HIDDEN SIN RIPENS

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

God’s Breath Publications

 

Numbers 32:23

“You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

 

In our experience as Christians many of us have had a moment when we have felt God was talking directly to us. There have been several times in my own life where I have sensed the Holy Spirit speaking to me. Sometimes it was more like a feeling than actual words; sometimes it was through scripture verses that came to mind and a few times it almost seemed like I heard an audible voice.

 

Many years ago I was trying to move my optometry practice into a newer building. I had put all my financial papers in order and had gone to the bank to apply for a loan. I was concerned about my chances of relocating though because in the last six months my production had taken a dip and I felt that this might hinder my chances of getting a positive evaluation and approval. My concerns were valid because in a few weeks I received notice that I had been turned down.

 

A few weeks later I was sitting in my personal study of the office eating my lunch and I heard an almost audible voice say, “Go check the last patient’s ledger card.” I stopped chewing my sandwich and was tempted to look around to see if someone was in the room. I started chewing again and then I heard it again. “Go check the last patient’s ledger card.” I gulped down what was left of the sandwich and pondered the strange feeling of not really being alone in a vacant closed office. I decided that I should do as I was told and go check the last patient’s ledger card.

 

I went into the front office, pulled out the ledger card of the last patient. It showed the exam fee listed and the fact that it had been paid in cash and listed a zero balance owed. “So what?” I thought. Then I had a feeling that possibly I should check the cash receipts strongbox. I opened the drawer where the box was held, opened it and found it totally bare. “That’s odd.” I thought. Then the gears of concern began turning in my mind. Had one of my staff been stealing from me?

 

At the end of the day I took the accounting records home with me and began checking entries. I found numerous discrepancies. I was planning on taking a short trip to Oregon with my family in the next few days so I boxed up all the accounting papers of the last six months with other records and spent the eight hour trip in the car balancing books, checking figures and experiencing a gut-wrenching feeling that someone I had trusted and relied upon had sinned against me. The amount of money was rather large and the methods used were deceptive and varied. While I had some feelings of anger, I was mostly hurt and wounded. I knew which staff person had committed this hidden sin that had now ripened into full bloom. Like a dead animal on the side of the road, their sin had bloated to huge proportions and finally exploded in my face. What was I to do? She was a young mother with three young children. Just as the Holy Spirit had notified me of this hidden sin, I knew He would guide me in what to do.

 

I won’t go into the details, but I wished to proceed as best I could in a Christian fashion since this person was a Christian. I contacted her pastor and informed him. I spoke with my pastor as well. Both pastors and I confronted the person and we worked out a process of reconciliation where the money was paid back. She received counseling and the authorities were not notified. While the process of reconciliation and forgiveness was directed by the Lord, all of our lives would never be quite the same. Hidden sin always ripens if it is not confessed and dealt with.

 

Another incident made me think of how hidden sin we have in our lives can come forth to plague our lives. A lady once told me that she had gone to the grocery store to get numerous things she needed. She told me that she thought the store had forgotten to put her gallon of milk she had bought in the bag of groceries. She shared that when she had emptied the car and put away all the groceries she could not find the milk she had bought. She had gone back to the car and looked all through it but could not find the milk container. I told her to go back to the store and let them know so she could get the milk she had not received. While she intended to do this, life has a way of wiping your memory out with all the busy things that must get done. Needless to say the issue of the milk carton vanished into a busy schedule of too many things to do.

 

About two weeks later the lady told me she found the milk, or should I say the milk found her? Apparently it had slipped down under some plastic bags and became invisible even to close examination of the car. In the hot summer heat it had literally boiled, curdled and finally exploded in her car.  She wanted me to take a look and give her advice on what to do now. The smell would be hard to describe adequately. I believe it would have made some of the toughest men I know gag. I helped her steam clean the carpet as best I could. She also had to have a professional carpet cleaner use industrial strength chemicals on the sinful stain. Despite all efforts there was still a lingering smell of spoilt milk. Hopefully with time, the faint smells of the lost milk carton will fade. How similar this is to the hidden sins that plague our lives at times.

 

Hidden sins fester and curdle. They do not sit dormant but are constantly wishing to propagate, duplicate, spread, invade, expand, infest, spoil, taint, ruin, destroy, multiply and erode our relationship with Christ and others. If left unconfessed and unforgiven such sins will ultimately grow to such proportion they will risk the well being of the host and those nearby. Often the Holy Spirit will whisper and sometimes shout at us about such sins, but often we turn a deaf spiritual ear.

 

In the Old Testament King David is just one example of such a situation. His lust for Bathsheba caused him to plot and plans the death of Uriah. His sin festered in his soul and polluted his life and affected all those around him. He paid for his sin in many ways, but he also chose to confess his sin and restore his relationship with His Heavenly Father.

 

In the New Testament we also have several examples where the sin of an individual festered and infected their lives until they had to confront it and repent. Paul’s sin against Christians and Jesus came to an end on the Damascus Road where he was confronted by Jesus and had to face his unbelief. Through dramatic intervention Paul repented and became greatly used by God in the spread of the gospel and the writing of the New Testament.

 

The Apostle Peter is another example where there is hope for those in persistent sin. Peter denied Christ not just once or twice, but three times! This sin ate away at his heart and affected him deeply. Through confession He was able to return to fellowship with his Lord and serve him mightily the rest of his life and die a martyr’s death.

 

In the book of James we have the progressive development of hidden sins revealed. It states in James 1:14-15, “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Here we see a detailed picture of sin. It is presented almost like that of the birth of a child. It states for a fact that temptation originates from within us. Therefore we can’t blame someone or something else. Our fleshly desires always tempt us, but when we continue to entertain these temptations and begin to take ownership of them they can give birth to sin. Once we have conceived sin it begins to expand and envelope our lives. Often we try to hide such sin, but James tells us that once it is conceived it begins to grow. When this sin becomes fully grown death is a result.

 

There are several ways to prevent hidden sins that will ripen into full-grown destructive death bombs. First we can avoid entertaining temptations that come our way. There’s an old saying about this that says, “I can’t stop temptations from flying around my head, but I can stop them from nesting in my hair.”  We have numerous temptations that fly around our head during our daily lives. We can shoo such temptations away, ignore them, and possibly even have someone hold us accountable in this process. In other words, we have a choice in how we handle temptations.

 

Secondly if we follow our desires and make an inappropriate choice in favor of a temptation we can abort the sin’s process of maturing. This prevents it from growing into full-blown death and destruction in our lives. We do this by confessing it to our Lord and asking for forgiveness. This restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father and purges our lives of the influence of the sin. We still may face the consequences of our choices but we are much better off than if we continued to participate in the sin.

 

Christians have already been forgiven for their sins; past, present and future, but sins can still cause trauma and destruction in their lives. When Christians sin after their conversion they must continue to confess them to the Lord to restore their relationship with Christ. We are justified before God by Christ’s death on the cross, but the condition of our lives is in a process of sanctification. Confession and repentance are still needed throughout the life of a Christian even though they have received salvation through Christ.

 

Non-believers are in a different position altogether. They are under the wrath of God for they have no relationship with Him. Their sins continue to pile up, erode their lives and cause destruction to those around them.  If a non-believer fails to accept Christ as their Savior, sin continues to grow to adulthood and gives birth to death, the ultimate penalty for sin, and brings the righteous judgment of God.

 

Don’t let sin hide in your life. Keep short accounts with God. If you’re a Christian, confess and restore your relationship with Him. If you’re a non-believer, consider removing the penalty, power and presence of sin as well as the judgment of God from your life and start a relationship with Jesus by accepting Him as your Savior.

 

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.”