WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR SIN IS EXPOSED

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death…2 Corinthians 7:10.”

Most of us live in deep fear of being found out. We are scared of people knowing us deeply, our weaknesses, inadequacies, fears, doubts and sin. We are deeply ashamed of our condition. Yet, we all have darknesses – we are all very flawed, and our responses to our conditions are peppered with brokenness.

Coming clean with who we are and what we have done can feel terrifying … apart from the grace of God. Letting others, God or even ourselves know just how corrupted parts of our souls are raises fears. We are afraid of being judged, condemned – or worst of all – rejected.

So, we are tempted to deny or hide our “stuff.” We try to tell ourselves and/or others that we either didn’t do what we did, or that it wasn’t really sin when we did it. We often coat our motives with feigned good intentions. We perform these mental gymnastics because it’s too scary to admit the truth about ourselves … apart from the grace of God.

The Good News, however, is that God (our Creator) knows who we are – that we are made from dirt. (Psalm 103:14) He knows that we are helpless and hopeless to overcome the things that hinder us and the sin that so easily entangles us. (Hebrews 12:1) So, He sent His Son – the invisible fully God Son – to become fully human. He lived a human life, and He died in our stead. In God’s economy, Jesus’ death paid the full debt of our sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:14)

Jesus’ death released the grace of God on earth. No longer do people have to strive for unattainable perfection or hide from reality. Our debt has been paid, so we are free to be completely honest and vulnerable. We can – in fact – be who we are without fear … by the grace of God. When we do wrong, we need not deny it or hide it, we can simply admit it and receive God’s personal and fresh forgiveness. “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

What do you do when your sin is exposed – when you, God and/or others see who you are and what you’ve done?

You come clean.
You bring it to God and admit it all – motives included.
You agree with its nastiness.
You thank God for the complete payment of Jesus’ death and receive His forgiveness.
You ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to help you change … and
You move on in thankfulness in a renewed direction.

When your sin is exposed, don’t hide; be transformed – in the name of Jesus!

Not wanting to hide from you,

Pastor Tom