Secret sin is serious sin. We must recognize that, “All sins are first and foremost a defiance of the holy laws of God.” (John R. W. Stott) If we are to experience spiritual health and blessedness, we need to know the truth about ourselves and to admit it. This is an elementary rule of mental and spiritual health. If our sin is to be forgiven and covered by God, we must uncover our sin to God through confession. Simply put, God covers the sin we uncover to Him.

One of the problems the Church has always faced is the fact that the world is not impressed by its purity or holiness. If there is a difference between the world and the Church, it seems to be only in hues or shades. The sharp demarcation which should distinguish the Church from the world has been blurred. One of the culprits in this blurring of the lines is unconfessed, unrepentant sin. Perhaps unintentionally, yet subtly, we have become accustomed to sin and have lost a sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. The fact remains that we all, at one time or another, stand in need of divine forgiveness and forgiveness is the fruit of confession.

The question may be asked, “To whom do we confess?” Is there a reason why our ministers do not go into a booth to hear our confession; to whom do we confess? Our confession must be made to the person against whom we have sinned and from whom we need and desire to receive forgiveness. To whom we confess depends upon whether our sin was in secret, in private, or in public.

What is secret sin? Does such a sin exist? Secret sin consists of sin against God alone. “Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy presence.” (Psalm 90: We are admonished in Psalm 97: 10, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord,” even if the evil is not known by anyone else. In secret sin there is no injured party other than God.)

Secret sin may involve sins of the heart and mind such as lust, licentious fantasies, covetousness, jealousy, a critical spirit, hatred, or bitterness. It may involve practices or habits in our private lives unknown to others and unpleasing to God. Here again, no other person is involved. If another were involved, the sin would become private sin. Secret sin can entail thought, word, and deed. Unlike private or public sin, there is no risk of being caught and publicly shamed.

Secret sin is serious sin. We must recognize that, “All sins are first and foremost a defiance of the holy laws of God.” (John R. W. Stott) If we are to experience spiritual health and blessedness, we need to know the truth about ourselves and to admit it. This is an elementary rule of mental and spiritual health. If our sin is to be forgiven and covered by God, we must uncover our sin to God through confession. Simply put, God covers the sin we uncover to Him.

In one sense, the body of Christ will not benefit from our confession of specific secret sins in our lives. In fact, confession of such sins to others can produce further alienation and curiosity. Since there is no one against whom we have sinned, there is no one other than God to whom we must confess.

However, there may be an exception to this rule. John Calvin states: “Hence, the secret confession which is made to God is followed by voluntary confession to men, whenever that is conducive to the divine glory or our humiliation. For this reason, the Lord anciently enjoined the people of Israel that they should repeat the words after the priest and make public confession of their iniquities in the temple; because he foresaw that this was a necessary help to enable each one to form a just idea of himself.” Perhaps it is appropriate to say the goal must be God’s glory and not a false humility to bring attention to oneself.

Coupled, of course, with confession is repentance. Inherent in our confession is the acknowledgment not only of what we have done, but also an expression of our willingness to forsake it by God’s grace.

Oh, the joy of fellowship with God through repentance, confession, and forgiveness! Confession is truly good for the soul.

Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.