Coming Clean

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; 
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 
 Then I acknowledged my sin to you 
and did not cover up my iniquity. 
I said, ‘I will confess 
my transgressions to the LORD ‘— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.” (Psalm 32:3-6 NIV)

David was engaged in a futile exercise—trying to hide his sin from the all-knowing God.  And he paid the price.  

What is it about sin that we feel the need to try to hide ours from God?  Is it embarrassment?  Pride?  Fear?  Whatever our reason, as with David, it never works out too well for us.  As he finally learned, it is best to come clean, and the sooner the better.

What we need to understand is God longs for us to seek Him out when we have failed to live up to His expectations.  That may seem counterintuitive based upon our experiences with our own parents or others in authority over us.  Even if we are eventually forgiven, there is “hell to pay” in the process.  Yet, the Lord is not like that.  As I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  

If we confess, it is done.  The Lord forgives and our relationship with Him is restored. Now there may be earthly consequences.  If you have sex outside of marriage and a pregnancy results, then you have to live with that consequence.  In the same way, if you gossip about someone and cause great hurt, you may destroy a friendship.  But you won’t be estranged from God, regardless of the fallout from your sin.

God longs to be intimate with us and sin prevents that.  So if we are not willing to own up to our sin, He will give us some incentive.  As David learned, that is not too pleasant.  

Today, if you have unconfessed sin in your life, recognize it is best to come clean.  The Lord will forgive you and you won’t have to deal with the pain that comes from trying to cover it up.

© Jim Musser 2015