Who you are when no one's looking.

     That statement brings fear into most everyone I know.  Not because they are such bad people or that they have done unforgivable things; but because people don't want to have their past sin brought into the light.  It's a prison of sort we put ourselves in for self-protection.  As long as no human has information about us, we can be whoever we want in the privacy of our lives.  Wrong!  With the advent of the changes in cyber world access to what we do when no one is looking is just what some people want to see.  God doesn't want us to live our lives in fear.  So who does want us to live our lives in fear?  The easy answer is the devil.  The more succinct answer is those who want to look better than us.  That's not a difficult task when I consider my past.  I've been pretty much an open book for many years...warts and all.  Some don't like my transparency while others have fled like I have the plague.  Are you noticing a pattern here?  There is a disruption of our Christian community that is fed by over zealous individuals, groups and the media.  The devil doesn't need to do anything as we are perfectly capable of doing the damage ourselves. 
     Why do we keep secrets?  Better question: Why do we do stuff that we have to keep secret?  I'm not talking about that surprise birthday party or that present you've stuffed away in the attic for a special moment.  Why do we enter into sin?  Again, the simple answer is we, Christians, feel we can get away with our sin.  After all, we have all the excuses.  "It won't hurt anyone."  "Others do it and don't seem to have a problem."  "Did God really say...?"  The list goes on and you can fill in your excuse.  James 4:17 says: "If we know what is right to do and do not do it, we sin."  That's pretty simple.  Pretty straight forward and stated in a way that we cannot dodge what is right to do.  So, when we go on our computer and cruise the pornography sites, go online dating while married, gamble the food money away, and dozens of other choices; we sin.  We think we have gotten away with it but we haven't.  God knows all that we think, do and say.  We may be able to hide our sin for "a season" but be sure that our sin will be found out.  That day has come for many as they have been exposed by those who have the ability to dig, investigate, and expose our wrong doing. 
     We are not beyond the eye of government, groups, neighbors, and our families/friends.  So, how do we live a life that is above scrutiny?  What does it take to be in such a place of integrity that we won't have to worry about yesterday?  The answer:  Live like you are forgiven.  But only if you truly are.  Romans tell us that ALL have fallen short of the glory of God.  Translation:  we are all in the same boat.  No one is better than anyone else.  Our choices as Christians should be to see Christ in each and every person.  God created us in his image.  Something of that image should be found in every Christian.  Knowing we can focus on the positive helps the integrity of the body of believers grow and be supportive.  Within that scenario being who we know we are is a safer thing to do.  God makes it clear in the Word that there are only two types of sin:  those that are forgivable and those that are not.  The unforgivable sin is knowing that Jesus died for our sins and deciding to not take up his offer of salvation.  The rest of our sins are counted as the same.  The kicker is that we have an incredible God who says when we ask for forgiveness that "he throws our sins into the sea of forgetfulness" and that he throws our sin "away from himself as far as east is to west."  Wow! 
     Here is the central part of the blog.  Should we confess our sin but return to it we are no better off than before.  Repentance and sanctification need to be an active part of the believers life.  Daily laying down our rights and living unselfish lives is not only Biblical but also healthy for the body of believers.  Notice I didn't say "church."  There are many churches out there that use our past and use our sin to keep us captive.  You know who they are.  If a church doesn't feel safe, it's generally not.  Live like you know you should.  Then when someone comes looking (even the devil) you will be found in Christ and not in the world.  The Bible encourages us to confess our sins to one another.  We should do this to get rid of the power of our secret sin.  Finally, don't have expectation that anyone, believer or not, is going to be sinless.  No one is sinless.  Love people anyway.  See Jesus in them.  Then give them the gift Jesus gave you....grace.