WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 4, 2022
TOPIC: DON’T COVER YOUR SINS
BY T. O. BANSO
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 New King James Version).
Sin does not only bring disgrace to one here on earth but will also ultimately take one to hellfire. You should run away from sin. But if you’ve sinned, covering it, concealing it, explaining it away, or excusing it is not the way out. You must acknowledge your sins. You must confess your sins to God and forsake them. In some cases, you may also have to confess to some people, which is more difficult for many people to do because of shame. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 New International Version).
The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). It’s been said that sin wouldn’t be so attractive if the wages were paid immediately. But God is merciful. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b).
Don’t cover your sins or conceal them. Don’t pretend that you have not sinned or you’re righteous. Your self-righteousness is nothing before God. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6 New King James Version).
Don’t cover your sins. Nothing is hidden from God, including your sins. David said, “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You” (Psalm 69:5 New King James Version). You can’t hide your sins from God. God said in Jeremiah 16:17, “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes” (New King James Version).
Don’t try to cover your sins; it is useless and you can’t escape the consequences of doing so. As David said, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:3-5 New King James Version).
Don’t cover your sins. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (New King James Version). The word “covers” means “conceals”. God is willing to forgive sinners if they will repent and forsake their sins. He will also forgive the saints (His children) who confess their sins.
The Apostle John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10 New King James Version).
If God forgives, must you then continue in wilful sin just because God will forgive you? No. You cannot continue in sin that grace may abound (Romans 6:1). Paul said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31 New King James Version).
Cain lured his brother, Abel, into the field and killed him out of envy after God had warned him to watch out for sin which wanted to attack and destroy him, and charged him to subdue it (Genesis 4:7). Cain thought he had removed the irritation (Abel) in his life and could now enjoy himself but not so. “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’” (Genesis 4:9a New King James Version). He gave God a very rude answer: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Verse 9b New King James Version)
But his sin was not hidden from God. The voice of Cain’s blood cried out to God from the ground (verse 10). If you have given your life to Jesus, your sins past, present, and future are already forgiven but you must confess to God if you sin and forsake it. By this, you are striving for sanctification, which is the will of God for you (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Those who are not yet born again are sinners by birth and actions. Their sins are before God even if others see them as good people. Their goodness cannot satisfy the justice of God. Their records of sins are before God as long as they refuse to receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ who shed His blood for their sins. Denial or pretence is a waste of time. The Israelites said, “For our sins are piled up before God and testify against us. Yes, we know what sinners we are” (Isaiah 59:12 New Living Translation).
It is the admission of sin and confession to God that can wipe out your sins. He will remove your transgressions from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). East and west can never meet. God forgives our sins and forgets. Sinners must come to Jesus and receive forgiveness. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 New King James Version).
Sinners and saints must not cover their sins. A saint who commits sin is different from a sinner who has not given his life to Jesus. Don’t cover your sins. If you come to God through Christ Jesus and confess your sins, God will cover your sins. “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8 New King James Version). The Amplified Bible renders it thus: “Blessed and happy and to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up and completely buried. Blessed and happy and to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon it against him.”
Don’t cover your sins. Confess and forsake them. You will receive forgiveness and be blessed.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I confess and forsake my sins. I receive your forgiveness today and the power to live a victorious Christian life. I pray that all those who are not prospering or succeeding because they’re covering their sins will confess and forsake them. Show them mercy, Father.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
