about not condemning others in Matthew 7. He was judged harshly as he judged harshly.
• Next is the key missing ingredient: repentance. Once David repented then Nathan told David God would spare his life. Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” (2 Samuel 12:13)

Many cry that we as Christians are judgmental and intolerant because we speak out against sin? Yes Jesus loves us but the call is a call to repentance. Jesus said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17)

Sinners who want a relationship with the Saviour have to repent, to turn away from their sins. He calls us just as we are and He loves us just as we are but we are to bear fruit meet for repentance (Matthew 3:8). There is no repentance whatever unless there is a change of life as the result. The change of life is the proof of the change of heart.

Paul writes further about repentance:

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

The sorrow of the world – Sorrow that arises from worldly considerations worketh death – Naturally tends to work or occasion death, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. An example of this would be when a child gets caught taking a cookie from grandma’s cookie jar and mom makes him apologize. He may mumble an “I’m sorry” to get off the hook but the only thing he is really sorry about is that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar! There is no repentance, no turning from sin, no rebirth and no eternal life there.

However godly sorrow is different. When we realize yes God loves us but our sin was such an offence to Him He had to send Jesus to die in our place. Our hearts broken in gratitude for such grace and mercy we turn from our sins willingly because of the love shown to us. Whether the sin is pride, lying, adultery, murder, or even homosexuality, the Lord requires repentance. It does not matter what the sin is we do not come to God on our terms but His and then we get the gift He promised us: eternal life.