You are that man

            There is no more instructive a life than David’s from the Bible.

            David was a powerful king, a wonderful song writer (Psalms), a devoted father, a man after God's own heart.

            And a failure.

            He fell in love with another man's wife. He had that husband killed. He sinned. He fell.

            "So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: 'There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

            “David was furious. ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ he vowed, ‘any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are that man!’ " 

            There is none among us who is perfect. We're born. We live. We die, sinful creatures all. 

            We are who we are, created by a God who loves us enough to let us make choices that are contrary to both his teachings and his will, none of us perfect, none of us beyond failure, none of us good enough to find salvation on our own.

            If we were, Jesus died for nothing. If we are not capable of asking for forgiveness, we are capable of accepting the grace that God provides.

            Simple.

            Perfect plan.

            David understood. He said, "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer."

            Simple.

            Perfect.

            We fall, but we get back up. That’s who we should be as Christians. This isn’t really up for one of those theological discussions over strong coffee.

            That's our cue, entrance from the right side of the stage of course, to say anyone who doesn't ask for forgiveness, who doesn't forgive others, doesn't receive forgiveness. Without forgiveness, we can't be called rightly Christian.

            Simple.

            Perfect.

            So when someone says, “I'm not sure I have ever asked God's forgiveness. I don't bring God into that picture," well, take that as a declaration. Again, without asking for forgiveness, humbling oneself, falling before an almighty God, one doesn’t receive forgiveness.

             When someone says, "when I go to church and when I drink my little wine and have my little cracker, I guess that is a form of forgiveness. I do that as often as I can because I feel cleansed. I say let's go on and let's make it right" they are filled with legalities, but not with grace.

            Without the grace of God, we fall and stay down.

            Simple.

            Incomplete.