Our Sins Exposed

Matthew 26:74  Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.

Mark 14:71-72  He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about."  (72)  Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept.

Luke 22:59-60  About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."  (60)  Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

John 18:26-27  One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"  (27)  Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

In all accounts of the gospel you see the sin of Peter in denying the Lord not just once but three times.  Something that you would not expect a disciple to do.  And the Lord didn't hide it.  He had it recorded in all accounts of the gospel.

I can imagine Peter wondering why. - Why does this story have to be made public?  Why do all who will eventually hear (during that time), or read (in our time) have to know about my sin?

But it didn't matter.  Peter was a recipient of God's grace through Jesus Christ.  The One he denied was the One that died on the cross for him, rose again from the dead, and eventually used Peter as His instrument in sharing the good news of forgiveness and reconciliation through Him.  And Peter never denied his Savior and Lord again.  He loved and served him up to his death.

That's grace.  And even if he was reminded of this sin of denying his Lord would come up again and again, I'm sure Peter would bow his head, and his heart probably cringe in shame, but this would just remind him of the grace and mercy of his Lord, and himself as an example of what happens when you are forgiven.

We all, like Peter, have our sins laid bare.  Well, not necessarily in public like Peter's story, but first and foremost in our hearts.

Hebrews 4:12-13  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  (13)  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

God exposes our sins before Him through His Word.  As it pierces our hearts it uncovers and lays bare every sin that we have committed.  And because we walk in accountability to our Master, we confess it and, as He promised, He forgives.

But there will be times we will have to lay bare our sins even before others.

James 5:16  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

For others to effectively pray for us there will be times when we will have to confess our sins to one another, laying it bare so that brethren may pray for us and so experience deliverance from that sin.

And even if we are to be made an example just like Peter, having our sin exposed before others, this should humble us, bring us to bow before our God with our hearts cringing in shame, but also remembering the grace He has already shown in the Cross.  And no matter how serious or grievous that sin may be, just like Peter, our God will stay with us, restore us, and eventually use us again as His instruments in teaching others His grace and victory over sin.
There may be times when we will have to confess our sins before the whole church, maybe through a testimony or through a teaching or sermon.  But we do this in the light of the mercy and forgiveness that we have received from a gracious God and loving Father who disciplines us out of His love.  And when we share this it serves as a lesson for others not to make the same mistake that we did in committing the sin.  We now stand as examples, testimonies, of how holy and righteous our God is.

Psalms 51:10-13  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  (11)  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  (12)  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.  (13)  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.

So, whether our sins are exposed in our hearts, or before others, may this move us to confess our sins to God and even to others, and testify of His grace as He forgives and restores.

Finding Rest in our Rock and Fortress

Psalms 62:1-8  For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  (2)  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.  (3)  How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?  (4)  They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah  (5)  Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.  (6)  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.  (7)  My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.  (8)  Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

I'm not sure if there is another psalm like this.

At the start of the psalm David proclaims - my soul finds rest in God alone!  There is no one else, nothing else, where his heart rests.  God is his rock and salvation, his fortress.  And because of this he will never be shaken!

Now this is what every believers heart must proclaim!

But wait...in verse 5 David isn't proclaiming.  He's speaking, to his heart, telling his heart who God is - find rest, O my soul, in God alone.  Almost as if he's praying...O heart, find rest in God!  Because his hope comes from him, his rock, his salvation, his fortress.  God did not lose His place in David's heart.  David just realized that though he did proclaim that his soul did find rest in God alone, there are circumstances where his soul needed to be reminded.

Look at verse 3-4... (3)  How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?  (4)  They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. 

Two things we see here.  First, there were people who were assaulting him, intending to topple him from his position.  They were double faced people - blessing him at one moment, and the next they were cursing him.  Backstabbers.

Times like this we need to remind our soul on whom we rest.

Then, look how David described himself in verse 3 - "this leaning wall, this tottering fence".  It's a wall, a fence, that could easily fall at any moment, with one small push.  No wonder he needed to remind his soul where to find rest.

This is why I love David, and so many other Bible characters...they never boasted in themselves.  In fact they were very sober, clear minded, when it came to who they were.  And so should we.

We cannot boast in our strength, in our stature.  In our hearts we need to remind ourselves that we are a leaning wall, a tottering fence, and with one push of any trial or problem in life we could fall anytime.

But this is why we lean on God, rest in Him.  This is why we proclaim always who He is - our Rock, our fortress...He alone, and no one or nothing else.

This is also why we need to remind our soul again and again - find rest, O my soul, in God alone!  When we're being pushed, and about to fall, the only one we should be leaning on is our Rock.

At all times proclaim who He is - our Rock, our fortress.

At all times, especially when we're being pushed, remind your soul where we should be resting in... our Rock and fortress.

We will never be shaken.