Psa 19:12 (KJV) “Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults.”
• An Appeal: Dear brethren, please, be patient to read through this devotional. It may be lengthy but it is of extreme importance. God bless you.
There are two perspectives from which we can consider our Scriptural text above. The first is expressed by this version: “Who can know all his errors? Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of” (NET). So, it is true that sometimes we sin against God “unknowingly” or unintentionally, This is why we daily pray to God for his forgiveness in whatever way we might have sinned against Him unknowingly.
Now, the second perspective of our Scriptural text is the concept of actual “secret sins”. The Hebrew word translated “secret” in the KJV, as used in our Scriptural text is, “sâthar”. It means, to hide (by covering); to conceal; to keep secret. When Cain killed Abel his brother, it was a secret sin that no other human being knew of (Gen. 4:1-12). Is there a sin you did commit that is not known to any other human being and that you are keeping secret? You will need to deal with it by “confessing” it first to God and then, to the right and appropriate spiritual authority over you. The Bible says, “Confess your faults (sins) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed ...” (James 5:16; KJV). Another Bible version says, “So practice confessing your sins to one another and praying for one another...” (Williams). The most important step in dealing with any sin is to “forsake it”. The Bible says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso CONFESSETH and FORSAKETH them shall have mercy” (Pro 28:13; KJV). Secret sins are eternally destructive. Expose them today and be free from eternal guilt and fears.
Written by: Pastor Andrew A. Esemudje