Secret Sin -3 The 5 principles on sin. A. A Holy God canno…

2) God does not "grade on curve," but on absolutes.

B. Sin is never purely private.
1) ISRAEL has sinned, THEY have stolen, THEY have lied.Josh 7:11
a) Yet Achan is only one to be revealed
2) One bad apple ruins the barrel.
a) Reason - toxic gas is given off, encouraging rot

b) Same in churches.
c) Unchecked sin by one person can pull everyone down.

3) Private sin off-limits? Not to God.
There is the story of a Lonely woman who met a widower in a church and had an affair She had no guilt or remorse.

She confided in her Christian friend Tony Campolo, "He makes me feel wonderful about myself & I help to meet some of his needs.Nobody's hurt.Nobody suffers she said" "What about Jesus?" Campolo responded.

James Dobson said-the problem is all of us, Our standards have slipped, we are unshockable.

Secret sin is still sin.
1) What are you hiding from others?

2) What are you hiding from God?

Sin will be found out.

1) God can reveal it. Num 32:23
b) Ananias and Sapphira in book of Acts.
2) Christians should expose sin. Eph 5:11
a) Pastors should harp on sin too much
1> Maybe we harp on petty sins.
2> Sign of genuine church is concern for sin.

3> sin Becomes more harmful if allowed to go on.

Here comes de judge.

Everyone sina, Some just get more publicity.

Sin is serious stuff.
1) We tend to soft-pedal it.
Judgment is not God's last word for us here on earth
1) Forgiveness is always available.

2) Gordon MacDonald wrote, "My perception is that broken-world people exist in large numbers, and they ask similar questions over and over. Can my world ever be rebuilt?

Do I have any value? Can I be useful again? Is there life after misbehavior?

"My answer is yes.

That is what grace is all about. A marvellous, forgiving, healing grace says that all things can be new.

The escape route from sin is Jesus.

The wellspring of forgiveness is Jesus.

The power to mend broken lives and set us on our feet again is Jesus.

The one who can guard us against the devastation of sin is Jesus."

Come clean before it is too late.
1) Achan is remembered by a pile of rocks.
2) What will your life be remembered for?

Many Christians are defeated because they cannot get rid of guilt or feel

C.S. Lewis says Satan's strategy is to get Christians preoccupied with their failures; from then on, the battle is won.

God does not become weary in hearing our confessions of sin.