You are the man!

But Nathan instead told the king of a man who stole another man’s lamb, and then killed it. When David became self-righteous and indignant, Nathan said, “You are the man! Why have you despised the Commandment of the Lord?” That’s what caused David to cry out that he had sinned against God, and plead for mercy (see Psalm 51). Speaking of some “wonderful plan” would not have, and could not have produced such a response.
We are to be like Nathan. We are to ignore our fears and we are not trifle with the message with which we have been entrusted: “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:1-2).
The Amplified Bible says of verse 2: “We refuse to deal craftily (to practice trickery and cunning) or to adulterate or handle dishonestly the Word of God, but we state the truth openly (clearly and candidly).” Yet many of us have handled the Word of God deceitfully. Even though every son and daughter of Adam is a criminal in God’s sight--with a multitude of serious crimes against Heaven, our message has become “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” It has been adulterated, with sin being merely addressed with a blanket of “all have sinned,” when we should be following in Nathan’s steps and instead personalizing it with “You are the man…Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord?” The word “commandment” is a direct reference to the Ten Commandments, and David certainly had despised them. He coveted his neighbor’s wife, stole her, lived a lie, committed adultery, committed murder, dishonored his parents, and skittled the remaining four Commandments that make reference to our relationship to God.
Sin is never simple, and it always involves transgression of the moral Law (see 1 John 3:4). Sin is extremely serious, is personal, and its personal nature must be addressed if there is to be personal responsibility and a personal response. This is what Paul did in Romans chapter two. When confronting sinners, he didn’t speak of a wonderful plan, but instead spoke of God’s Law and then he personalized sin with, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written” (Romans 2:21-24). He was saying, like Nathan, “You are the man.” To be continued.