Anointed: The Grip of Sin Gets Tighter Still

Sermons - FUMCO

2 Samuel 11:14-27

Welcome to our continuing summer worship series, “Anointed.” Each week we’ll draw insight and inspiration from the lives of three figures from the Hebrew scriptures—Samuel, Saul, and David—and examine more closely the persistent love of God for an often rebellious people.

David, a King renowned for strength and savvy in defense of God’s people, is now engaged in a different kind of conflict: the battle for personal mastery. He has sinned, but has fallen prey to a commonly held notion that his sin is “private” and personal, and no one else needs to be involved. He is king, his word has authority, and he can do as he pleases. In order for his transgression to remain private, he will use his authority to cover up any misdeeds.

The hard truth before us today is that all sin, no matter how privately it is held and how secretly it is kept from others, nonetheless impacts the whole community of faith. Sometimes the collateral damage from our personal misdeeds can be catastrophic. As David considers how to keep his private affair from becoming public, the grip of sin on his life actually worsens; the ripples will destroy a life and threaten the very Kingdom before God’s grace breaks through.