May 26

2 Samuel 11

I have had sad conversations at times in the ministry. But there is none more heartbreaking than the one concerning adultery. When one partner finds that the other has been unfaithful to their wedding vows, it devastates them.

As I talk with the offending party I usually hear sentences like, "I didn't think it would ever happen to me," "I didn't think I would get caught," and "it started so innocently." Regardless of the excuse, the consequences of adultery are deadly.

One spring night it did start innocently with David. He was now approaching 50 and he would not be going to the front lines with the boys. So why not go out for a nice evening stroll? But there was a view he shouldn't have looked at. And an invitation he wasn't supposed to give. And two people conveniently forgot the boundaries set by God.

Marriage is God's invention; it has his fingerprints all over its design. God clearly stated right from the start that it is a lifelong commitment between two people of the opposite sex.

While we can choose our sin, we can't choose our consequences. Some of the consequences of David's disobedience included an unwanted pregnancy, the death of an innocent man and a baby, the loss of respect from his children, and future political upheaval and violence – all the days of his life.

The world we live in today does not believe in sexual boundaries. The rule of thumb is to do whatever comes naturally to you. This is what I love to call, "Jerry Springer Theology." This way of thinking and living is both dangerous and deadly. As much as people think they are free, real freedom comes from living inside the boundaries God has given us. That is where the greatest marital joy possible is found.

So do we have anything to say to people who get caught in the web of sin? 1000 years after this event, a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery would be brought to Jesus. Jesus spoke two life-changing truths into her life. First, he said he didn't condemn her. He would take her condemnation to the cross and pay the penalty she deserved. Second, he said to leave her life of sin. If anyone is brave enough to own their sin, God is powerful enough to forgive it. God is not only willing to help you restore your life, but he also wants you to be even more whole than you were before. In the end, David chose to go down the pathway of repentance and grace. And it is David who was given the title, "a man after God's own heart."