READY - Ask for Forgiveness

Recap: David commits adultery with Bathsheba, tries to cover it up because she gets pregnant and ends up murdering her husband Uriah. David then marries Bathsheba and the baby is born. God sends Nathan the prophet who tells David a story that makes David realize what he has done. 

This is how David replies once he figures out Nathan is talking about him. 2 Sam 12:13 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. 

Romans 6:23 “the wages of sin is death…” There are many times in the Bible where someone sins and God strikes them dead because of it. Death was a realistic consequence since David had Uriah murdered. God did not have be merciful to David.

Nathan continues… 2 Sam 12:14-16,18a, 24 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.” After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground... On the seventh day the child died... Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 

There were consequences to David’s actions even though he asked for forgiveness. However God does not stop blessing David because of his sin. He eventually has another son with Bathsheba named Solomon (this is the son who will eventually take David’s place as king of Israel.)

There’s lots of emotion and feelings that David would have experienced. Many of the psalms were written by David. Psalm 51 was written by David after Nathan came to him. It records all those emotions & feelings David had. 

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. 

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 

19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Through this story and prayer that David wrote, we can see some Steps for Forgiveness:

1. Admitting you have sinned (2 Sam 12:13)

When confronted with his sin, David didn’t make excuses. He admitted his wrong without trying to justify why he did what he did nor did he try to put the blame on Bathsheba or anyone else.

2. Accepting the consequences (Ps 51:4)

There are often real consequences to decisions. Bathsheba got pregnant. Uriah lost his life. Sin makes an impact on us and possibly those around us.

Just because there are consequences, it doesn't mean you can’t ask God for mercy (which means asking for him not to give you the consequences you deserve) (Ps 51:1) In 2 Samuel 12, David 

3. Restore the joy of relationship (Ps 51:12)

When we sin, we break our relationship with Christ. 

4. Don’t dwell on what has happened. (remove the guilt) (Ps 51:14)

Even though we ask for forgiveness, sometimes we keep on thinking about what we did wrong. We don’t always forgive ourselves. Know that God isn’t looking at our sin when he looks at us. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

5. Change your behavior (Romans 6:1-2a)

Romans 6:1-2a What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! 

If you have truly sought forgiveness, you should not continue to do that action. (But if you do, you can ask for forgiveness again.)

FAQ:

Why do we need to forgive?

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

When do we need to ask for forgiveness?

Anytime we sin, we should ask God for forgiveness. If our sin has impacted someone else, we should ask them for forgiveness.

Matthew 6:11-12 Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

Will God always forgive me?

Yes! 

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.

How many times should I forgive someone?

As many times as God has forgiven you… which means an infinite number!

Luke 17:3-4 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”

**Note on Psalm 51:11 - We do not have to worry about the Holy Spirit leaving us. In the Old Testament, believers did not automatically have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. They would be anointed with the Holy Spirit for special purposes. David had been given the Holy Spirit when he was anointed by Samuel to be king (1 Sam 16:13). Because of his sin, David feared that the Holy Spirit would leave him (like he had done to Saul (1 Sam 16:14). In the New Testament, we receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved and he indwells us and we don’t have to fear him leaving us (John 14:16, Ephesians 1:13-14).

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This is the third lesson of a 5-part series I was asked to write for the middle school ministry at my Hawaiian Church, New Hope Leeward. The series is on the acronym READY.