SEARCHLIGHT
Are you trying to hide or conceal anything that displeases God?
SCRIPTURE
“But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23b
SPOTLIGHT
President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 because of the Watergate scandal. He denied any wrongdoing until “his sin found him out.” Voice-activated tape recorders had been installed in the Oval Office, Cabinet Room, and Camp David. What he denied had all been caught on tape. The tapes were the evidence proving his guilt.
While pastoring, I will never forget one family that regularly attended church and were so very supportive in many ways. How shocked I was when I learned that the man and woman were not married but had been living common law for many years. They had pretended to be husband and wife even in the eyes of God. Their sin caught up with them.
You cannot win from sin. The consequences are unavoidable. David Jeremiah said, “Take your kicks but get ready for the kickback.” You can ignore your sin but eventually, it will be noticed. You can try to hide your sin, but it will be discovered. You can try to deny your sin but at some point, you will have to confess to it.
The Bible makes it clear that “your sin will track you down.” [The Message] Ecclesiastes 12:14 states, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Someday you will be accountable for everything that you do whether it has been good or bad. Jesus said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” [Luke 12:2,3]
Sin can be like a submerged beach ball under the water. You can hold it down for a while but ultimately it will surface and expose itself. You cannot keep it hidden. David tried to do this when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. His sin multiplied as he tried to hide it from everyone. Read about it in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. Then read David’s prayers in Psalm 51 and 32.
I read the story about a well-respected seminary professor who had been a missionary for 25 years. He had returned home to teach people how to share the gospel. Unfortunately, he had to go to the Mayo Clinic two times a year. Every year he went he seemed to grow weaker and weaker. His prognosis did not appear to improve.
Eventually, the teacher’s story was revealed. When he was a young man he had worked on the railroad. Over time he became an engineer. Lacking wisdom, he began to consume alcohol which often led him to spend his nights drinking and fighting. This went on for many years before having a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. He was gloriously saved, delivered, and transformed. Truly, he became a new creature. He went on to become a servant of God and a brilliant scholar.
The alcohol took a toll on his body. His liver was drastically weakened and he became very sick. Often he would say “Students, remember, God can give you a new heart, but he can’t give you a new liver.”
God can give you a new heart. He can do this right now. By repenting of your sin and confessing Jesus Christ to be your Savior you can experience immediate transformation. That is the Good News. However, there may also be bad news. Someone once put it this way, “Sin is an unbeatable game. Don’t play with it, even as a Christian. That which you insist on sowing, you are going to have to reap. So repent. Turn around. Stop. Sin is an unbeatable game!”
SOMETHING TO DO
Someday God will evaluate both unbelievers and believers. Read the following Bible Scriptures to gain further understanding.
Romans 14:10-13 The Judgment Seat of Christ
2 Corinthians 5:9-11 The Judgment Seat of Christ
Revelation 20:11-15 The Great White Throne Judgment
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for making me aware that there is no winning through sinning. Thank you, Jesus Christ, for paying the price on Calvary so that I could be forgiven of my sin.
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for convicting me of not living up to my Godly potential. AMEN