The only way to live under God’s blessing is to have your sins covered. Too many Christians, however, think that it’s enough to nod in the general direction of “sin”, use plenty of “nobody’s perfect” type platitudes, and then launch into a praise chorus about God’s wonderful grace.
The Word of God tells us that, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper (Pro 28:13).” Many people cover their sins with empty promises to do better. Or they assume that the grape soda of traditional values is a decent substitute for the new wine of the glorious Gospel of God’s grace. They cover their sins by comparing themselves to death-row murderers, drug cartel king-pins, or–worst of all–US Senators. Compared to those guys, I’m doing ok. But this isn’t how God calls you to cover your sins.
God will not be satisfied with lame excuses about how your sin wasn’t as bad as that guys. Or that you have discerned that your sin should actually be called childhood trauma, a brief misstep, a poorly timed joke, or a white lie. But covering your own sins, either by hiding them, lying about them, renaming them, or ignoring them has this assurance from God: it will not prosper. You won’t rest under God’s blessing.
God desires to cover your sin, not by evading the truth, but by bringing you to confess about your sin what God says about your sin. The second half of that earlier verse promises this: “but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Peel the bandaid off. Tell the truth about your sin. Confess it to God, and to those you’ve sinned against. In this alone is how we receive mercy & dwell under God’s blessing. Not by the stubbornness of pride, but by humble faith in His mercy.
God’s great love will truly cover our sins, because it is by His love alone that our sin is revealed by His Holy Law, and then cleansed away as we look to Christ. We must go to God alone for forgiveness for evading our shame and guilt, by not confessing our sin. Whether it be angry outbursts, worried depression, lustful longings, envious discontentment, grumbling bitterness, or loose tongued lies & slanders, give us grace to tell the truth about our sin. The Lord sees it, and we would be fools to try to hide it from Him. So we bring it out into the light of His Word, that we might taste no more the bitter taste of hidden sin, but the sweet honey of Christ’s mercy.
In confessing your sins you bring your sins to the Light of the World, and so you come to walk in the light and He is in the light. This then is the path of true blessing, and clearness of conscience and joy in Christ.
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