The Unchanging Flesh Nature
The flesh nature inherited from Adam is the same in believers and unbelievers, and understanding this is key to understanding God's sovereignty in our lives.
Theodore Epp discusses the unchanging nature of the flesh, using the story of King David's sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Uriah to illustrate how even the most righteous can fall into sin. David's attempts to cover his wrongdoing reveal the depths of human depravity and the lengths to which one might go to hide their sins. Epp emphasizes that the sinful nature inherited from Adam remains unchanged in believers, highlighting the need for understanding God's grace and sovereignty in our lives. The sermon serves as a reminder that the heart is deceitful and wicked, urging believers to remain vigilant against their fleshly desires.
Text
2 Samuel 11:6-15
David's scheme was to bring Uriah home on a military furlough, hoping that he would be considered the father of Bathsheba's child. Uriah was much more righteous than David in this. He would not permit himself to relax until the war was over.
David then resorted to extreme measures. To the sin of adultery he added the sin of murder. He wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. It contained instructions that Uriah must meet death in battle. Uriah--honest, upright and fully dedicated to his nation and to his king--was given a letter with his own death warrant in it to be handed to Joab, the leader of Israel's army. If David could not cover up his sin by his plots, then he would seal Uriah's lips so that he could not accuse David of being the father of Bathsheba's child.
Some of us think that when a person such as David falls into such terrible sin, the reason must be that he was not a true believer. We must never forget that the evil nature inherited from Adam, or the flesh, in the believer is no different than in the unbeliever. Until we see this, we will never understand the sovereign grace of God and God's sovereignty in the methods He uses in our lives.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9).
Sermon Outline
- David's Sin
- The Unchanging Flesh Nature
- Understanding God's Sovereignty
- The Heart is Deceitful
- God's Methods in Our Lives
Key Quotes
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” — Theodore Epp
Application Points
- Recognize the presence of the flesh nature in your own life and the lives of others.
- Understand that the flesh nature is the reason for sin in believers, not a lack of faith.
- Trust in God's sovereignty and methods in your life, even when faced with difficult circumstances.