Proverbs 28:13 commentary; what sins are you hiding?

13 ¶ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

When we hide our sins we are handling poison that can destroy us. We have promises in the Bible for us if we go to God, our Creator, for forgiveness. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can have forgiveness of sins, and mercy.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

First, remember that sin is a transgression of God’s Law, His standard of righteousness, from 1 John 3:4. Even though the Christian is not in any way justified by the Law or the keeping of it, it is still God’s standard of righteousness.

Psalm 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

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

Notice that there are two conditions for having mercy; confessing your sin and forsaking or turning your back on it, repenting of it and doing a 180, going the other way. Our base natural instinct is to sin against God. We inherit that from our parents so it is pointless to say you were born this way or that way. We are all born to sin of various kinds and any given person is capable of any sin. We first must have Christ and then God forgives our sins based on what Christ did on the cross at Calvary. Then, when we sin after that we go to God to forgive us, expecting that He will. However, one important factor of repentance is forsaking your sin. Turn your back on your sin. Reject your desire to do it even though that desire may haunt you for a long, long time.

Christians are notorious for asking for forgiveness for a sin they have no intention of walking away from. Now, I am aware that it is not always easy to do. We are frustrated by the failure of our good intentions. You have to submit your thinking to God’s word and let Him speak to you through it and make you a fit vessel for His use. For Jesus said;

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

So, you may have a sin that denies your constant efforts to turn away from it. You need to apply the medicine of God’s word every day, and even often throughout the day, to have it removed from you. But, first, you must have a will that it be removed. You must give it up. What is the sin you’ve been covering? Gossip? Lying? Envy? Covetousness? Inordinate sexual desires? Are you implacable? Pride? Arrogance? You know you’ve been hiding something. Are you bitter toward your spouse? Is it impossible for you to forgive a wrong done to you? Do you have an unforgiving spirit?

If you expect God to show you mercy today, to relieve the pain in your own heart, then look to your heart for the sin you’ve been holding onto like someone who just can’t bear to bury a deceased loved one and keeps the decaying corpse around the house. Bury the dead by confessing your sin to Christ and be forgiven, turn from it and walk the other way. If you aren’t able to do it then look to God’s word to relieve you of the burden you’re carrying before it kills you. It’s already robbed you of your joy and your testimony. How much more power will you surrender to it rather than Christ?