FatherSpiritSon.com
Bringing Our Sins to Light!
It may not be the best feeling in the world to admit that we have sinned in any particular way, especially to other individuals who are our fellow believers in Christ. Although we are all sinners, and we all acknowledge this basic fact, it is a different story all-together to specify a sin we have committed. I think that there are many potential reasons why we may be hesitant to do so, but I believe that in the broadest sense it comes down to different types of fear. Firstly, we may feel that we lead by our example, and sharing the fact that we've done certain sins may weaken our testimony. Another aspect of fear that might lead us to keep it to ourselves is when we are afraid of what people may perceive of us when they learn that we've fallen victim in any one area. Finally, we may also be afraid of being ostracized, rejected, or even judged as a result of our admissions. This particularly rings true of severe sins in the eyes of humans, which may be better left between you and God to take care of.
Certainly many of these sorts of reasons are understandable and arguably may lead one to reason themselves out of sharing them with others. I would not force anyone or even encourage anyone to share their sins to others unless they felt it deep in their hearts that they should. This of course depends on a variety of factors and circumstances. I think it also depends on what you genuinely feel would assist you and those around you the most. If you are a leader, for example a pastor or teacher, I think in most cases it may actually benefit you to keep your shortcomings between you and the Lord. The reason I say this is that those of us who teach and speak about the word to others are subject to higher standards. This is even true when it comes to the judgment of God. (See V*1). Surely those of us that interpret and teach based on the word of God should be held accountable for what we say and do. Even though we may be eligible for great heavenly rewards, we need to be careful when we incorporate the word of God in our teachings so as not to present it in a false manner. Personally I try my best to prayerfully examine God's word and attempt to understand it in it's context before I involve it in my writings. It is easy to see that even though as believers under Christ we are expected to live up to similar standards according to the word of God those of us that have leadership roles, mentor others, teach others, talk about God's word, and so on do need to recognize this.
Allow me to illustrate this, for example, if a Catholic priest were to sin in the eyes of the public in any major way, some may begin to look beyond the individual incident at hand and start to criticize the church in it's entirety. This is why public figures need to be extremely careful in the way they decide to comport themselves, and should try their best to walk in the spirit in order to avoid most major conflicts.
Another example would be in the case of televangelists who find themselves living abundant lives to say the least, some allegedly to the brink of excess. This is certainly debatable, but I try not to judge these people too harshly because I have no idea what God has in store for me. If I was a televangelist I would try focusing on my relationship with God and keeping my conscience clear as well. I would attempt not to worry too much about the publics' negative perceptions. There will always be people who criticize too harshly and make sure that they get their voices heard somehow. I think that this is actually a sign that you are doing a good work. God opens doors for us, but we need to remember that this doesn't always make things easy to accomplish. More often than not we will face opposition and resistance in varying degrees from various sources when we fight the good fight of faith and obey God's plans for us. These may come in many forms, it could be a person that gets in the way or a financial obstacle just to name a couple of them. We need to become aware of these pitfalls that come along in any worthwhile undertaking. Maintain your faith and hope in the King of Kings and persist until the very end. When your work is done, particularly in reference to the work of God, I think you will truly feel as though God is saying to you, “Well done good and faithful servant!” After all, as believers of Jesus Christ, this is exactly what we want to hear when we are done with our Godly work. (See V*2).
It is never easy to hear that one of our role models has committed a seemingly unpardonable offense. Although this is always difficult to swallow we need to remember that these men and women of God struggle with sin just like you and I. Not only that, but when you serve God on a high level I would imagine that the Devil's schemes only get trickier and trickier to deal with. Surely God sees us through any obstacle that we prayerfully consult with Him and work on resisting as best as we can, but I am sure in some of these cases we are far too harsh with them. We do not know the motives of the person's heart or their genuine intentions many of the times, no matter how severe the sin might seem. In light of this simple truth, we should remember to keep in mind that only the actions of individuals should be judged not immediately tarnish the reputation of the offending party. I think this ruthless judgment upon someone who has struggled in the eyes of the public is excessive and invasive.
With that said I think that sharing our sins with other believers and bringing them to light in that way may help most of us. This does not mean you need to announce your next sin with trumpets, without any consideration of the repercussions of doing so. What I mean is, if you struggle with something like depression, anxiety, fear, worry, lust, pornography, compulsive gambling, lying, cheating, stealing, or lack of self-control just to name a few it may help to bring it to light. First I would certainly bring this to light in prayer with God 1-on-1, and make sure he understands how you feel. I think many of us need to strive to develop our personal relationship with God and need to remind ourselves that we can talk to God as if he was our best friend in the entire universe. Open up to Him and I guarantee He will set you on the right track. Ask Him to bless you with understanding, guidance, wisdom, and of course forgiveness. I would also go ahead and ask Him for His supernatural deliverance of habitual sins that may plague your life, as well as repenting of all such sinful behaviors. Next, if you want to take it a step further, find a close friend, relative, or someone else you can talk to and share your concern with them. Remember what the word says about two or more gathering under one request, God pays special attention to such occurrences. (See V*3). This is not to say he won't hear you alone, but it surely couldn't hurt to have two or more gather in light of your admission of sin. Accountability is also a very powerful tool and should not be underestimated. If you struggle with a certain sin, and share it with a friend that you trust, you may receive the support and encouragement you need to overcome the struggle once and for all.
I know that this particular article consisted of a good portion of truth based on the word of God, but you are certainly entitled to disagree with any of what I have specified in my writing. I honestly hope you all found it at least thought provoking, and hopefully found at least one nugget of wisdom that you may try to apply to your life or at least think about doing so. As always our e-mail is [email protected]. Feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have about this or any other article!
God bless you all, let's keep each other in prayer!
-Victor Nunez
Biblical References:
V*1- “Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment; 2 for we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a mature man who is also able to control his whole body. James 3:1-2 (HCSB)
V*2- “”His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful slave!” You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy”.” Matthew 25:21 (HCSB)
V*3- “Again, I assure you: If two of you on earth agree about any matter that you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in Heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:19-20 (HCSB)