I get it, telling me about my sin will be uncomfortable.
Maybe you don’t feel like you’re qualified to approach me about it. Maybe you’re unsure of how I’ll take it. Maybe you’re not even sure if you saw or heard what you think you saw and heard?
Regardless, I need you to tell me about my sin.
Why? Because, as James 5:19-20 talks about, it could be a matter of life or death.
Here’s why.
I May Not Know My Sin Exists
It seems weird to think that a Christian could genuinely not know that a sin exists, but that might be the case with me. Maybe I’ve studied the Bible several times over, and have “conveniently” overlooked the section that applies to me.
Sound familiar?
Paul says in Romans 7:7-12 that he “wouldn’t have known about coveting” unless the Law identified that action as sin.
Even though I’m not under the Old Law anymore, the same principle applies: I may not know that a certain action that I’m doing is sinful unless someone like you points it out to me.
Will you do that for me?
It Might Be a While Before I Confess My Sin
Normally, I would love to be compared to King David. Successful, loyal, and faithful to God, he is the epitome of what we should all be.
Except for his sin with Bathsheba.
How he thought he could hide what he did to her and Uriah the Hittite for nearly nine months is beyond me, and yet that’s what he did. He completely ignored his sin and probably hoped that everyone else would just ignore it, too.
But God didn’t. And if God didn’t ignore David’s sin, then He won’t ignore my sin either.
Like David, I probably won’t confess my sin to you anytime soon because of my pride. Acknowledging what I did would be too big of a hit to my ego. I’m not sure I would emotionally recover from it at this point in my life. I would need to be more secure in my life before I can admit that I’ve done wrong.
Will you help me confess it?
I’m Worried about How My Sin Will Affect My Relationships
Speaking of David, I never quite understood why he thought the people around him didn’t know what was happening. The guards, Joab, his attendants — surely he knew they all saw it, right?
Regardless, he may not have admitted his sin because he was worried about his reputation amongst those closest to him and those from afar.
I can identify with that. You don’t know what I’ve done, but I do, and I know that if you (and others) found out about it, it would make you think less of me. I really don’t want to let everyone down, so I’m committed to holding it deep inside of me until it goes away.
Never mind the fact that it’s eating at me constantly. My life is wracked with guilt and it’s making me physically ill (Psalm 32:3-7).
But if you’re truly my friend, I know I’ll be able to count on your discretion. And your help. And your credibility. I know you’ll vouch for me if other people try to disparage my name (Proverbs 11:13-15).
I know that about you, don’t I?
I’ll Need Some Help to Overcome My Sin
Let’s face it, this one is a biggie. I don’t have the wherewithal to handle it on my own — not because it’s impossible, but because I’ve tried several times to eliminate it from my life and so far it’s been unsuccessful.
I’ll need your help to overcome it (Galatians 6:1-5).
I’ll need your help primarily because repenting from this sin will require a huge change in my personal life. It’s going to be a little testy for a while, so having you be by my side through those troubled waters will help me stay afloat?
I’ll also need your help to forgive myself.
This sin is huge, and I will probably remember it for the rest of my life. There’s a greater-than-zero chance I won’t get over it…ever. I’ll need you to remind me that I’m forgiven because God forgives me.
Will you help me overcome my sin?
You May Be the Only Person Who Cares Enough To Try
I know other people know about this sin of mine, but to this point, nobody else has had the courage to talk to me about it. They would rather post about it on Facebook and whisper about me in the foyer after services.
Both of those are way more hurtful than you simply walking up to me and confronting me about my sin.
Will it be painful? Yes.
Will it impact our friendship? Definitely.
But doing so is the ultimate compliment. I know that you loved not just me, but also my soul, enough to try.
Thank you in advance for your love. It means more than you’ll ever know.
Last modified: August 21, 2023