Back in the days of wooden sailing ships, a young couple was taking a sailing cruise for their honeymoon. One sunny day, there was a hubbub taking place on the deck. With the crew rushing to and fro, the young bride asked the captain of the ship, who was hurrying across the deck, what the trouble was. "The fact is, Madam," he said, "our rudder is broken." Showing her total ignorance of sailing ships, the young woman replied, "Oh, I shouldn't worry about it. Being under water all the time, no one will notice it." Hidden sins, just like that ship's rudder, may not be seen or known by others, but it greatly affects one's own life.
All of us harbor secret sins – hidden sins – “presumptuous sins.” But, contrary to our beliefs, they are not hidden. Look at verse 6 of our passage in Psalm 19, “His going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” Our God is all-knowing, and “there is nothing hid from His eyes." And the sad fact is – these sins hinder your ministry – they hinder your Christian walk – they hinder your relationship with God. Sin separates the believer from God. Look at David’s great sin, recorded in 2 Samuel 11. David committed the sin of adultery and, to keep from getting caught, compounded the problem by committing murder. And he thought he had gotten away with it – till the man of God pointed his bony finger in the face of the king and proclaimed, “Thou art the man!” in 2 Samuel 12. This was living proof of Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” These sins separate you from God – Psalm 66:18, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” – Isaiah 59:2, “”But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Then in Psalm 51, we see David’s psalm of repentance, in which he requests of God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”
And just as David did in Psalm 51, we too can seek God’s forgiveness for these presumptuous sins. The Holy Spirit will help you get rid of these sins. First we must see sin just as God sees it. You must admit it to yourself and to God. In fact, 1 John 1:9, which says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” actually is telling us that we have to agree with God as to our sins and see them as He sees them. Then, and only then, can we begin the next step, which is to surrender sin to God – confess those sins before God. Proverbs 28:13 says, “he that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” And then, we must starve sin – starve the interest – starve the desire – starve the thought. Be honest with yourself and God. Call sin sin – surrender it to God – starve it into submission.
And how do we go about resolving this sin issue? Continue reading in Psalm 19 – the answer is in verses 7 through 11. “The law of the Lord” – the Scriptures – the Word of God is the only way. Look at the end of verse 11, “In keeping of them [law, commandments, statutes, etc.] there is great reward.” This is the only way possible to find the strength to counter the problem of sin. Verse 14 says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.” Meditating upon God’s teaching acts as a mirror to make visible the inner man. Therefore, the psalmist closes by requesting the strength to overcome all types of sin and be found acceptable.
Quote – “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, and takes off the relish of spiritual things--that to you is sin.” – Susannah Wesley
