David Born in Sin

When David sinned with Bathsheba and murdered her husband Uriah, he was forced to understand certain things about himself and about sin. The study of sin is harmartiology, from the Greek word for sin, to miss the mark. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, which means the mark of His righteousness (Rom 3:23).

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight: that You might be justified when You speak and be clear when You judge. Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part You shall make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow…Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. (Ps 51:2-10).

First David noticed in Psalm 51 that he sinned. He did not blame Bathsheba or someone else or blame the devil. Nathan said to him, “You are the man”. (2 Sam 12:7). It was not because of the circumstances. It was not his wife’s fault, or his enemy’s fault. It was his sin. It was not because he was tempted. It was his fault.

David recognised his sin was against God and against God’s righteous law, not firstly against a human social custom. He had not done wrong just in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of God. He saw God as a person. But, David saw further than this. David saw he sinned because he was a sinner by nature. He did not just see his mistake. He saw why he made that mistake. He saw it was an outworking of who he was.

David recognized he was born a sinner. He saw his nature was the problem and no training, education or self-improvement programme could help him. He saw what is vital to see, that only God could help him. He did not just say he did something wrong that he could correct. He went beyond that and he saw the real need, “I was shaped in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.”. He saw his own sin nature.

He recognized he needed God to cleanse him and create in him a new heart. He saw the most crucial aspect, that he could not help himself. This is what coming to our self means. It means realizing our real state. David could not help himself. God must change his heart and renew his spirit. He had to have a miracle.