Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I would say that (as the verse from Proverbs cited in the question indicates) attempting to "cover" known personal transgressions -- although such concealment might be a "natural" response in this fallen world -- is not beneficial, either with respect to a person's relationship to God, or to a person's own physical well-being.

As David indicated in Psalm 32:3-5 with regard to his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12) (which David thought he had successfully concealed by having Bathsheba's husband Uriah killed), "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.' And you forgave the guilt of my sin."

Also, I would say that if a Christian's "secret" sin is against another person (and, especially, if it results in known harm or detriment to that person), it should be similarly acknowledged and confessed to that other person, or (at the very least) the Christian should make a maximum effort to reverse, rectify, or mitigate the sin's adverse effects on the other person to the greatest extent possible, as a demonstration of the Christian's sincere contrition for it, and (as noted in the verse cited in the question) as part of not only "confessing" the sin, but as a demonstration of the Christian's desire to "forsake" it, as well.

August 21 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report