The Un-Confessed Sin

In totally un-related to ministry news, O.J. Simpson will sit in front of the parole board today, awaiting if he will be let out early, after serving 9 years of a 33-year sentence. A local Christian talk show host was talking on air, how it would be hard for the parole board to pass the opportunity to have him continue his time. Was it justice catching up with him, for not having served after the criminal trial? Perhaps.

But it brings up the topic of restoration.

A friend posted Romans 4:7 yesterday, which talks about the joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sins are put out of sight. Upon reading it, I replied that it's amazing, that the verse gives definition to the concept of confession. For it is only sin that is confessed that God puts out of sight. Otherwise, unconfessed sin has a way of coming to the forefront of our lives and calling us out.

Consider David with Bathsheba and Uriah. Plenty of opportunities to come clean, yet it doesn't hit him until the prophet Nathan tells him a story. David is outraged, until he has his light-bulb moment.

We often hear what happens to church leaders, especially ones of prominence, who find themselves in places of trouble. And yet, as I stood in service last night, it's not like deacons and other church staff people aren't prone to behaviors and situations which could land them in trouble. With the church, denomination, congregation, family or community. Morally, ethically, financially... the situations are endless. There are usually systems in place to help pastors that are in trouble in such circumstances... but for staff and deacons; their positions and offices could just very well be closed for good.  And what are the options for healing and restoration and stepping back into the position (or a similar one to what they held)? Well, I don't know that they are all that frequent. Of course, they are rarely heard of, so perhaps they are quite frequent. The aftermath and the gap that is created by their departure can be just as disruptive as it is when a pastor is involved.

Let's pray, this #deaconThursday, for those church leaders and operations personnel that are in places of difficulty and perhaps dealing with an unconfessed sin of a problematic and damaging nature. May God do a work in their lives that would bring healing and restoration as they look to Him and go through the process of forgiveness and redemption; whatever that may look like. Pray for the churches and ministries that are affected from these circumstances. May God give them wisdom and clarity as they move forward. Pray that families and churches would not have to pay the price that Israel witnessed in King David's life following the revelation by Nathan. Pray that church leadership would be quick to bring to light unconfessed sin to the throne of grace, with the expediency and sincerity that pastors wish the congregation members would express in their lives.

Made clean through confession.
By the power of God
And the washing of His Word
Through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
For the glory of God.
And the cause of Jesus Christ.

-PNC