Sin that Trails Behind

Sin that Trails Behind
Words of Faith 6-13-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Timothy 5
[24] The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. [25] In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.

Some sin is obvious. It is so destructive that its ravages cannot be hidden. The devastation is evident. The cold chill of spiritual death is everywhere. These are the sins we may even point at. Religious tongues may wag. The only benefit is that such apparent devastation is relatively easy to recognize as a point for repentance.
A far more dangerous sin is the one we think we can hide. This sin is much harder to repent of because we are the only one who knows about it, except God. This is the sin we can get very friendly with. We may be convinced that this sin is essential... but only to us. It is a private matter. It may be the sin that we are convinced really hurts no one. It is the sin we are sure we can handle on our own without any help or prayer support. It is unconfessed except before God, but He has heard about it more often than we would care to admit.
This is the sin that trails behind. And make no mistake about it, it trails behind. We may look good for a long time, never letting on, but eventually, this sin catches up. We become tangled in its web. We become confused by our own rationalization. We even begin to believe the lies we have told ourselves. This is the sin that the politician thought he could control once in office, the sin the preacher thought would not follow to the new church, the sin the student thought would not be at the new school, or the sin that certainly would never become a problem in the new marriage.
But the reality is that this is the sin that trails behind. Like an annoying and wretched piece of toilet paper stuck to a shoe, stringing behind us down a hallway, we cannot shake loose the sin we once thought to be private and easily handled. It trails behind whether in the form of lying, cheating, gossip, lust, covetousness, laziness, or some other destructive behavior it follows behind. The truth? There is no safe sin. No hidden sin. No private sin. The only answer? Confess. Repent. Make yourself accountable to someone. Get really free.
Interestingly, the same principle is true of good deeds. Some good deeds are obvious. They cannot be hidden. (Remember that a good deed intentionally performed to be seen is not so good, Matt. 6:1-4). But some good deeds simply cannot be hidden. By their very nature, they will be seen and appreciated. And the good deeds we think are seen by no one, in fact, are seen by God and will be made known.
Jesus said it clearly: "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs" (Luke 12:2 3).

Lord, teach me how to live a life of integrity. Make me transparent in my dealings and lifestyle. Give me the grace to live in the light and to speak with a boldness only things that are of You. Draw me into times of confession and repentance that will genuinely transform me. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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