Breaking free from secret sins!

Biblical Answers for questions related to overcoming secret sins

Q: Are we always perfect and can we ever be without sin on this earth?

A: No. I John 1:8 says: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Q: Is sin done in secret?

A: Mostly yes; John 3:20 - For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Q: What impact does willful secret sin have in a Christian’s life?

A: Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death. Spiritual “death” can occur to a person in continual willful sin that can cut him off from God. Satan wants to extinguish the Light of Jesus that's within us; And he uses secret sins as weapons to make Christians spiritually ineffective.

Q: Can we overcome secret sins by ourselves?

A: No. Will power has limitation and cannot help in the long run; For Paul talks about our “natural state” in Romans 7:18 - For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

Q: How do we receive forgiveness for what we’ve already done?

A: I John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Q: How do we start living a life that pleases God?

A: A genuine desire in the form of a prayer: Psalm 19:12,13 Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

Q: Will we have temptations, once we’re cleansed by the blood of Jesus?

A: Yes; I Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Q: Will we ever be tempted more than we can bear?

A: No; I Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Q: How can we overcome temptations that seem to always triumph?

A: Dependence on God’s strength: Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; Resist and rebuke the devil: James 4:7 - Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Sufficient for you today, is His amazing Grace!

2 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.

Proverbs 3:34
God gives grace to the humble.

How Grace works

From Fear to Love

Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.

What is fear?
- Fear is the acknowledgement of the existence of something or someone who has greater power than you do, and can impact your life directly or indirectly.

But, what is fear of God?
- Fear of God, is not a negative emotion (like fear of future or fear of loss); It's rather a positive declaration of God's Sovereignty and power over everything.
- Fear can take the form of respect, given to the One in authority.
- Fear of God could also mean an unconditional submission to God's plans
- The fear of the Lord is the attitude that enables us to seek God's will

How do we know that the "fear of God" manifests in us?
- When there's an increasing tendency in us to move away from places or things or people or practices, that can negatively impact my relationship with God. (Proverbs 3:7 - Fear the Lord and depart from evil)
- When we lean on the Holy Spirit all the time, in order to please God through obedience to His Words, which are in accordance with His perfect will.
- When we fear the prospect of missing out on God's will (when I lean on my own understanding).
- When we value obedience to God; and do not compromise with the world.

- When we fear God, we fear nothing (and no-one) else.

Enter Love
Perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18)
- Fear -> Wisdom -> Love: Fear is the beginning of Wisdom; And the Highest form of Wisdom is Love.
- Love is all-inclusive and overshadows everything else; For God Himself is LOVE.

- When you value God's will in every aspect of your life => You fear God
- When you seek God's will in every area of your life => You are wise
- When you're ready to pay any cost for following God's will => You love God

- When you know God's power => You fear Him
- When you know God's heart (His character) => You love Him

When we love God, do we stop fearing Him?
Psalm 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear, And rejoice with trembling.
- Even though we love God, there are times we worship Him with absolute awe and adoration.

- It takes wisdom (given by the Holy Spirit), to know when to love God and when to fear Him.

Being a vigilant Christian

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

I came across this article a couple of days back,"When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke's growth. His executives were Pepsi-focused and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time.
Roberto decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.

He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke's share of that? Two ounces. Roberto said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn't Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something.

To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump and Pepsi has never quite caught up since."

Well, that was quite a strategy! 

But when I read this, I could sense that this principle of “gaining” market share applies to our spiritual lives as well. The enemy's goal is to increase his market share in our human "hearts". To this end, we see that every aspect of human life in this fallen world, is heavily influenced by the devil, which is a deliberate attempt to trap not (just) the unbelievers, but rather the elite warriors of God's kingdom. From sinful addictions, all the way to seemingly innocuous entertainment and luxury, we see the crafty setup that has the potential to pull us away from pursuing the things of eternal value.

Some might think that these worldly pursuits will not affect our spiritual walk, as long as we believe that the One who is in us, is greater than the one in the world. While I genuinely believe that there's no force that can defeat us because of the power we have through Christ Jesus, I also believe the reality and the craftiness of the enemy and that he will try his best to pull us into his territory through subtle means. As Peter says, we ought to “ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (I Peter 5:8)

Samson was a man of God, and he was a strong warrior, who single-handedly brought victory after victory for Israel. When the enemy camp (Philistines) knew they couldn't overpower him through direct attacks, they devised a scheme and used Delilah as a trap. The Philistines (who symbolically represent the devil and his army) said, "Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him;" (Judges 16:5)
Was Samson not a man of God? He certainly was! Did he not have God's power dwelling within? He certainly did! The devil was totally aware of the power given to him, but what he also knew was that he had to employ a different strategy to defeat Samson. If he can't come as an enemy assaulting us, (for He knows we'd use God's power to overthrow him), he'll come as an angel of light to deceive us! All he needs, is to turn our hearts away, little by little, not merely towards sin, but to ANYTHING (even the good things in life!) that can keep our focus off God. The enemy will try and do everything in his ability, to keep us from running the race. As the author of Hebrews says, we ought to lay down every weight (and not just turn away from sin) that can bog us down and interfere with our race.

How do we know what's keeping us from running the God-given race? "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things" (John 14:26). We ought to rely on the Holy Spirit, to know what is it that's keeping us from doing God’s perfect will. As He reveals and convicts our hearts of anything that's adding unnecessary weight and slowing us down, let His grace lead us into repentance and obedience to His Word that purifies and edifies us, as we live our lives in surrender to our Holy God. Let the Psalmist’s prayer be ours as well,

“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.” (Psalms 119:37)

The MSG paraphrase puts Psalm 139:23 this way,

Investigate my life, O God,
    find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
    get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
    then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Unconditional Surrender

Luke 22:42
..nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

"God, if you do this for me right now, I promise to serve you for the rest of my life!", I've mumbled to God, when I found myself in situations, where I saw that there was absolutely no escape route. There may not be anything inherently wrong with making such promises to God, but there’s a hint of "conditional" commitment in it. But as I grow in Christ, as the Holy Spirit deepens my root in the Father’s unfailing love, I've come to understand that the only appropriate response to "Unconditional Love" is Unconditional surrender. When we introspect our lives and see how, in-spite of our selfish motives and proud demeanor, God chooses to fellowship with us through His Spirit (as we repent), and guides us (when we ask Him to) with His love - that's when we experience the beauty of the Agape love of God. We learn through every season of life (particularly the dark ones), that God loves us no matter what, and His plans are always the best. Along the journey of life, I learn that He turns water into wine, mourning into dancing, and gives beauty for ashes. When that gets deep in my heart, I slowly let go of my own will, my own plans, and surrender to the perfect and Holy will of God, even if it meant momentary pain and suffering, even if it meant venturing into the unknown and the unsafe.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not know what was on the other side of surrender and obedience to God. They did not allow "fear" that could've led them into thinking "What if obedience to God means death??", but they surrendered to God through "Faith" saying "..even if He[God] does not [deliver], we want you to know, O King, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.". Faith is an essential ingredient in unconditional surrender.

In life, I've learnt that we might go through troubles which might seem unnecessary to us, but we will never know what lies on the other side of “suffering”, until we get there. During times when we are tempted to quit or even grumble, let the Holy Spirit remind us of Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."

For,

It took "unconditional surrender" of three young men, to bring a pagan king into God's kingdom. It took "unconditional surrender" of Jesus, to bring the whole of humanity into God's kingdom.

Such is the power of complete surrender to God, when our "What if.."s become "Even if.."s. Surrendering to God - is not an indication of weakness, it is the most courageous act of a human who chooses to let go of his own plans, disregard his own calculations, and follow-through the painful situations – by choosing to trust the Highest Wisdom and rest in the Unconditional Love.

No life is more secure than a life surrendered to God (from the internet; not sure of the original author).

And Minnie Louise Haskins's poem "God knows" goes like this,

I said to the man who stood at the Gate of the Year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."

Too broken for a fix? Too late for a miracle?

Genesis 18:14
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Living in a world where we have instant coffee, instant messaging, instant payments, it's hard to digest the fact that God's timelines are not how we'd like it to be. I watch encouraging sermons, listen to uplifting songs, read promises of God's deliverance and blessings from the Word - to carry the hope of the promise of deliverance as I plod through every day of my life, waiting for God to come through. "Is there a deficiency in my faith? Am I not praying according to God's will? Why do I feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling? I have been patient for months and years now, am I waiting on God for the right thing?" - These are some of the thoughts I struggle with every other day.

What do we do when we feel too broken to be fixed? When it seems like it's too late for a miracle?

We look at the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12) in the Bible, the ones that have gone before us, who've gone through some amazing waiting periods, yet hanging on to the truth that the unchanging and ever-loving God, will never leave them nor forsake them. Somedays I think, is it even possible for someone in the right mind to wait for the promised child at the age of 100? How heartbroken would Martha and Mary have been, when Lazarus died, because Jesus chose not to respond quickly to their crisis? But when every ounce of possibility of a miracle is gone, there is still a way for God to bring the best out of nowhere. For, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Isn't it great, when He was four days late, He was still on time?

Four days late - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se7yAkqu3Ek

But You're four days late And all hope is gone
Lord we don't understand why you've waited so long
But His way is God's way, Not yours or mine
When He's four days late, He's still on time

Which way, Lord?

Psalm 37:23
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.

Psalm 143: 10
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Often times in life, I feel like am at a crossroad, and my mind starts contemplating on the best possible course that I could take. The Corporate world teaches me that I need to meticulously weigh the Pros and Cons of each option, before locking on a decision. Google doesn't help either. All it does is compound my problem, making a mountain out of a molehill - by providing more "options" to consider, ruining my peace. After a lot of thought and second thoughts, I end up with, not a "solution", but increased "confusion". I blame my indecisiveness and I give up. As my mind slowly withdraws from frantically evaluating options, my heart reminds me that I have a better way to deal with this chaos. "How could you forget that you have Someone who has promised to be by your side at ALL times, protecting you and leading you?", my heart says. And then my mind slowly agrees, "Yes, my God, my Good Shepherd, and my Best Friend, directs my path and orders my steps. He leads me beside quiet waters, and I, as His sheep, need only to hear His voice and follow Him.”

It's a wonderful and a comforting truth, the more you reflect on it, the more marvelous it is. The One who knows everything that could possibly be known, the One who holds the universe with the power of His Word, the One who created everything that exists in and around me, the One who's already seen my future and knows it better than I know my past - HE offers to lead me and guide me by His nail-pierced Hands! What an awesome privilege is that? My mind is too small to understand the greatness of this truth - How can a God who is so great, come down and die for me, to teach me and lead me to live a beautiful life, that's better than my wildest dreams and fantasies? True that I have had to cross some valleys of humiliation and depression, true that am clueless as to what God's will for my life is, but it is also true that I'm still alive, basking in the goodness of God even in the midst of every chaos and struggle, as am carried by the One, who once carried the weight of the sins of the whole wide world. It will take Heaven, for me to understand the depth of such unconditional and pure love.

When this great truth dawns on me, the questions like "Which way should I go?", "Which is the best option to choose?" do not torment me anymore. "I will follow Your lead, Lord, wherever it may be, whatever be the cost" is my response to that divine, inexplicable Love, that has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. I then understand that like an aircraft, I just need to acknowledge and obey the instructions from the control room (promptings from the Holy Spirit), one instruction at a time, and I will safely reach my destination (Proverbs 3:6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths). And I quietly bless the Lord, for all that He's done and trust Him for all He's yet to do, and continue with the routines of life, with a peace that surpasses all understanding.