241How to Get Rid of Guilt
written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged" (3:4)1 Sin always strikes at the heart of God. Notice verse four: "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest." David is not trying to pass over the trouble he has caused to those whom he has wronged. He knew that he had sinned against himself, against his family, against Bathsheba, against Uriah, even against the little helpless baby that was born from his illicit union, for the child died. David certainly also sinned against Israel. Basic– ally, however, his sin, as is all sin, was against God. When you get right down to it, any sin is a slap in the face of God. Some time ago our newspapers carried an article with a Miami dateline about a woman who had married a man to save him from a prison sentence. It had been passed against him for earlier having shot and paralyzed her. The woman was pushed to the courtroom in a wheelchair. Now, her plea was entirely different. She asked that her husband be sent to jail. He had refused to care for her and even brazenly flaunted other women in her presence. The judge had earlier put him on 17 years' probation, ordering him to support the woman whom he had crippled as his wife. The man had already pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit murder. Well, his wife, who had become incapacitated because of his deed, found that her husband really didn't do what the judge had demanded. So, he was sent to prison for 15 years. As the magistrate passed sentence, he pointed out, "You got the break of a lifetime. You shot this girl, paralyzed her and put her in a wheelchair. You've kept out of jail on her account. You owe a debt to this community. But most im– portantly, you owe a tremendous debt to God." What a wise judge he proved to be. This is exactly what David is saying. When we sin in any way whatsoever, no matter who else is in– volved, the sin is still against God.
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