How often do you consider the effect that your private sins—the sins you do in the dark, the sins no one knows about—how often do you consider the effect of these sins on those around you? Is there an effect? Does your secret hidden sin as an individual effect this body of people gathered in this room? This is important to consider because to be part of this fellowship, the church, the people of God, is to be covenantally bound to one another. In other words, God does not view us, King’s Cross Church, merely as individuals but as a covenantal body.
Now consider the sin of Achan in Joshua 7. Achan defies God’s commands and keeps some of the plunder from Jericho for himself. And because of the unknown sin of this one man, God punishes all of Israel and they are defeated in battle at Ai. And it’s only once Israel puts Achan to death for his private sin, purging the evil from among themselves, that God relents from his wrath and punishment on them.
We need to remember this morning that as a body, the holiness of the parts matters for the holiness of the whole. If you are here this morning, if you are baptized into Christ, and if you proclaim to have faith in him, you belong to Jesus, and you belong to his bride. And if you choose to walk in darkness—hiding your sin, sneeking around, thinking its not that big of a deal—you are making a mockery of Christ and his bride for whom he died. You are incurring judgment on yourself and bringing reproach upon this body.
Be assured, God is not mocked: “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). Be assured, your going to step into the light. You’re going to have your sin exposed one way or another. It will either happen despite your best efforts to keep it hidden. Or if you would humble yourself, casting yourself upon the mercy of God this morning and bring it into the light willingly, a promise awaits you: “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).
Zach Wilke – February 4, 2024
