Moldy Sin
And give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4: 27
There are three aspects of confession that are painful to face. God is not one of them.
God, especially if we are His child, has communicated to us that He forgives confessed sin. He says that when we confess our sin He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9-10).
The most difficult one we have to face in confession is “me.” Honestly examining our own hearts and behaviors is painful. When we look closely at an attitude or act against someone else (even if it looks like they deserved it), we see our own pride, greed, love of comfort, or some other convicting sin that shows more about us than the other person.
The second hardest thing to face is the person we have sinned against. The pain we bring, the anger that wells up against us, and the lost trust are difficult to encounter.
The third aspect we face is inaction. Failing to confess sin in fear of the response increases the problems. We move on, sometimes living in guilt and fear of being found out. It will, undoubtedly, be revealed at a later time. This wait usually brings a lot more pain for everyone.
In his letter to the Ephesian Christians, Paul compares their old way of living with the new way in Christ. He says to them, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:25-27 ESV).”
Satan loves the dark. Any sin that we do not expose to the Light, he can use against us. . He can deceive us into believing the sin is unforgiveable or that we will lose a relationship if we confess it.
The devil is an accuser (Revelation 12:10). He may accuse us of being unworthy of forgiveness which is not true of anyone whom God has called to salvation.
It also seems that God, through these words of Paul, is commanding us to act quickly to reconcile our problems with others. “Do not let the sun go down on your anger (ESV) says, “Take care of it now.” Do not wait until the one we have sinned against has had time to create an even bigger problem in their own mind. Deal with the truth and deal with it as soon as possible.
At night, in the dark (after the sun goes down) problems seem greater. Our bodies may be resting but if there is a small problem in a relationship or an unconfessed sin or only partially confessed, it grows in the dark- like mold.
The “mold” of unconfessed sin is inaction. It is inaction to resolve the problem with another person and, living in fear and guilt. It is inaction to serve the Lord effectively.
Is there a lingering unconfessed sin in your life? Are you distressed that you are not doing enough to grow the Kingdom of God? Is the first problem contributing to the second?
Do we trust God’s Word?
Mold does not grow in the Light.
