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David’s Ways of Escape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Kyle Pope ——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1) Hear\u00a0<\/strong>the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2) Believe\u00a0<\/strong>in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3) Repent\u00a0<\/strong>of sins.\u00a0 For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).\u00a0 For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4) Confess faith\u00a0<\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5) Be baptized\u00a0<\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).\u00a0 This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).\u00a0 For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>by <\/strong>living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).<\/p>\n\n\n\n ——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tebeau Street “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).——————– Contents: 1) David’s Ways of Escape (Kyle Pope) ——————– -1- David’s Ways of Escape Kyle Pope The apostle Paul told the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3066"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3068,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3066\/revisions\/3068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The apostle Paul told the Corinthians, \u201cNo temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it\u201d<\/strong> (1 Cor. 10:13, NKJV). While this promise is given under the New Covenant, I am convinced that it describes principles that have always been true of God\u2019s relationship to man.
First, No One Has to Sin. <\/strong>If all temptation is \u201ccommon to man,\u201d<\/strong> and yet God does not allow temptation \u201cbeyond what you are able,\u201d<\/strong> it cannot be that any sin with which man struggles is unavoidable. If (as some teach) our nature is \u201cutterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil\u201d (Westminster Confession of Faith,<\/em> 6.4), we couldn\u2019t help but sin! The Holy Spirit tells us, however, that we are \u201cable to bear\u201d<\/strong> temptation without sin. When Paul tells the Romans \u201call have sinned\u201d<\/strong> (Rom. 3:23) he is not describing a condition that was unavoidable, but a condition that has resulted from the fact that all accountable souls at some point choose to sin by their own freewill.
Second, God\u2019s Law Can Be Obeyed. <\/strong>Paul\u2019s words tell us as much about God\u2019s Law as they do about His providence. If He does not \u201callow us to be tempted\u201d <\/strong>beyond our ability to withstand but \u201cwith the temptation\u201d<\/strong> provides a way to avoid sin, we cannot argue that God\u2019s laws are too difficult for anyone to be able to obey. As burdensome as Mosaic Law was, in speaking about it, Moses told the people through the Holy Spirit \u201cthe word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, THAT YOU MAY DO IT\u201d<\/strong> (Deut. 30:14, emphasis mine). Paul applies this same wording to the message of the gospel in his letter to the Romans (see Rom. 10: 8). The fact that we do not always<\/em> obey does not mean we cannot <\/em>obey.
Third, There is Always a Way of Escape.<\/strong> Not only is it possible to overcome sin, and possible to obey God\u2019s law, but the Holy Spirit promises that in God\u2019s providence there is always a \u201cway of escape\u201d<\/strong> by which we can overcome the temptation and avoid giving-in to sin. That doesn\u2019t mean God will miraculously intervene in our freewill. David tells us that \u201cGod tests the hearts and minds\u201d <\/strong>in order to see if man will choose to obey Him (Ps. 7:9). Nor does it mean that we cannot choose a course of action that makes it harder to avoid sin. The wise man said, \u201cThere is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death\u201d<\/strong> (Prov. 14:12). Rather, Paul tells us that in any temptation the path to turn away from committing sin is always accessible if we will only look for it and take it!
When it comes to sin, the problem is not that it cannot be avoided, the problem is that far too often we choose not to take the \u201cway of escape.\u201d<\/strong> David\u2019s sin with Bathsheba is a clear example of this. Consider the opportunities he chose not to take.
First \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d <\/strong>The account of David\u2019s sin begins with the detail that it happened \u201cat the time when kings go out to battle\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:1a). Rather than going out with his troops \u201cDavid sent Joab and his servants with him\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:1b). If David had been where he should have been, doing what he should have been doing, this sin might never have happened. Sin often catches us when we neglect responsibilities we ought to fulfill, or when we are not busy with things that should occupy our time.
Second \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d <\/strong>While idle at home, the Holy Spirit tells us \u201cfrom the roof he saw a woman bathing\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:2a). I didn\u2019t really appreciate the architectural landscape of this until I was able to go to Jerusalem. The most ancient portion of Jerusalem, known as the \u201cCity of David,\u201d lies at the foot of the Temple Mount and stretches southward along the Kidron Valley. The area believed to be where David\u2019s palace stood sets high above the city that spreads out below it on the steep hillside that drops to the floor of the valley. The flat roofs of ancient Israelite homes were commonly used for storage, cooking, cleaning, rest or sleep in the cool of the evening (cf. Josh. 2:6, 8; Neh. 8:16). For David to see a woman under such conditions wasn\u2019t necessarily voyeuristic on his part or immodest on her part. Even so, he could have looked away when he saw her engaged in such a private activity. Instead, he looked enough to determine \u201cthe woman was beautiful to behold\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:2b). We cannot always avoid being exposed to temptation, but we can always choose to turn away from it.
Third \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d <\/strong>As a married man, David should have been content. Instead, he inquired who the woman was (2 Sam. 11:3a). His sin would not come from ignorance\u2014he was told her name, her father\u2019s name, and the fact that she was \u201cthe wife of Uriah the Hittite\u201d <\/strong>(2 Sam. 11:3b). For this man after God\u2019s \u201cown heart\u201d<\/strong> (1 Sam. 13:14) that should have been enough! The Law of Moses condemned adultery (Exod. 20:14) under punishment of death (Lev. 20:10). The king was to uphold the law (Deut. 17:14-20)\u2014not to ignore it. When temptation begins to take hold of one\u2019s heart it is not uncommon to hear words of warning that could help us avoid sin, if we will only listen\u2014\u201cWords of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard rather than the shout of a ruler of fools\u201d<\/strong> (Ecc. 9:17).
David missed three opportunities that could have allowed him to escape the temptation to sin. Instead, \u201cImmediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter\u201d<\/strong> (Prov. 7:22). The \u201csweet psalmist of Israel\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 23:1) committed adultery with another man\u2019s wife (2 Sam. 11:4)! Once sin has been committed there is no \u201cway of escape\u201d<\/strong> that allows us to take it back, but there are ways to respond to our sin lest we \u201cadd sin to sin\u201d<\/strong> (Isa. 30:1).
Fourth \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d<\/strong> David\u2019s son would declare, \u201cHe who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy\u201d<\/strong> (Prov. 28:13). The remaining opportunities David had to escape further compounding his sin involved avenues he was given to confess and forsake his sin. First when he learned from Bathsheba \u201cI am with child\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:5), he could have faced his guilt and done right by her, her husband, and the child. He did not. Guilt is a frightening thing. This man who was once brave enough to fight Goliath (1 Sam. 17:36) was afraid to face his own sin!
Fifth \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d<\/strong> David hoped he could conceal his sin by bringing Uriah, her husband, back from the war (2 Sam. 11:6-8). He assumed that Uriah would go in to his wife, and all would assume any child was Uriah\u2019s. Instead, Uriah contentiously refused to be with his wife while \u201cthe ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents\u201d <\/strong>(2 Sam. 11:11). David heard this man\u2019s noble devotion. He could have allowed this to move him to see the treachery of his own sin. He could have confessed and repented. He did not. This was a man who once had a conscience so tender that he felt guilty over cutting the corner of the robe of King Saul, who was then trying to kill him (1 Sam. 24:4-6)! Sin can sear the conscience and blind us to our own actions.
Sixth \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d <\/strong>Covering sin often forces us to bring others into our web of deception. Messengers had brought Bathsheba to David (2 Sam. 11:4)\u2014did they know about David\u2019s sin? Somehow Bathsheba \u201csent\u201d<\/strong> word to David (2 Sam. 11:5)\u2014did a servant bring this message? Did this person know about this sin? David told Joab to return Uriah to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 11:6), and servants had told David that Uriah didn\u2019t go home to his wife (2 Sam. 11:10). Did Joab know about David\u2019s sin? Did these servants wonder why the king was so curious about Uriah\u2019s love life? How could David care so little about the influence he had on all these people around him? In a last desperate attempt to cover sin David actually fed Uriah and \u201cmade him drunk\u201d<\/strong> (2 Sam. 11:13). Surely, he must have thought, a drunken soldier would go home to his wife. Even though he was drunk, Uriah did not. When we try to hide sin, we no longer care how many people we lead into sin in the process. David could have stopped even at this point and taken the \u201cway of escape\u201d to avoid further sin. He did not.
Seventh \u201cWay of Escape.\u201d<\/strong> The next morning David wrote a letter and sent it to Joab in the hand of Uriah (2 Sam. 11:14). Scripture only records one sentence of this letter (2 Sam. 11:15), but the exchange that follows probably infers that there was more to it. Uriah was carrying his own death warrant! If Joab didn\u2019t know before this about David\u2019s sin, it is likely that he was brought into the conspiracy to cover David\u2019s sin with this letter. David plans the means of Uriah\u2019s death (2 Sam. 11:15), Joab carries out the plan (2 Sam. 11:16-17), then deceitfully concocts a method to inform David about the crime under the guise of a military report (2 Sam. 11:18-24). This allowed David the opportunity to word a false message of encouragement to his commanding officer (2 Sam. 11:25). The hand cannot write without the direction of the mind. What went through David\u2019s mind as he wrote this letter? He could have thought, concerning God \u201cWhere can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?\u201d<\/strong> (Psa. 139:7). He could have said to himself, \u201cIf I say, \u2018Surely the darkness shall fall on me,\u2019 Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You\u201d <\/strong>(Psa. 139:11-12). At some point in his life these words were penned by this man, but not on that morning.
By missing each of these opportunities to escape sin David fell into adultery, perjury, drunkenness, collusion, conspiracy, the incitement of others to sin, and ultimately murder. David didn\u2019t have to sin, but he ignored each \u201cway of escape\u201d the Lord provided. David\u2019s failure must teach us not to follow the same course. No matter what the temptation the Lord promises \u201cthe way of escape, that you may be able to bear it\u201d <\/strong>(1 Cor. 10:13). Our task is to look for it and follow it!\u00a0\u00a0
\u2014 Via Faithful Sayings,<\/em> Volume 25, Issue 51, December 17, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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