The Way Back to God

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1-2King David, though a man after God’s own heart, was a great sinner. In 2 Samuel 11, he committed adultery and, in covering it up, he committed murder. But in 2 Samuel 12, we find that David was also a great repenter. He exemplifies the way back to God after we fall into sin.We must first recognize the causes of David’s sin. In a time of war, David was at home while his army fought without him.Adrian Rogers says, “The sin of omission is failure to do what you ought to be doing.”David’s idleness quickly turned into a careless affair with a married woman. That carelessness turned into callousness. After committing the hot-blooded sin of adultery, David murdered his mistress’s husband Uriah in cold blood.We also see the consequences David faced when he covered up his sins rather than confess them. He aged prematurely, his body groaned inwardly under heavy conviction, and he experienced a spiritual dryness.Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”For those who are children of God, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins until we confess them. If we do not confess, God must chastise us as he did David. God is more interested in our relationship with Him than in anything else; He will do whatever He has to in order to restore us to Himself.Then, God will use someone or something in our lives to challenge us about our sins. For David, He sent the prophet Nathan.Once David realized how far he had drifted from God, he was desperate to find the way back.Psalm 51:7 says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”Even when he sinned, David had confidence in God’s lovingkindness. He confessed his sins without any excuse or alibi, and God was faithful to cleanse and forgive.1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”We don’t have to carry around our own condemnation anymore; we can be clean.Apply it to your lifeDo you have any unconfessed sin weighing on you today? Ask God to search your heart and reveal your sin to you. Confess it, and be cleansed by God’s forgiveness.