SECRET SIN
One of Satan's biggest lies is that there are some sins that God does not either care about or know about (David Scudder). Not only does God know about our secret sins, but sooner or later, one way or the other, those sins will cease to be secret - they will be disclosed. Numbers 32:2- 3 declares, “...be sure your sin will find you out.” Jesus said, in Luke 8:17, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither anything hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”
In a Christian life, one little hidden sin can weaken the foundation of a person's character and be the cause of his downfall. It is very possible to sin against God and not know that it is a sin. God has given us a written revelation that tells us what we need to know about sin. Ignorance is never an excuse to a Christian. Our sins may be hidden from others also. Solomon warned us that sexual sins are usually done in secret. (Proverbs 7:8--9)
There is vast mass of real sins that are secret, and come not beneath our eye. If we had eyes like those of God, we should think very differently of ourselves. We have a very few sins which we can observe and detect, compared with those which are hidden to ourselves and unseen by our fellow creatures. If you sin secretly, and yet make a profession; you break God's covenants in the dark and wear a mask of goodness in the light.
You revile the drunkard when he staggers through the street; but you indulge in the same habit in private. Every Pretender is a fool, his folly makes him to harbor a secret sin. That secret sin shall be revealed one day; perhaps very soon. Your sin is not a secret; the eye of God has seen it; you have sinned before his face. God's eye pierces through the darkness; the brick walls which surrounded you were as transparent as glass to the eye of the Almighty God.
Charles Spurgeon said, " A sin is a sin, whether done in private or before the wide world" . It is singular how men will measure guilt. For example, A railway servant puts up a wrong signal, there is an accident; the man is tried, and severely reprimanded. He put up the wrong signal a day before the accident; no one accused him for his neglect. But it was just the same, accident or no accident, the accident did not make the guilt, it was the deed which made the guilt, not the consequence of it. It was his business to have taken care; and he was as guilty the first time as he was the second, for he negligently exposed the lives of men. Do not measure sin by what other people say of it; but measure sin by what God says of it, and what your own conscience says of it.
God looks down and sees all. Our eyes are weak; we cannot look through the darkness; but his eye, like an orb of fire, penetrates the blackness; and reads the thoughts of man, and sees his acts when he thinks himself most concealed. No eye of detection on earth has discovered you, but God's eyes are now looking through the clouds upon you. You live a filthy life, and yet you are more respected by men; your vices are all known, written in God's book. He keeps a diary of all your acts; and what will you think on the judgment day when a crowd shall be assembled, and God shall read out the story of your secret life, and men and angels shall hear it.
The man who makes a profession of religion, and yet lives in iniquity, is the most miserable. A downright wicked man, who takes a glass in his hand, and says, "I am a drunkard, I am not ashamed of it," he shall be unutterably miserable in worlds to come, though briefly has his pleasures. A man who curses and swears, and says, "That is my habit, I am a profane man," and makes a profession of it, he has, at least, some peace in his soul; but the man who walks with God's minister, who is united with God's Church, who comes out before God's people, and unites with them, and then lives in sin, what a miserable existence he must have of it. It would be better for a person to say they want to follow Satan, do what pleases him, than to say they want to follow God and then do what pleases Satan. It must be particularly repulsive to God when someone claims to love God publicly, but then disrespects Him to His face in private. "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed" (Titus 1:16).Hypocrisy stirs up the anger of God.
One danger is, that a man cannot commit a little sin in secret, without being betrayed into a public sin. You may labor to conceal your vicious habit, but it will come out, you cannot help it. Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and they say, 'Who sees us?' or 'Who knows us?' " (Isaiah 29:15)
No sin will remain a secret forever. It is very difficult to live our lives constantly fearing that others may find out what we are really like (Numbers 32:23). This is why those who have secret sins try to avoid any meaningful contact with God. "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed" (John 3:20).
Even if we hide our sins successfully until the day we die, there will be no way to keep God from revealing all of our sins to all of creation (David Scudder) . Jesus said, "But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known" (Luke 12:2).
Secret sins block God's blessings.
"If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psalm 66:18). God does not promise to answer our prayers when we are allowing secret sins to dwell in our hearts.
Brethren, do not incur the fearful guilt of secret sins. No man can sin a little in secret. It will certainly engender more sin; no man can be a hypocrite and yet be moderate in guilt; he will go from bad to worse, and still proceed, until when his guilt shall be published, he shall be found to be the very worst and most hardened of men. Take heed of the guilt of secret sin.
The balloon can mount, but it cannot direct its course; it must go whichever way the wind blows. If you once mount into sin there is no stopping. Take heed if you would not become the worst of characters, take heed of the little sins, they, mounting one upon another, may at last heave you from the summit and destroy your soul forever. There is a great danger in secret sins.
AVOID SECRET SINS
1. TAKE HEED OF SECRET SINS. They will undo you if loved and maintained them: one moth may spoil the garment; one leak drown the ship; a penknife stab can kill a man as well as a sword; so one sin may damn the soul; there is more danger of a secret sin causing the miscarrying of the soul than open profaneness.
2. LET THE BIBLE REVEAL YOUR SIN.
"The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:7--11).
3. LEARN ABOUT GOD’S UNIVERSAL PRESENCE.
"'Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?' declares the LORD. ' Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?' declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:24).
"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13).
"You are a God who sees" (Genesis 16:13).
4. HATE SIN BECAUSE IT OFFENDS THE SAVIOUR.
We have not repented of our sin until we see our sin as ugly and repugnant: "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:8--10).
5. EMBRACE THE COVERING FOR SIN THAT CHRIST PURCHASED.
There is not one of you here today that would want me to read off a list of your every sinful thought and deed. That would bring great shame. We would want someone to cover over our sins. The good news is that Jesus has made that possible. "Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation [appease God's wrath] for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17)
Our sinful condition can be washed away: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. " (1 Corinthians 6:9--11).
Let us take heed of our little sins. A little sin, like a little pebble in the shoe, will make a traveler walk to heaven very wearily. Little sins, like little thieves, may open the door to greater ones outside. Little sins will spoil your communion with Christ
Christians must not tolerate secret sins. We must not harbor traitors; it is high treason against the King of Heaven. Let us drag them out to light, and offer them upon the altar, giving up the dearest of our secret sins at the will and bidding of God. There is a great danger in a little secret sin; therefore avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it and shun it; and God will give you grace to overcome it.
Sin always brings defeat in a person’s life.
If you’re already a Christian, but you’ve gotten off the track of God’s will, heed the words of Lamentations 3:40: “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.” Then you can claim the marvelous, encouraging promise of 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(Outlines quoted from Charles Spurgeon and David Scudder study on SECRET SINS)
JAMES DINA
Jodina5@gmail.com
22nd July 2020
