Reaping What Is Sown Through Governmental Forgiveness

II SAMUEL 12;1-20

BELIEVERS REAP IN THIS LIFE, WHAT THEY SOW--Galatians 6;7-9--'' Be not deceived
God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap; for he that
soweth to his flesh shall of the fleash reap corruption; but he that soweth to the
Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well
doing, for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not.''

V. 7--''Be not deceived''--DON'T BE LED ASTRAY.
''God is not mocked''--The Word ''mocked'' means to turn your nose up at one. This is
done toward God, but never without punishment.
Men think to evade God's laws, but they cannot. Man reaps the very thing he sows, not
something different.

V. 8--''REAP CORRUPTION''--in the context, reap physical and moral decay.
Nature writes in One's body, The Penalty of Sin.

V. 9--''LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING''= Let's not keep on giving in to Evil,
while doing the good.
''REAP IN DUE SEASON''--If we are not exhausted, as a result of giving in to Evil.''

Now, although believers confess their sins, they must experience Governmental
Forgiveness.

NOW GET THIS TRUTH; BELIEVERS WHO ARE NOT PRACTICALLY HOLY, BRING REPROACH ON
JESUS CHRIST.
I PETER 1;14-16-[TURN]. HEBREWS 12;14-[TURN]. 2 CORINTHIANS 6;14-7;1--[TURN].
Believers, Who are not practically holy, give occasion for the enemies of the Lord to
BLASPHEME.

King David,a child of God, grieviously sinned against the Lord. He confessed his
sins, and the Lord put it away--2 Samuel 12;13--[Turn].
But, in spite of the fact, that he confessed, and was forgiven, and was promised that
he wouldn't die for his sin, David caused the enemies of The Lord to blaspheme--
2 Samuel 12;14--''Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast fiven occasion to the
enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely
die.''

Those who know the Lord, when they sin, furnish God's enemies, matter for reproach
and blasphemy--Romans 2;24--''For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles,
through you, as it is written.''
God, therefore, will vindicate His Honor, by showing His displeasure against sins--
Consequently, David experienced Governmental Forgiveness. The sword never departed
from his house--2 Samuel 12;10--[Turn].

Now, David's fall had serious consequences, but it was not fatal. He fell, but he
was not utterly cast down--Psalm 37;24--'' Though he fall, he shall not be utterly
cast down; for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.''
Proverbs 24;16--''For a just man falleth 7 times and riseth up again, but the wicked
shall fall into mischief.''

YOU MAY FALL ALL OVER THE ROCK, BUT NEVER OFF IT. Christians may fail, but do not
become apostate.

Let's notice the steps that preceded David's downfall, which occurred AFTER the
end of the Year--
2 SAMUEL 11;1--''And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when
kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joabm and his servants with him, and all
Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and beseiged Rabbath. But David
tarried still at Jerusalem.''
[Now, I want to say, that at the end of one's days, it is just as important to redeem
the time, because the days are evil. Christians should continually take inventory of
their lives].

The events preceding David's Fall are recorded in II Samuel 11.
[1] He failed to endure the difficult life of a soldier.
[2] He indulged in a life of ease--Idleness gives great advantage to The Tempter.
[3] He allowed his eyes to wander. He saw a woman washing herself from ceremonial
pollution, according to The Law.

David took seven steps in his sinful indulgence;
NUMBER ONE-He committed The Sin of Adultery-2 Samuel 11;1-5--[Turn]. He saw, lusted,
and took.
This sin included also, that of ROBBERY, and murder of character.
Under The Jewish Law it was A Capital Offence. King David, and his subject, Uriah,
were on the same level, as far as God's Law is concerned.
LEVITICUS 20;10-[TURN].
The same law governs every citizen of a country, governs its rulers.

NUMBER TWO-David attempted deception, to prevent his crime from being known--[6-11].

NUMBER THREE-He made Uriah drunk.

NUMBER FOUR-David manifested ingratitude and injustice toward Uriah, by plotting his
death.

NUMBER FIVE-David manifested his meanness and treachery against Uriah.

NUMBER SIX-David involved Joab in his unjust act, to cover his own crime.

NUMBER 7-David had Uriah murdered.

We learn from David's sin, that not one sin stands alone--JAMES 1;14-15-''But every
man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust
hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death.''

The little pitted speck rots inwardly, slowly spoiling the fruit of useful character.
The little foxes spoil the vines [SS. 2;15].
One sin is followed by a greater sin, unless it is recognized and confessed.

The consequences of David's sin are recorded in 2 Samuel 12. To awaken David, to
a sense of his wickedness, the Lord did not send enemies, to lay his country waste,
nor terrors, to take hold of him.
Instead He sent, one of His most faithful servants, the prophet, Nathan.

Now, get this truth; ALTHOUGH God allows His people to fall into sin, He won't let
them stay in it.

Now God's message to David, didn't cause him to become enraged at Nathan. He became
indignant toward the guity man, portrayed in Nathan's parable.
Now, notice, here, that a person may be indignant at another's failures, but amazing
tender, TOWARD HIS OWN...[''Hit'em Lord-have mercy on me''-Jonah-Grace is not a
monopoly.

Nathan used David's own tongue, as a lance, to rip--and heal his heart. David was
horrified, when he was convicted by Nathan's parable, and application to him, and he
confessed--''I have sinned against the LORD [2 SAMUEL 12;13]. Unlike Adam he did not
shift the blame.

Now get this truth; WHEN A CHRISTIAN'S SINS OF DISOBEDIENCE, NEGLECT, COMPLACENCY,
ETC, ARE POINTED OUT BY GOD'S MESSENGER, HE SHOULDN'T BECOME ANGRY AT THE MESSENGER,
OR TRY TO SHIFT THE BLAME. Instead, he should follow David's example of confession.

Next, we see that THE PRINCIPLE of evil, that resided in David, EXISTS IN EVERY
BORN AGAIN PERSON... He is bent on sinning--HOSEA 11;7--''And my people are bent to
backsliding from me; though they called them to the most High, none at all would
exalt him.''

No one harbors impurities in his thoughts, WITHOUT REVEALING THEM, sooner or later,
in his life.
It has been well said--''You sow a thought, and reap a desire; you sow a desire, and
you reap an action; you sow an action, you reap a character; you sow a character, and
you reap a destiny.''

Now although David's deceit was huge, real honesty [the fruit of God's grace],
remained in him, during that self-deceiving time.
David revealed hatred for the rich man, Nathan described; then Nathan said, ''THOU
ART THE MAN;; [2 SAMUEL 12;7].
Although David confessed his sins and was forgiven, still he experienced Governmental
Forgiveness. The remainder of his life had perpetual sorrow.

Many professing believers DO as they please, and then, rush to the Lord, begging
forgiveness. They may ignore the truth, that they must suffer the consequences of
their sin,but they shall reap what they have sown.

Since believers reap in this life, what they sow, they are taught to guard against
backsliding. They should watch for temptations, and withstand them.
They are also taught to be cheritable toward fallen fellow-believers, although not
at the expense of justice.
moreover they must not use David's fall, as an excuse for sin, presuming they will
receive a similar restoration. To acknowledge David's sin is one thing; to excuse
it, another.
The Lord reveals the sins of His people, not for us to imitate them, but to warn us.

Instances in Jacob's life emphasize Governmental Forgiveness. He deceived his
father, Isaac [GENESIS 27]. Later he was deceived by his uncle [GENESIS 29] and by
his own sons [GENESIS 37].
Jacob cheated his brother and was cheated by his uncle. He was everlastingly forgiven
and restorastively forgiven; and govermentally forgiven.

The bitterest result of fleshly sowing is what one reaps in his own family. Nathan's
parable was literally fulfilled in David's life. He suffered severe Governmental
forgiveness. He had taken Uriah's wife, to be his own wife. Nathan accused him of
taking a poor man's only lamb [2 SAMUEL 12;4].
David pronounced his own judgment, when he said that the guilty man must ''restore
the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity''
[12;6].
Now, just as Nathan said, the sword never departed from David's family [Verse 10].
HE REAPED FOURFOLD.

TO SUMMARIZE; God everlastingly forgives a person at regeneration. He
restoratively forgives when the believer confesses his sins. In this life He
governmentally forgives.

All of this is to conform us to Christ's image.
We are left on earth so that we can be made by the Spirit to be like Jesus.