Here I Am, Send Me

But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23)

What is “private sin?” It’s something done away from the public eye that only you know about, and it’s a secret. You hide it from your spouse, from your family, from your friends…from the entire world. It typically goes a little something like this… “well, if no one knows about it, then it must not be hurting anyone right?” Wrong. It’s evident from the passage above that your “little secret” will eventually find you out, meaning your private sin will eventually “find you” and you cannot escape the consequences. Eventually it will become public knowledge.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke 8:17)

If your “hidden” sin has yet to be exposed it still has an effect on those around you. When we sin this causes a breach with our relationship with God. Why…because Jesus sees EVERYTHING. He sees you getting high, He sees you getting drunk off alcohol, He sees you looking at pornography, He sees you give someone a dirty look or an “inappropriate hand gesture” while driving…He sees it all.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)

When Adam and Eve ate from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” they hid from God because their fellowship with Him had been broken. Suddenly they felt new “alien” feelings that we call “guilt”, “shame”, “apprehension”, “anxiety”…etc. When we(Christians) sin in private we feel these same feelings that Adam and Eve experienced. Think about how these feelings had an impact with their relationship with God. It’s the same impact that affects those around us when we are indulging in secret sin. As a result of the guilt that comes with the knowledge of our secret action(s) this most definitely has a “ripple effect” on our interactions with those around us which, in most cases, is our family.

How do you think the Devil has been destroying homes and families? By voraciously going after the one thing that God designed to protect the sanctity of a household…marriage. Now what I’m about to say may sound offensive to some, but whom do you think the Devil seeks out to attack first in a marriage between a man and a woman? It’s my belief he most definitely hunts the man down first like a predator… why you ask…because it’s men whom Christ appoints to be the head. His attack typically comes in the form of lust, because it’s just how we men are wired. He does all he can to sully a pure sexual relationship between a man and a woman by “marketing” to us sexual gratification without love. In conjunction, if the Devil sees no “in” with the man he will then attempt to move in on his wife. It’s even worse when Satan knows he’s captivated both at the same time. As men, we are called by our Lord to be the leaders of our households, but if we let the Devil continuously whisper in our ear and give in to the temptation then we will experience more negative interactions with our spouse. There will be more “confrontational” interactions, more “prideful” interactions, more “accusatory” interactions…the list can go on and on until the very people which God blessed us with to protect and to lead by example are absorbing these behaviors and implementing them into their psyche…our children. As a result, we now have entire generations who are trying to go through life “confused” and “afraid” but masking it by “putting on the costume of this world”. Conversely, the world will say that these kids are suffering from mental health disorders as a result of their “Christian” upbringing. It makes one wonder what kind of “Christian” upbringing they were brought up in? Can their mental health struggles be attributed to a parents’ “secret sin” in some form or fashion? Only God knows.

Marriage between a man and a woman was, is, and always will be one of the most powerful weapons against the forces of evil. Which is why when the two come together they become one. It’s my personal belief since the two become one there should no longer be “His” or “Hers”. What do I mean by this? Examples would be… “his bank account”, or “her phone password”. Even more dangerous is… “his female friend” or “her male friend”. I think it’s the growing concept of “individuality” in marriages that the prince of this world loves to inject into our flesh. It thrives within the moniker… “Live YOUR best life” instead of “live your life for Christ”.

So, we must go to Him and confess our transgressions because He wants us to. You and I both have the strength to overcome any temptation that the evil one dangles before us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We can be the resistance to rise against the darkness.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)