The Wages of Sin Is Death

This passage deals with King David's grave sins of coveting Bathsheba and killing Uriah, and the catastrophe that then befalls his family and his kingdom. Although David was a man full of faith, for a moment he looked with worldly eyes, gave in to desire and broke God's law, and this led to consequences that went beyond a personal mistake to destroy even the lives of his children. It stresses that God does not weigh the number or severity of sins, and that believers must fend off Satan's attacks through the faith they have now.

The sermon points out that when Satan attacks believers, he aims at the worldly fruit they cherish most or at their weak spots. The incident in which David's son Amnon falls for the cunning scheme of Jonadab, then rapes and casts off his half-sister Tamar, shows how a father's spiritual indifference and the influence of sin lead to cracks in the family. And David's loss of wisdom and judgment as Absalom kills Amnon in revenge teaches that sin gives birth to further sin and brings on greater catastrophe.

Believers must discern the isolation and temptation Satan brings and live rightly, and must remember that the faith of parents has an enormous influence on the destiny of their children. The sermon asks why believers must not grow spiritually dull but must always respond wisely and rely on God.