Stay in Love with God

A couple weeks back I was preaching (and devotional-izing) on the story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah. There’s a pretty well-known “psalm of David” that connects to this chapter of David’s life, Psalm 51. It’s full of iconic and stirring lines:

Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin!

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
   and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and uphold me with a willing spirit. (51:1-2, 7, 10-12)

You might hear some of these words in worship services during Lent, because this has become sort of the quintessential biblical cry of repentance.

There’s one verse in the psalm, however, that I struggle with. It’s Psalm 51:4:

Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment.

Against you only have I sinned? What about Bathsheba? What about Uriah? Did David not sin against them?

I recently heard someone (I can’t remember who!!) say that you should especially pay attention to the things in scripture that disturb you or leave you shaking your head, because those verses and stories clearly still have something to teach you.

Ugh. Okay. Fine.

Well, if I give Psalm 51:4 a little more of my time and attention, it does make me wonder. I wonder if David’s words aren’t shining a light on an aspect of sin that it’s easy to overlook. Our behaviors, attitudes, and words aren’t only sinful whenever they harm others. Our behaviors, attitudes, and words are also sinful whenever they are disobedient or dishonoring to God.

When someone questions whether your actions and habits are appropriate for a follower of Jesus, it’s natural to respond, ‘I’m not hurting anybody!’ And that might be true. But, in that moment, have you considered God’s view of your actions and habits? “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” Even if you aren’t, in any obvious way, sinning against another person, you still have to answer the question: am I sinning against God?

If you’re Methodist, think about it like this. John Wesley had three “general rules” that he expected all of the first Methodists to follow:

1. Do no harm.
2. Do good.
3. Attend to the ordinances of God. (Today, people will summarize this one: stay in love with God.)

You may be checking box number 1. But if you’re not doing the good God’s equipped you to do, then you’re still sinning against the Lord. (James 4:17 says, “If anyone knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”)

Or, you might be checking box number 1 and be very diligent about box number 2—but if you’re not intentionally taking steps to strengthen and to show your love for God, you’re still falling short. “Against you have I sinned.”

Look for ways today to love your neighbor as yourself. Dedicate yourself to that work. Yes. Yes. Yes.

But in our concern for our neighbors, doing them no harm, doing them good, let’s not forget the first great commandment: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Let’s be no less diligent in our efforts to do right by our Father.

Let’s not sin against him, but do everything we can to stay in love with God.

You can listen to this devotional right here: