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Discussion Forum : Articles and Sermons : How Could David do What he Did? By Jimmy Swaggart.

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knitefall
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Joined: 2010/3/2
Posts: 253


 How Could David do What he Did? By Jimmy Swaggart.

an article taken from the Evangelist Magazine:


Sin never betters itself. The slide is always downward. Irrespective of how holy man has been or how educated he might be, sin is a force and power that can only be dealt with by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.”
II SAMUEL 11:24 – “AND THE SHOOTERS SHOT FROM OFF THE WALL UPON YOUR SERVANTS; AND SOME OF THE KING’S SERVANTS BE DEAD, AND YOUR SERVANT URIAH THE HITTITE IS DEAD ALSO.”
The pattern is: 1. (Vs. 14) Uriah didn’t know it, but David had writ-
ten his death warrant. It will amount to murder
in cold blood, and of one of his loyal subjects. 2. (Vs. 15) How could the man who wrote the
Twenty-third Psalm do this? Sin never betters itself. The slide is always downward.
Irrespective of how holy man has been or how educated he might be, sin is a force and power that can only be dealt with by the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
Sin is so powerful that even though God could speak worlds into existence, still, due to His Nature, He could not speak sin out of existence. He would have to die on a cruel Cross, offering up Himself as a Perfect Sacrifice in order to pay in full sin’s demands.
3. The Holy Spirit intends for us here to see not only David’s terrible sins, but also our sins as well! 4. The wording of the Text concerning Verse 21 tells
us that Joab now knew at least something about the situation, if not its entirety.
COLD-BLOODED MURDER
Williams says, “Uriah was one of David’s mighty men (II Sam. 23:39). To make him the bearer of the letter
arranging for his murder was a depth of infamy, which is appalling.”2
To describe this scene one is unable! Adultery is bad enough, but cold-blooded murder is something else altogether!
When Uriah leaves his king with this letter in his garment, and to be delivered to Joab, he has no idea whatsoever as to what has happened. He doesn’t know that his king has dishonored him by committing adultery with his wife. And above all, he doesn’t know that David had set about to cover his sin, by demanding his death.
In all of the sins of man, the way this thing went down, it would be difficult to find something that was worse. Cold-blooded murder!
JOAB
As to what Joab knew about this situation, if any- thing, we cannot know. But the Scriptural Text seems to indicate that he suspected something. At any rate, he carried out David’s instructions to the letter. David had told him bluntly, “You set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and you retire from him, that he may be smitten, and die.”
How awful are these words! Once again we ask the question, “How could the sweet singer of Israel commit such a dastardly deed?”
Even at the risk of being overly repetitious, please allow us again to state the following:
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
• The only thing that stands between mankind and eternal Hell is the Cross of Christ.
• The only thing that stands between the Church and total apostasy is the Cross of Christ.
• The only thing that stands between Believers and them once again being taken captive by Satan is the Cross of Christ.
• The only thing that guarantees security, help, and
4 September, 2010
The EvangelistT“The ‘choice’ is, ‘Do we subscribe to God’s Pre- scribed Order of Victory, or do we set out on anoth- er course?’ That’s where the choice actually is!”
protection, is the Cross of Christ. Most would look at this scenario and be quick to say, “But I would never do
that!”
Perhaps you wouldn’t! However, one thing is certain, if your Faith is not anchored squarely in Christ and the Cross, you then become an easy target for the Devil, and to be sure, he will most certainly take advantage of the opportu- nity, whatever way he does choose.
DAVID’S SIN
This terrible sin of David’s, which we are now addressing, was so evil, so disgusting, so wicked, so ungodly, in actuality, was the result of his greater sin, which, in essence, constitutes rebellion against God and His Way, to which we’ve already addressed. That is where sin always begins.
WILLPOWER
When David stood on the top of his palace, and looked over and saw Bath- sheba bathing herself on the top of the house next door, because of his rebellion against God’s Way, which was the Cross, one might say that he was past the point of no return.
Most would instantly retort by saying, “All he had to do was simply say ‘no!’”
Because David’s faith is now placed in something, probably himself, other than the Sacrifice of Christ, the Holy Spirit is now greatly limited in what He can do for the king. This is the manner of all sin, and with all people.
IS SIN A CHOICE?
Yes it is, but not exactly in the way that most think or believe.
The “choice” is, “Do we subscribe to God’s Prescribed Order of Victory, or do we set out on another course?” That’s where the choice actually is!
If we choose wrong here, and please understand that the decision is always very subtle, then we are beyond saying “no” to whatever it is that Satan proposes. Listen to Paul:
“For that which I do (the failure) I allow not (should have been translated, ‘I understand not’; these are not the words of an unsaved man, as some claim, but rather a Believer who is trying and failing): for what I would, that do I not (refers to the obedience he wants to render to Christ, but rather fails; why? as Paul explained, the Believer is married to Christ, but is being unfaithful to Christ by spiritually cohabiting with the Law, which frustrates the Grace of God; that means the Holy Spirit will not help such a person, which guarantees failure [Gal. 2:21]); but what I hate, that do I (refers to sin in his life which he doesn’t want to do and, in fact, hates, but finds himself unable to stop; unfortunately, due to the fact of not understanding the Cross as it refers to Sanctification, this is the plight of most modern Christians).”
The Apostle then said, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing (speaks of man’s own ability, or rather the lack thereof in comparison to the Holy Spirit, at least when it comes to Spiritual things): for to will is pres- ent with me (Paul is speaking here of his willpower; regrettably, most modern Christians are trying to live for God by means of willpower, thinking falsely that since they have come to Christ, they are now free to say ‘no’ to sin; that is the
Continued on page 8


How Could David Do What He Did?
..........“Paul is reaching back into his experience with he Lord, which, of course, followed his
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t and him being baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
CPontinued from page 5
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wrong way to look at the situation; the Believer cannot live for God by the strength of willpower; while the will is definitely important, it alone is not enough; the Believer must exercise Faith in Christ and the Cross, and do so constantly; then he will have the ability and strength to say ‘yes’ to Christ, which automatically says, ‘no’ to the things of the world); but how to perform that which is good I find not (outside of the Cross, it is impossible to find a way to do good)” (Rom. 7:15, 18).
I don’t know why it is, but some preachers get incensed, when we say that Satan can override the will of a Believer, and make that Believer do something that he is strongly trying not to do.
Why? Possibly it’s a matter of pride! Paul plainly tells us that before he understood the
Message of the Cross, which in reality is the meaning of the New Covenant, that the very thing he wanted to do, which was to live clean before the Lord, he found he couldn’t do. As well, what he didn’t want to do, what he hated, he found himself doing, and despite every effort to do otherwise. All of this is very, very clear! Satan can override the will of a Believer, and force that Believer into a course of action that they don’t want to take, that is, if the Believer has made something other than the Cross of Christ the object of his faith.
Paul is reaching back into his experience with the Lord, which, of course, followed his conversion and him being baptized with the Holy Spirit. There was a time frame there possibly of several years, where Paul did not know nor understand the Message of the Cross. During that time, he tried his best to live a godly life, but found he couldn’t.
Of course, when he wrote the Seventh Chapter of
8 September, 2010
The EvangelistI“If the Believer is not functioning in Grace, which can only be done through our Faith in Christ and the Cross, then such a Believer is functioning under Law.”
Romans, he full well knew and understood the meaning of the New Covenant, because it had been given to him by Revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12). The Lord, therefore, allows him to go back in his experience and to portray his efforts for Christ before he understood God’s Prescribed Order of Victory. And let the reader understand, if Paul couldn’t live this life without the Cross of Christ being the Object of his Faith, even though he was Saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit, how do you think that you can do what he couldn’t do?
The truth is, you can’t! And neither can anyone else, irrespective as to whom they might be.
God’s Way is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. He has no other way, and if any Believer sets out to try to live for God in the wrong way, which refers to living outside of the Cross, in some way, that Believer is going to find himself in a position similar to that of David. While most, thank God, never fail to the degree as did David, still, in some way sin, as we’ve already stated, will dominate them (Rom. 6:12).
And to all who might claim that they can live a vic- torious life without the Cross, I again take you to Paul. He said:
“I do not frustrate the Grace of God (if we make any- thing other than the Cross of Christ the Object of our Faith, we frustrate the Grace of God, which means we stop its action, and the Holy Spirit will not help us): for if Righteousness come by the Law (any type of Law), then Christ is dead in vain. (If I can successfully live for the Lord by any means other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, then the Death of Christ was a waste)” (Gal. 2:21).
WHAT IS LAW?
If it is to be noticed in reading the Epistles of Paul, he mentions “Law” any number of times, in fact, about 140 times, that is if he wrote the Book of Hebrews, which I believe he did. While the word is used in several different capacities, the Apostle mostly uses it in the realm of the Law of Moses; however, there are times that he mentions law, which does not refer to the Law of Moses, but other types of laws, and sometimes in a general sense.
The idea is, the Believer is either under “Law” or “Grace.” There’s no other place to be.
Some think that because this is the Dispensation of Grace, and it is, that we are automatically under Grace. The truth is, most Christians, sadly and regrettably, are frustrating the Grace of God (Gal. 2:21), and many have even fallen from Grace (Gal. 5:4). No, Grace, even though this is the Dispensation of Grace, is not an automatic thing.
The Grace of God comes to us exclusively from Christ by the Means of the Cross. To receive this unending flow of Grace, and on a constant basis, it is required of the Believer that our Faith be exclusively in the Cross of Christ (Rom. 6:1-14; 8:1-2, 11; I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:14-15; Eph. 2:8-9). Let us say it again:
If the Believer is not functioning in Grace, which can only be done through our Faith in Christ and the Cross, then such a Believer is functioning under Law. Regret- tably, the latter is where most modern Christians are.
Most would disagree with that statement claiming that they know that the Law of Moses has been fulfilled in Christ, and it is no more incumbent upon Believers. The facts are, it’s not the Law of Moses to which modern Believers are adhering, but rather laws made up by their church, other preachers, themselves, or the religious denomination with which they are associated.
WHAT TYPE OF LAWS?
In fact, most of the laws that are made up by individu- als are good. They’re not evil, they’re not bad and, in fact, within themselves, at least some of the laws, are helpful and beneficial. So exactly what am I talking about?
For instance, the other day over television I heard a young preacher state, “If you want victory over a bondage in your life, you must make it a matter of prayer and fasting.”
Now prayer and fasting are two of the greatest disci- plines in the church. In fact, any Believer who has any type of relationship with Christ must have a prayer life. Actually, that has been my mainstay through the years, a prayer life, that which my Grandmother taught me when I was a child.
However, when we try to take one of these great attri- butes, these great disciplines, such as prayer and fasting, or the Lord’s Supper, or anything else for that matter, and try to make it function in a way that it was never intended, we turn it into a law. Within itself it’s not a law, but if we look at it wrong, that is if we place our faith and confidence in that thing, then it becomes a law.
There is only one way that bondages can be broken in one’s life, only one way that a Believer can have Vic- tory over sin, only one way that a Believer can grow in Grace and the knowledge of the Lord, only one way to live for God, and that is simply by one placing one’s Faith exclusively in Christ as the Source of all things that come to us from God, and the Cross as the Means by which we are given those things.
But the truth is, the modern church is living under law and doesn’t even realize it. That’s the reason for so many failures! That’s the reason for so many Christians having terrible problems! That’s the reason for preach- ers failing! That’s the reason that anyone fails for that matter! There is no difference between preachers and the laity. All come under the same measurement, the same rule, which is the Cross of Christ. Listen again to Paul:
“Examine yourselves, whether you be in the Faith (the words, ‘the Faith,’ refer to ‘Christ and Him Crucified,’ with
Continued on page 10
The Evangelist
September, 2010 9
How Could David Do What He Did?
CIontinued from page 9
“It doesn’t matter who it is, whether the Evangelist preaching to the largest crowds in the world, the Pastor who shepherds the largest church in the world, irrespective, the only way that anyone can live for God, and do so suc- cessfully, is by that person placing their Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross.”
the Cross ever being the Object of our Faith); prove your own selves. (Make certain your Faith is actually in the Cross, and not other things.) Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you (which He can only be by our Faith expressed in His Sacrifice), except you be reprobates? (rejected)” (II Cor. 13:5).
David, the sweet singer of Israel, the man after God’s Own Heart, lost his way, and committed some of the most dastardly sins in human history, simply because he took his eyes off of Christ and the Cross, and placed his faith in other things, whatever they might have been. Let me say it again:
It doesn’t matter who it is, whether the Evangelist preaching to the largest crowds in the world, the Pastor who shepherds the largest church in the world, irrespec- tive, the only way that anyone can live for God, and do so successfully, is by that person placing their Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross. That must ever be the Object of our Faith. It must remain there, even on a daily basis, even as our Lord warned us (Lk. 9:23).
2 George Williams, The Student’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Grand Rapids, Kregel Publications, 1949, pg. 167.
(The above article was derived from the Jimmy Swaggart Bible Commentary, “I Samuel and II Samuel”, II Samuel, Chapter 11.)

 2010/10/15 22:04Profile
knitefall
Member



Joined: 2010/3/2
Posts: 253


 Re: How Could David do What he Did? By Jimmy Swaggart.

Well is this Truth or what? Surely someone has something negative to say...


Praise God for those who keep the Faith even through such terrible times of being proven that men are only human!


David, Peter, Jimmy Swaggart and a multitude of others that fell and had no clue why at the time...

 2010/10/16 23:19Profile





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