Romans 7:18-21, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.”
Every year I receive a remarkable amount of ministry emails from discouraged, frustrated and down believers who tell me of their futile struggle with sin; about their often failures to overcome temptation. I always reply by letting them know they are in good company, because I struggle with sin on a daily basis just like everyone else. The Apostle Paul admitted his struggle with sin on a regular basis, as seen in Romans 7:14-25. Even the best Christian is still a woeful dirty sinner. Only our position in Christ, which is by faith alone, makes us appear righteous in the sight of our holy Creator and God. That is why the only boast we can honestly and justifiably make as believers is to brag on our great God, Lord and Savior who died in our place on the cross. The only good thing in me is Jesus Christ!
However, I wisely learned a long time ago from Pastor Jack Hyles: “Don't be reluctant to admit to people that you have feet or clay, but don't ever show them your feet.” That is, it's perfectly okay to admit to others that you are a woeful sinner just like they are, but don't ever confess your sins to them.
There are a few reasons why you should never confess your sins to others:
- They could go tell others. They might even tell the world about your sins on social media. Always protect your good name! Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.”
- The details of your sins are absolutely none of anyone's business. I hate the Devil's modern corrupt Bible revisions, which change the truth into a lie (Romans 1:25). We read in James 5:16 in the inspired King James Bible to “confess your faults one to another,” but all of the modern corrupt Bibles changed it to “confess your sins” to others. That is NOT what the true Bible says. There is a gargantuan difference between apologizing to the pastor for being late at times to church, versus confessing to him that you've been lusting with sexual fantasies upon the pastor's wife. You'd be insane to confess your sins, and likely missing your teeth. There is a fine line between faith and foolishness!
- Gossip can destroy even the best friendships. I lost a good friend from Bible college, when a wicked person spoke gossip to the man's wife, and she told her husband, and it permanently strained our friendship. More lives are ruined by an ungodly tongue than for any other reason. Proverbs 16:28, “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”
- Someday others may use your past against you. It's never wise to share your dirty laundry with others, for many reasons. Only God can forgive your sins, so only the Lord needs to know about your Skeleton Closet. Don't be reluctant to admit to people that you have feet of clay, but don't ever show them your feet.
Over the past 23 years of internet ministry since 2002 (it is 23 years this month in April), I have received tens of thousands of emails. More times that I care to remember, I have had people confess their sins to me. I didn't ask them to, they just did for whatever reason. I have to be on guard and be very careful as a Bible preacher, because I have many enemies. When a stranger contacts me and tells me of horrible sins they have committed, I always suspect that they might be attempting to get me to do the same, by sharing my sins with them. I NEVER do that, because they could maliciously publish my email all over cyberspace, blabbing what I told them in confidentiality. I have to always be on guard (Proverbs 4:23). I NEVER confess my sins to anybody except God in Heaven. I never type anything in an email that I wouldn't mind the whole world reading. That is just wise common sense. Always protect yourself.
The Bible teaches that the human heart is desperately wicked and deceitful. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” James 3:7-8 warns us that every wild beast has been tamed by mankind, but the human tongue can no man tame. The tongue is an unruly evil, set on fire of Hell, full of the poison of snakes. This is why King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 10:19, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” Perhaps God gave us two ears and one mouth, to teach us that we should listen twice as much as we talk. I admit that I am guilty of talking too much sometimes. It is a constant struggle to limit my words in conversation, to season my words with grace. Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
There is no such thing as a good Christian. You might compare yourself to a worse person and feel like you're a good Christian, but we are all a spiritual mess! We are all struggling sinners. We all have to be careful about refraining from gossip. We all struggle with our own cesspool of weakness, hurt feelings, pride, resentment and anger. Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do! There is nothing worse than a judgmental believer who has become a fruit inspector. The wise and mature saint fully understands that he is just as wicked as the vilest sinner in God's sight, if it weren't for the sin-cleansing blood of Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). That is, my sin belongs to me, but my righteousness is Jesus Christ's. The ONLY righteousness that I have is the imputed righteousness of God through faith in Jesus (Romans 4:4-7). Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith...” Amen and amen.
You and I simply cannot live the Christian life in our own feeble human strength. What saith the Scripture? Galatians 2:20-21, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Jesus lives the Christian life through us, if we yield to Him. This is the fruit of the blessed indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:22-25). Every believer has the Spirit of Christ, that is, the Holy Spirit living within our spirit, soul and body (Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:24).
Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Notice that the Apostle Paul didn't express remorse over the wretched man that he used to be; but rather, “O wretched man that I am!” The mature Christian doesn't look down on others who sin. No, he says in his heart of hearts, “We have sinned.” That is why the psalmist David exclaimed in Psalms 106:6, “We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” I love that godly humility! David didn't have a Pharisaical self-righteous attitude. He didn't say, “Our fathers have sinned.” He humbly said, “WE HAVE SINNED.” Don't ever speak evil against your parents, because whether you realize it yet or not, you are just as much a wicked sinner in God's sight as they were (James 2:10).
Humbly said, when people receive love, patience, comfort and mercy from me, it is not me; but rather, I am simply allowing God's Spirit to love, help, care and comfort others through me. This is the fruit of the Spirit. My favorite preacher, Pastor Jack Hyles (1926-2001) preached a helpful sermon on this very topic titled: 'FILLED WITH HIS FULNESS' (MP3). God bless you dear reader and THANK YOU for your continued interest in my blog ministry. To God be all the praise, credit and glory. Jesus is precious!!!
