Originally posted: 12/30/2019

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,” (12:13).

Sin. It is deadly. I’ve read the story of David and Bathsheba so many times, and it never loses its sting. It’s so contrary to David’s beginnings as a humble shepherd and brave warrior against the giant, Goliath. But giants come in all shapes and sizes, and this giant named Lust, brought him down. Frightening…

David had taken Uriah’s wife and the Law required the death penalty for such an act.

If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death, (Leviticus 20:10).

By law his sin deserved the death penalty; but by grace David would not die, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.”

Consider Him Who Has Taken Away Our Sin

• He Has Taken Away Our Sin, and we will not die.
  • 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,” (12:13).
  • for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23).
  • For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).

• He Has Taken Away Our Sin, but not His discipline.
  • However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die, (12:14).
  • My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord
    Or loathe His reproof,
    ¹² For whom the Lord loves He reproves,
    Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights, (Proverbs 3:11-12).

How do we respond to Him Who Has Taken Away Our Sin?

We must begin at the beginning… Do you have assurance He Has Taken Away Your Sin?

Consider the following:

• He Takes Away Our Sin as His gift, not by our own works or merit.
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8).
• He Takes Away Our Sin while we are yet sinners; He does not expect us to clean up before we come to Him by faith, for it is impossible to clean ourselves up enough to fit us for His Presence.
  • But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, (Romans 5:8).
• He Takes Away Our Sin when we confess Jesus as our resurrected Lord, believing He alone has paid the penalty to save us.
  • …that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; ¹⁰ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation, (Romans 10:9-10).

It was after David humbly acknowledged his sin before God that his sin was forgiven and taken away.

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,” (12:13).

If you have never acknowledged your sin and called on Him for salvation, please do so today. Let go of your own efforts, come to Him in humility and faith. He has promised that you will not be disappointed and you will be saved.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” …for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved,” (Romans 10:11, 13).

He Has Taken Away the penalty of Our Sin; but we must live mindful of the giants opposing our commitment to Him, that we would grow in His holiness.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, ¹⁵ but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; ¹⁶ because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy,“ (1 Peter 1:13-16).

He Has Taken Away the penalty of Our Sin, but not His disciplinary consequences of choosing our own way.

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
⁶ For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives,” (Hebrews 12:6).

And yes, He Has Taken Away the penalty of Our Sin, but may we never forget our humble beginnings, as to abuse His lavish grace. Let us cherish His amazing grace as we grow in our love and obedience to Him Who Has Taken Away Our Sin.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments,” (John 14:15).

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2).

May we, in humility and faith, depend on Him Who Has Taken Away Our Sin; that by His grace, and in faith as His children who have been raised together with Christ, let us choose to walk each and every day in His glorious newness of life.

Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life, (Romans 6:4).

Let’s Grow Together!