"13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 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."
David had sinned with Bathsheba, had her husband killed, and married her in a weak attempt to cover up his adultery. Nathan confronts him of his sin, and he repents.
Sin is a serious matter, no matter what it involves. In David's case, it meant the death of his son. But I have found it fearful to think that my sin could very well become public knowledge and cause the unbelieving to blaspheme my God. It has certainly happened before, and just yesterday I heard mention of a famous pastor's wife in court, accused of assaulting an airline stewardess. Many of us are old enough to remember names like Bakker and Sweigart—and the shame they brought to the cause of Christ.
Even if my sin never becomes known to an audience of unbelievers, it is still serious and worthy of judgment. But as a father, teacher, and adult, my sin could impact my testimony—and that will impact what others think of my God.
This puts sin in a much more serious light.
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