Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

Lee thought that no one knew what he watched privately on his phone. No lightning bolt had come from the sky to strike him–it was his personal secret. But secret sin isn’t a secret from God.  A hidden sin is no less a sin than a public one. Both need to be repented from and God forgives both.

But not every private sin must be publicly repented. If you’re jealous of someone else’s success and wish something terrible would befall them so they don’t prosper while you’re suffering, that jealousy and malice is wrong. Yet that’s a sin that you don’t need to confess out loud to your friend. You can avoid causing them pain through private repentance, alone with God. Secret sin requires confession to God.

Verbal repentance is needed if your sin harmed someone else. Go to that person and admit what you did, asking for their forgiveness and God’s. If Lee was married, he’d need to confess his actions to his wife and seek her forgiveness for violating their marriage covenant.

Yes, when you feel convicted of sin that you thought was completely secret, confess it to God and to anyone you’ve harmed. But take heart that God already knew your secrets and He wipes away our sins as if they never were. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Let’s get free of our secret sins today!

 

Resource reading: Ephesians 1:3-10