God’s Impossible Mercy

God’s mercy is impossible to understand. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God forgives ALL of our sins. I know that, but it is such a hard thing to understand. We talked about this in our Ladies Bible Study this morning. Our study was about repentance. We looked at the big sins of David recorded in 2 Samuel 11-12. David was King, the chosen and anointed on of God, the man who God declared had a heart like His, the man who had fought the giant for the sake of God’s glory. This man, this great man of God, took another man’s wife, a man who was his friend and trusted warrior. David then had the husband killed.

After some months, God sent his prophet, Nathan to confront him. David’s response is in 2 Samuel 12:13; David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

Wow, just like that? David confessed, and the Lord forgave him. David suffered consequences from his sin, some very severe consequences, but God forgave him completely. As we talked about this situation today, I was filled with amazement. Although David suffered because of his actions, God never again mentioned the sin to him, and David never mentioned it.  That is an amazing thing. David did not have the benefit of understanding the death of Jesus and what that meant, but he had a better understanding of God’s mercy than I do. In 2 Samuel 22, well after his big failure, David wrote these words.

“The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.

  And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. "With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless.”

When I read those words, I said, “Blameless? Righteous? Cleanness of hands?... Did David forget his unforgettable sins?”

I sometimes remember sins from 40 years ago and feel guilt and shame, and I have never committed adultery or murder! How could David be so free from those debilitating feelings?  I have great theology. I know that God said He would “remember our sins no more”, that he casts our sins as far as the east from the west, casts them behind His back, blots them out, that when I confess my sins He is faithful to forgive me and cleanse me.

I know those things, but I can’t seem to fully convince my inner heart and soul. But David seemed to really get it.

 We see this in what David recorded in Psalm 51.

Psalm 51:1-19 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy 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, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a      burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

David plead for mercy with full confidence that God would blot out his transgressions and cleanse him from his sin. He confessed his sin against God, then declared that God would cleanse him make him whiter than snow. He asked for a clean heart and a right spirit. He asked God to not take away His presence or his Spirit from him, and to restore his joy. David then determined to sing and praise God, to speak of Him and teach others about Him.

He would not let his great sin disqualify him or shame him.

David knew His God. He really understood His great love and mercy in a way that not many of us do. He walked in freedom that not many of us do.  I am so thankful, because, today, I caught a glimpse of the depth of forgiveness that I have not seen before.