“Cut to the Heart”

Then the men of David said to him, "This is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will

deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.'" And David

arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul's robe. Now it happened afterward that David's heart

troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe. And he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I

should do this thing to my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him,

seeing he is the anointed of the LORD." So David restrained his servants with these words, and

did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

1 Samuel 24:4-7

There’s a world of difference between justifying our sins and being convicted over them. This passage is

great for us to look at because while David could have convinced himself that God was giving him an

opportunity to kill Saul and promote himself, he withheld from doing that. Nevertheless, what’s so

interesting is that David cuts a piece of Saul’s robe off and ends up getting convicted for even doing that!

I would love to make a very brief challenge to you today: there’s a preciousness to being sensitive to sin. I

remember going to public school in junior high and it seemed like overnight, all of these kids started

cursing like sailors and nearly all of them were sleeping with each other. I hope that’s a bit of an

overstatement, but it was becoming so debased in my little class of 30 as hormones were raging all while

maturity was in such short reserve. I tried to keep my Christian testimony as a kid at that time, but I’ll tell

you, I was given a lot of flack for having some sense of moral code. I was not sinless, but I was not joining

everyone else and instead, at times, telling my classmates that it was wrong. Times have not changed; it

seems the older I get, the more sin is being presented as personal preference and biblical standards

demonized.

Again, let me say it: there’s a preciousness to being sensitive to sin, convicted over doing things you

know you shouldn’t. Restrained inside from doing evil because you want to do the right thing and God is

also present in your life. We shouldn’t celebrate sin or make it normal, ever. The best thing we can do is

feel burdened over it when we do it and be bothered by it when we see it in others. Not hating sinners, but

hating sin, because it has wrecked all too many lives. It has distanced people from God, made Him an

enemy when He’s nothing but good and holy, and ravaged families, friends, neighbors, and nations.

When David cut Saul’s robe, David was cut to the heart, and that’s so good because it signaled character,

too.

Conviction isn’t something that ends when you become a Christian. It should be a regular part of our

lives, a sign of life if you will. From there, we go to God, confess and repent, and move in the direction of

alignment with Him once more. Never make light of a strong sensitivity to sin. On the other hand, never

become a judgmental person who lays into the law rather than pointing to God’s grace when you see sin

in yourself or others. It always has to go back to the Gospel. Use the sensitivity well. Be blessed.

Sam Stringer

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.