RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-03-26	Secret Sins In Our Lives - Consequences
		Secret sins are those sins you know about, but you do not want anyone else to know about it. These are the ones you “hide in the closet” or “sweep under the rug” as such. Yet inwardly, they are causing damage and pain spiritually. So, what is a secret sin? It is something you have decided in your mind you are going to continue to do because it brings temporary pleasure without anyone else knowing. This could be a web site you frequent, some “toy” you use for your own pleasure. It could be a relationship that you are in, that you want to keep secret. It could be addiction to something such as alcohol, drugs, or even food. You know these are drawing you away from God. There are at least 3 consequences to harboring secret sin in our lives. 1 Secret sin is deceptive. Whenever dealing with sin in our lives, and we think we are getting away with it because the consequences have not yet caught up to us, we begin to think we can get away with it. This gives us a false sense of security that we can continue to go down this path, and seemingly nothing “bad” happens to us. A. W. Tozer once said, “Sin would have fewer takers if its consequences were immediate.” The deception is that because we do not see immediate consequences, that there will not be any consequences. Num 32:23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out. It is deceptive because no one outwardly knows what is going on in your heart, so it must be ok. Know that God is always able to look past the exterior and see what is going on in our hearts (1Sm.16:7; Ro.2:16; 1Co.4:5; Ec.12:14). Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. If secret sin has not caught up to you yet, it is a pay now or pay later situation. God will judge sin now in this life or at the judgment Seat of Christ. No believer will lose the salvation God has provided, but we may forfeit things God wants to bestow upon us. 2. Secret Sin is damaging. Most are familiar with the story of David and Bathsheba. Remember he tried to keep his sin a secret. David later confesses what happened to him as he was hiding his sin (Ps.32:3-4). Psa 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. Psa 32:4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah Psa 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Notice from David's confession that his secret sin affected three areas. (1) The body. “my bones grew old Through my groaning.” (2) The soul. David said he was “groaning all the day long.” He felt guilty. (3) The Spirit. David felt the heavy hand of God's discipline upon him. “Your hand was heavy upon me.” He felt conviction, shame, and guilt bottled up in his spirit. Secret sin can be damaging because it can lead to living a double life by trying to manage the outward and inward worlds. That is, the one you want everyone to see, and the one you do not want anyone to see. 3. Secret sin leads to disconnection. Our connection with the Lord is affected by our secret sin. The intimacy and fellowship that we have with the Lord is compromised (Ps.66:18). Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. Some may ask, why is it that God is not hearing my prayers? It may be that we have unconfessed and unrepentant sin in our lives. God hears our prayers because He hears and knows everything, but He is not answering our prayers. When you are leading a double life, you do not feel like praying, fasting, worshiping God, sharing your faith with others, or reading your Bible. You do not want to do these things because you feel like a hypocrite. You feel like God does not want anything to do with you. These are serious consequences in the life of a Christian. We must take sin seriously. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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