Proverbs January 4

Abolishing the Power of The Secret

My child, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul. Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole like those who go down to the pit. We will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse.”

My child, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths. For their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! These men lie in wait for their own blood. They waylay only themselves! Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it. ~Proverbs 1:10-20

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.” ~1 Corinthians 15:33-34

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” ~Ephesians 5:8-14

Working in the recovery community as Kathy and I do, it is amazing to learn of the power of a secret. Every person that we know will admit that their goal in life was not to become dependent upon the habit or hang up that they use to escape their hurts. It’s no one’s goal to become obese, drug dependent, wasteful, a gossip….you get the idea. Yet, we all develop coping skills that end up not being good for us. How does that happen? It is in the power of the secret.

There has to be something appealing about sin to make it a temptation to us. Remember, “If it sounds too good to be true,…”

It is interesting that the writer of Proverbs here makes it sound like temptation is so blatant and honest in its goals. “Come along with us. Let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood. Let’s waylay some harmless soul. Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole like those who go down to the pit. We will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder. Throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse.”

Probably none of us reading this could ever be tempted by such a brazen invitation to join a gang. And yet gangs in America exist as young people are drawn into that life style knowing what they’re getting into but craving the sense of belonging and camaraderie.

We think that isn’t how it really works for us. If temptation to sin were really that obvious, probably most of us would run from it because we do not have as our goal to be mean or harmful or greedy. We want nice things. We want pleasure. We want the pain to go away. And yet, probably all of us have said at one time or another, “I know I really shouldn’t, but maybe just this once.” Also, the writer of Proverbs is very correct. We are not enticed into sin through bullies, but through friends!

Most of us step into a bad habit or hang up incrementally; a subtle deception. James explains it this way: “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when, by his or her own evil desire, he or she is dragged away or enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-15)

Person’s in recovery nearly universally acknowledge that this is the process by which they got into their addiction. And so, we know that it is really everyone’s experience. Sin is able to thrive because of the power of the secret. Think of the things that you do that you don’t want anyone to know about. Why don’t you want anyone to know? Are they really good things? If they were good, why the secret? Do you fear criticism or judgment? Would another be right to suggest a course correction?  

Paul refers here to these activities as “the fruitless deeds of darkness.” His antidote, exposure to the light. Sin, the power of the secret, loses its hold, through confession, when it is exposed to the light. In the recovery community, this is accomplished through small group meetings, accountability partners and sponsors. Those who truly want to break free of the sins that so easily entangle them, ask for a lot of help from others in keeping the light shining on their weaknesses and temptations.

This was God’s design for the church as well. Paul says: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him or her gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he or she is something when really, they are nothing, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions.” (Galatians 6:1-3)

The writer of Hebrews encourages us to: consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24) Sadly, satan has done a marvelous job of building walls in the church, making us all afraid to be honest with each other about our struggles and weaknesses. He uses the sins of pride, arrogance and fear to keep the walls high and menacing.

That is part of the reason that Kathy and I enjoy being in the recovery community. There are no masks, or, at least attendees are working toward peeling off the masks and want to become what God has intended them to be. They know they need help and they know that keeping secrets doesn’t help them grow. 

How would church look if we all experienced life together that way? What if we saw church as the place to get true help to become more like Christ, and the members of our congregation as true accountability partners who will not judge us, but will help us with our mess and allow us to help them with theirs? That is a dream, not to find out what everybody’s issue is, but to create a place where everyone is safe to get help.

Revival cannot come without repentance and repentance cannot happen when our energy is spent on holding up the masks or walls. 

Prayer: Father, we pray against those walls and masks. Help us to be honest with each other as we love each other. Help us to be kind and gentle in helping each other, so that we become a church of bright light that abolishes secret sins by bringing them into the light. We want to walk in the light. In Jesus' name, amen.

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