Amazing Grace - The Mess Unmessed!

Nowhere is the grace that "forgives the messer and unmesses the mess" more clearly seen than in the history of David. His story is given on the pages of Scripture not so much to show a king who sordidly sinned but a God who wondrously forgave and restored. No one's testimony has given contrite sinners such cause for encouragement and hope as David's, which he wrote out in full in Psalms 32 and 51.

The first thing we see is that David repented thoroughly. As soon as Nathan faced him with God's message, he humbled himself before the prophet without a moment's evasion or self-excuse, and said, "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Sam. 12:13). The depth of his repentance can be gauged by the fact that he was willing to write out his testimony, the testimony of a forgiven sinner, and have it sung in the temple (Ps. 51). How different he was from his predecessor, King Saul, who, when he was challenged by the prophet Samuel, said the same words, "I have sinned," and then showed how insincere his repentance was by adding, "yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people" (1 Sam. 15:30).

The depth of David's repentance is also shown by the fact that in his psalm of testimony, Psalm 51, there are no evasions, no rationalizations of his sin. Rather he writes, "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation" (Ps. 51:14). He called his sin what it was—murder. There were doubtless many around him ready to take his part, to persuade him that it was not really murder, but David humbled himself before God.

David knew that God was merciful. Standing before that grace, David knew that he could afford to confess the full extent of his sinfulness. And sure enough, the answer came back, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die" (2 Sam. 12:13).

Although the circumstances resulting from his sin were far from resolved, and although he had to undergo severe disciplines, he walked through them all as a forgiven man in fellowship with God, experiencing all the comforts and sustainings of God.

The same grace is for us, when we repent as David did. The moment we cease to stiffen our necks, and bow our heads before the Lord Jesus in repentance and confession, that moment we hear the word, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin." And if God has put it away, it is really gone: "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Ps. 103:12).

The second thing we see is that David submitted without question to all the disciplines that God laid upon him because of his sin. Although God's forgiveness was utterly complete, Nathan explained to David that there would still be consequences, "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; . . . Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house . . . " (2 Sam. 12:14, 10-11).

These two things surely came to pass, and it is a touching sight to see the submissiveness and meekness of David under the chastenings of God. He knew that the stroke that was falling upon him was not the punishment of a judge, but rather the discipline of a father who had forgiven him, and he submitted to it as such, without complaining, even when his son, Absalom, forced him to flee from his own palace.

And so it was that God not only forgave David but used all the suffering and disciplines which were the consequence of his sin to further him in the path of sainthood and submission to Himself.

With us too, although we may know ourselves forgiven, there may be deep disciplines which God may lay upon us as the consequences arising from our sin. We are called to submit to these disciplines without reservation, blaming no second causes, but seeing everything as coming to us from the loving hand of the God who has forgiven us. Only so shall we find this further grace that deals with the situation in which we find ourselves, and makes it the raw material for a fresh purpose of love.

Sometimes this submission can be lacking on the part of those who profess to have repented. I once heard of a man who had fallen into immorality and was disciplined in accordance with the Scriptures. His name was accordingly taken off the list of members, and he was forbidden to partake in the communion services of the church, though they were glad for him to continue to attend the church services if he chose. He made a full confession and appeared to be repentant, but because the church did not soon reinstate him on the ground that he had confessed, he became indignant at what he called their unforgiving attitude and joined another church.

A truly repentant man would have submitted to all that might have been laid upon him—and for as long as his brethren thought necessary. He should have said, "If they exclude me forever, it is only a little of what my sin really deserves," and he would have taken it from the hand of his God, and been at peace.

This is a valuable lesson. If we do not find ourselves met with the forgiveness and understanding of others, it may be we have not repented truly enough and have not submitted deeply enough to all that may come upon us. Instinctively people feel it and treat us accordingly. It is very difficult not to forgive a truly broken man. And yet if people do treat us like that, in spite of all our self-abasement, it provides something more for us to go on submitting to, because first of all, we are submitting to our God.

As David submitted to all God allowed to fall upon him, he found God working on his behalf, taking up his affairs, vindicating him as His own child, silencing all his enemies. The very situation arising out of his sin was now no longer David's responsibility, but God's. It had now become the raw material for God's new purpose for David, which was to display the grace, forgiveness, and power of God.

The same applies to us. Until we repent, the situations that we have created for ourselves are our responsibility. But from the moment when we humble ourselves in repentance and confession, the situation becomes God's, and His purpose is to work something new in it. As with David, it is now simply His raw material for a new plan of love as if there were no blame attached to us. The responsibility is transferred from our shoulders to His, and He bids us rest in Him about it all, and then simply cooperate with Him by obeying the light He gives us as to the next steps to be taken. As we do so, He works on our behalf, and a new pattern begins to emerge that bears the unmistakable marks of His hand. We find Him bringing order out of chaos as we walk with Him in peace.

David's ongoing confidence in the grace of God to a sinner was quite extraordinary, even when his sufferings were most directly related to his sin. I quote one final incident for our own encouragement. The heading of the third psalm tells us that it was written by David "when he fled from Absalom his son." This was surely one of the darkest moments of his life, presumably made all the more so by the knowledge that Nathan had told him that this was one of the things that would come upon him as a discipline for his sins.

One would have expected, therefore, to find David crushed in spirit and full of self-condemnation, quite sure that God was against him to give him what he deserved, and running away like a little dog with his tail between his legs. In actual fact the opposite was the case. We find him full of confidence in God, and utterly assured that God was on his side. Listen to him, "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (Ps. 3:1-3).

What an encouragement to any man today who is walking a difficult path because of the consequences of his past wrongdoing! Such a man may have even greater cause for confidence in the God of grace than David, because he can see that Jesus died for him and that His blood is mightily sufficient to cleanse every stain and remove completely the element of guilt over what has happened. There need be therefore no further self-recrimination, no sense that God is taking a stick to him, but rather that God is on the side of the contrite one, making something new and beautiful out of the confusion he has caused. As He did with David, God is using the intervening trials and disciplines as a means to hasten him on the path of sainthood and submission to Himself.

Taken from Forgotten Factors. Used by permission. © Roy Hession Book Trust, c/o 3 Florence Road, Bromley, Kent, England BR1 3NU. To place an order for Roy Hession's book, Forgotten Factors, call                1-800-321-1538        .