Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” 

                                                                                                            2 Samuel 12:13 

Read: 2 Samuel 12

David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a man of faith. But even this did not keep him from making a series of bad decisions that would bring pain and affliction to himself and his family. But in a beautiful moment in David’s life, he is confronted. And what makes this account so beautiful is that this confrontation became the catalyst that would eventually bring healing and restoration to David’s life. We see his heart unfolding in the following: 

Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.

                                                                                                                     Psalm 51:1-4 

In the first two verses of this great Psalm, we see David appealing to God’s unfailing love and great compassion. He asks God to grant him mercy, to blot out his sin, and to wash and cleanse him from all of his iniquity. In verse three we see another element that must be present in order for David to effectively confess his sin to the Lord. This element is the awareness of the presence of sin in his life.

We live in a world that offers a lot of distractions in which to engage ourselves. Movies, television, professional sports, the Internet, vacations, employment, family, and hobbies are just a few of the things that keep us busy. But what’s wrong with being busy? The answer is nothing unless we allow our collective busyness to keep us from the most important relationship of all, our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the time spent with God that allows us to stay focused and aware of our true state of being.

So is it possible to continue in a lifestyle of sin and not realize it is happening? Well, first of all, for the non-Christian, the answer would seem to be “yes”. But what about the Christian? The apostle Paul writes:

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.

                                                                                                            Romans 7:18-19

Paul is describing the spiritual tug of war that existed inside of him as a result of following Christ. Christians can find sin a reality in their lives but we should have a displeasure for it. The Bible tells us to deal with our sin openly and honestly. The world says, “Take advantage of the diversions that are at your fingertips.” Alcohol, drugs, sex, power, fame, money, and success are just a few of those diversions designed to temporarily remove the pain. That is the deadliest part of those distractions. They are only temporary and will not ultimately satisfy.

Think about an athlete who breaks his leg. What if the doctor suggested that the athlete continue taking painkillers to block the discomfort instead of setting the bone in the leg? As long as the athlete continued taking his medication, he might be able to mask the pain for a while. But this is not a long-term solution. The leg would still be broken. Once the athlete stops the intake of painkillers, he still has the problem of the broken leg. That is what it’s like to cover up our sin with the diversions of the world. They may keep us satisfied for a time, but they do not cure the problem and worst of all they keep us from dealing honestly with our sin.

David knew his sin. He was well aware of his actions and that he had sinned against God and man. For a time he tried to cover up this sin but in the end knew that he must deal with it before God. David was aware of his sin.

Are you aware of the sin in your life? Are you aware of your iniquity? Are you aware that God waits for you to come to Him and deal openly and honestly with that sin? Are you aware that He offers saving grace and healing to all who will trust Him by faith? Do not wait until it’s too late. Put down the diversions and appeal to a holy, loving, and compassionate God who is waiting to forgive and heal you and to create in you a pure heart.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

                                                                                                                                 Psalm 32:3-5