WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
TOPIC: REPENT OF YOUR HABITUAL, SECRET SINS
BY T. O. BANSO
“You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all” (New Living Translation).
Sadly, a pastor recently allegedly committed suicide after his habitual, secret sin was exposed. It was not only an embarrassment to him and his family, friends, and church but to the entire Christian community. Because he couldn’t face the attendant humiliation after his initial lame defence, he took his life. This is heartbroken. It is not clear how long he has been secretly indulging in this sin.
Many years ago, a president’s inappropriate relationship with a female intern was exposed. For some period, the two of them enjoyed the relationship; there was no problem. If only the president knew the relationship would be so serious to become an international embarrassment that would threaten his seat, he might have run away from it. The scandal battered his presidency but he wasn’t removed from office.
Now and then, habitual, secret sins bring people into disrepute and humiliation when exposed. Some are removed from office, prosecuted, or brought down. Some people are alive today but many people don’t know where they are because of the damage of the exposure of their habitual, secret sins to their names. Some people’s habitual, secret sins were exposed after their death and they became a big disappointment to their admirers.
Sin is bad but an habitual, secret sin is worse. A child of God must avoid habitual, secret sins whether it is sexual immorality including pornography, certificate forgery, theft, drug abuse, or other sins. 1 John 3:9 says, “No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (New American Standard Bible). Because someone has been committing the sin secretly for a long time and nobody knows, he should not be deceived that nobody will ever know. If he buys this lie of the devil, he has succeeded in setting the person up for a big fall! “Every day is for the thief but one day is for the owner” (Yoruba Adage). In other words, no matter how long a criminal has been successful, he will be caught one day. No matter how fast a lie runs, the truth will someday overtake it.
No matter how perfect someone is at covering his tracks, one day something will go wrong and he will be exposed. What seemed to be working for him before, making it possible for his secret sins to be hidden from the public, will not work.
Repent of your sins, including your habitual, secret sins, today, before you begin to reap the harvest of what you have sown. Galatians 6:7 says you should not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. If you don’t repent of habitual, sins because you feel they are secret and hidden from others, you will not escape the consequences when the time is ripe.
Some people would have saved themselves from the humiliation they suffered, and their foolish decision to end their lives, if only they had repented early and quit their secret sins. But they continued to enjoy the pleasures of sin, which are short-lived or temporary. Hebrews 11:25 says Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to enjoy the temporary or passing pleasures of sin. The pleasures of sin are temporary but the consequences could be permanent, and even eternal if someone dies without repentance. Proverbs 28:13 says whoever covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
Anyone guilty of habitual, secret sins and who has the resources, power, or means to suppress information or buy people over so that his secret sins are covered should be careful because this emboldens such a person to continue in his sinful life. He becomes hardened, deluded that there will be no repercussions. Many people who have fallen from grace to grass today once thought like that.
People must know that they are not dealing with only human beings. Human beings may be helpless or ignorant, but God is not. His power is unlimited and He knows everything about everyone’s habitual, secret sins. David said, “O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You” (Psalm 69:5 New King James Version). Psalm 90:8 says, “You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all” (New Living Translation).
When Achan took the forbidden things in the war against Jericho, no Israelite, including Joshua, knew about it. But God knew and exposed Achan. He and his family paid dearly for his secret sin with their lives (Joshua 7). Achan’s sin found him out; it caught up with him (Number 32:23). This remains the lot of everyone indulging in secret sin, especially habitually, and will not repent.
Even those who die without their secret sins being exposed are not free. Everything doesn’t end here on earth. “Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light” (1 Timothy 5:24-25 New Living Translation). As Hebrews 9:27, it is appointed for men to die once but after this the judgment. Everyone shall give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12). So nobody engaging habitually in secret sins should think that he will go scot-free.
If your habitual, secret sins have not been exposed, it is not because they will never be. There is a time for everything under the earth! Repent and don’t deceive yourself that nobody will know. You will be shocked that everyone will know one day if you persist in your secret sins, refusing to take advantage of God’s opportunity for you to repent and forsake them. God does not want you to perish but that you should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b).
David asked God to forgive him for his secret sins or cleanse him from secret faults (Psalm 19:12b). The consequences of secret sins are not only on this earth but in eternity. What should you do? Quit your habitual, secret sins by repenting and confessing your sins; don’t cover them up or explain them away (1John 1:9). Maintain a regular fellowship with God praying and feeding on the Word of God and obeying it (Joshua 1:8; Luke 22:40; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:46; Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:4). Avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Be careful of wrong relations; bad company corrupts good character (Proverbs 13:20; 12:26; 1 Corinthians 15:33). Live a holy life (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 Peter 3:11). Don’t live a double life; rid yourself of hypocrisy (1 Peter 2:1).
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: Â Father, I repent of my habitual, secret sin; forgive me. Holy Spirit, help me to live victoriously over habitual, secret sins and other sins.
(For over 900 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
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