Exposing Sin

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.”

Romans 7:7–10

If you’ve ever done a home improvement project that involved painting, you know how important light is to getting the job done right. In a dim light, your paint job looks quite different than it does in the bright sunshine. It is easy to miss spots and think you have done a good job until the light shines on it. The same thing is true for cleaning. Dust hides in darkness, but the light reveals. The light does not make the dirt; it simply exposes it. And that is why people respond so negatively to having the truth of God’s Word brought to bear on their sin. “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

What is true of the lost can be true of Christians as well. If we are drawing away from close fellowship with other believers and spending less time in the Bible, it is an indication that something is wrong in our hearts. If we are trying to avoid the light, there is likely some darkness in our lives that we are hoping to conceal. God does not want our sin to remain hidden, and He will send lights—whether from His Word, from other Christians or from circumstances—to expose what we are attempting to conceal from Him and from others.

Today's Growth Principle
The only cure for sinful living is for exposure to the light leading us to repentance.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 87-88

PSALM 87

A Psalm or Song for the sons of Korah.

¹ His foundation is in the holy mountains. ² The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. ³ Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah.

⁴ I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there. ⁵ And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her. ⁶ The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah. ⁷ As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee.

PSALM 88

A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.

¹ O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: ² Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; ³ For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. ⁴ I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: ⁵ Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. ⁶ Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. ⁷ Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. ⁸ Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. ⁹ Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

¹⁰ Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. ¹¹ Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? ¹² Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? ¹³ But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. ¹⁴ LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? ¹⁵ I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. ¹⁶ Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. ¹⁷ They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. ¹⁸ Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

New Testament Reading

Romans 13

CHAPTER 13

¹ Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. ² Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: ⁴ For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. ⁵ Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. ⁶ For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

⁷ Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. ⁸ Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁰ Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹² The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. ¹³ Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ¹⁴ But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 13

¹ A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. ² A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. ³ He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. ⁴ The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. ⁵ A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. ⁶ Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner. ⁷ There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. ⁸ The ransom of a man's life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke. ⁹ The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. ¹⁰ Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. ¹¹ Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. ¹² Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. ¹³ Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. ¹⁴ The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. ¹⁵ Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. ¹⁶ Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. ¹⁷ A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health. ¹⁸ Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. ¹⁹ The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul: but it is abomination to fools to depart from evil. ²⁰ He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. ²¹ Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed. ²² A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. ²³ Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. ²⁴ He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. ²⁵ The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.