Author : Keith Sharp
“But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23)
Israel had completed the forty years in the wilderness and had conquered all those who opposed them on the Eastern side of Jordan – the king of Arad, the Caananite (Numbers 21:1-3), Sihon king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-25), Og king of Bashan (Numbers 21:33-35), and the five kings of Midian (Numbers 31:7-8). Moses would soon be called to the top of Mount Nebo, to Pisgah, the height, there die, and be buried in the unknown wilderness grave. The men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad came to the aged man of God and requested, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan” (Numbers 32:5). Moses was very angry with them, and accused them of discouraging their brethren from taking the land, just as their fathers had done and had perished in the wilderness (Numbers 32:5-15). So the men of Reuben and Gad promised they would go with their brethren across the Jordan and take the land, but they would leave their wives and children in Bashan and return there after the land was subdued (Numbers 32:16-19). Moses agreed they could settle on the Eastern side of Jordan, but first they had to help the other tribes take the land. Then Moses solemnly warned, “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.” How do our sins find us out?
Moses is here personifying sin, even as the Lord did when He warned Cain about his attitude after the Lord has rejected his sacrifice. “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it” (Genesis 4:7). Sin was like a wild beast waiting at the door to pounce on Cain, unless Cain did well. But Cain should rule over sin. Cain didn’t, and sin devoured him.
Likewise, the sin we commit is like a ravenous beast stalking us. We can run, but we
can’t hide. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
God sees and knows every wicked deed we commit, every evil word we say, and every sinful purpose we conceive in our hearts. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).
There are many ways men imagine their sins to be hidden from God. But none of them
are successful.
Careful Concealment
Careful concealment of our sins cannot hide them from the Lord. When the brothers of
Joseph sold him into slavery in Egypt, they concocted a clever ruse to cover their sins (Genesis chapter 37). They coldly dipped Joseph’s coat of many colors into the blood of a kid of the goats, “brought it to their father and said, ‘We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?’” Jacob fell for the deception.
And he recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, ‘For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.’ Thus his father wept for him (Genesis 37:33-35).
Undoubtedly they had not reckoned on the grief they would cause their father, but they had successfully hidden their crime from Israel – but not from the Lord God.
Unknown to them the Lord was preparing Joseph through his ordeals in Egypt to be a great deliverer. When the sons of Israel went to Egypt to buy grain, Joseph, who had been elevated to second place in all the kingdom, recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. He tested them and arranged to rescue his full brother Benjamin from their jealousy.
When Joseph’s silver cup was found in the mouth pf Benjamin’s grain sack, and the brothers in despair returned to Joseph’s house, Judah, the very brother who had proposed selling Joseph into slavery, freely admitted the lesson he had learned.
Then Judah said, ‘What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found’ (Genesis 44:16).
Indeed, God had found out their iniquity. Regardless of how clever we may be, we cannot hide our sins from God. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Refusal to Admit
We cannot hide our sins by refusing to admit them. The Lord through Samuel sent King
Saul to destroy all the Amalekites. Samuel commanded Saul, “Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey’” (1 Samuel 15:3). Saul took an army of 210,000 and killed the Amalekites.
But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed (1 Samuel 15:9).
When Samuel met Saul, Saul claimed, “I have performed the commandment of the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:13). Samuel replied, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:14) Saul blamed it on the people, but Samuel wasn’t buying it.
Even after Samuel rebuked him, Saul still refused to admit he had sinned and persisted in blaming the people for saving the good animals to sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel scathingly replied:
Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
Saul’s stubborn, rebellious refusal to admit his sin cost him the kingdom and his soul. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Lapse of Time
Some people think because a sin they committed was a long time ago, the Lord will and people should just forget about it. Solomon was primarily referring to divine punishment when he observed, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecclesiastes 8:11). Just like King Agag, they reason, “Surely the bitterness of death is past” (1 Samuel 15:32). It wasn’t for him, and it’s not for impenitent sinners today. Twenty-two years elapsed between the time the brothers sold Joseph into slavery and the day they realized “God has found out” their iniquity (cf. Genesis 37:2; 41:46; 45:6). Time does not erase the guilt of sin, nor does God forget. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Good Deeds
Nor will any number of good deeds by the sinner atone for his sins. “Tobiah, the Ammonite official” worked against Nehemiah and the Jews every step of the way as they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:10,19; 4:3,7-8; 6:12-13). The nobles of Judah reported to Nehemiah the “good deeds” Tobiah had done (Nehemiah 6:17-19). But Nehemiah prayed that God would remember him according to his works (Nehemiah 6:10-14). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and you cannot do enough community service to offset the death penalty. We’re not saved by works done in righteousness but by the grace of God (Titus 3:5). “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Death
It seems virtually all preachers think the death of the sinner eliminates the guilt of sin. Did you ever hear a funeral preacher declare he knew the deceased was in hell? Regardless of the sinful life they’ve lived, the vast majority of preachers “preach them into heaven.” That’s not the kind of funeral sermon Peter preached for Judas (Acts 1:16-25). Peter observed Judas had gone “to his own place” (verse 25). I don’t think “his own place” is heaven. After Solomon had poetically described the debilities of old age and then death (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7), he concluded the words of the preacher by declaring, “For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). The daughters of Zelophehad observed that their father “died in his own sin” (Numbers 27:1-3). “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Generally Righteous Life
I have heard and read brethren argue that a man who had lead a generally righteous life and had a sin or two of which he had not repented wouldn’t be held accountable for those sins. They have the emotional “what if” story. Why, what if a man was a godly, upright elder of the church, had just gotten his first new suit in years, a taxi splashed muddy water on it, he let a filthy word escape his lips, and then was hit by a bus and died instantly. Surely – sob, sob – God wouldn’t hold that against him. I’ll let the Lord judge any such cases, including the ones where the fellow was on his way to be baptized and was killed. But here’s some passages to chew on. “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).
But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die (Ezekiel 18:24).
Simon, a babe in Christ, sinned one time (Acts 8:5-20), and Peter warned him, “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:23, English Standard Version). “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Ignorance
Which leads to another excuse. Recently I heard a new Christian claim that one who had
sinned through ignorance is nonetheless righteous, since he didn’t know he was doing wrong. If that’s the case, don’t teach him right from wrong, or he’ll be guilty. Ignorance is indeed bliss! Under the Law the one who sinned in ignorance was guilty (Leviticus 4:2-3, 13, 22, 27; 5:17). Simon sinned through ignorance – he thought he could buy the gift of God with money – but was still “in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (Acts 8:20-23). “And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14). “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Imputation of the Righteous Life of Christ
About forty years ago some brethren borrowed the Protestant doctrine of the imputation of the life of Christ to the believer in a modified form. Protestants teach that God imputes (sets down to one’s account) the righteous life of Christ to the believer so that God doesn’t see the believers sins but only sees the righteousness of Christ. This is the basis of the Calvinistic doctrine of the eternal security of the believer, also called the impossibility of apostasy or once saved – always saved. The brethren modified it to just cover sins of ignorance and weakness but not sins of high handed rebellion.
The word that can be translated “impute”is found thirty-nine times in the New Testament, and eleven of those occurrences are in Romans chapter four. Thus, Romans four is the heart of biblical teaching on imputation. The principle of imputation is stated by the apostle Paul in Romans 4:5: “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” To the one who does not do the works of the Law of Moses (Romans 3:27-28), but believes on Christ, as manifested by obedience to the faith (Romans 1:5; 16:26-27), his faith is accounted (imputed to him) in order to righteousness. God doesn’t give us credit for the righteous life of Christ; He gives us credit for our own faith, shown by the obedience of faith, and by means of that obedient faith we are forgiven and made truly righteous. God doesn’t cover up our sins with the life of Christ, He forgives our sins when we by faith obey Him. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
Continuous Cleansing
Also about forty years ago the doctrine of continuous cleansing became popular with brethren. As advocated by Kenneth S. Wuest, brethren claim, “… the blood of Jesus … keeps constantly cleansing us from sins of omission, sins of ignorance, sins we know nothing about in our lives…” (Word Studies in the Greek New Testament. 2:102-3). This doctrine is based on a misunderstanding of First John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” We are told that the present tense of the verb “cleanses” means constant and continuous. But First John 1:7 doesn’t even mention sins of ignorance. It plainly says “all sin.” If we’re continuously cleansed of sins of ignorance, we’re also constantly cleansed of high handed rebellion. If saying a dirty word in anger is covered, so is drunkenness, adultery, and murder.
But First John 1:9 reveals when the cleansing takes place. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “Confess” is also present tense. The cleansing occurs when the confessing takes place. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
General Confession of Sins of Ignorance
Which leads to our final excuse. Brethren advocate forgiveness of sins of ignorance by means of a general confession of sins of ignorance. We are told we just can’t know all our sins, so the Lord will forgive us if we just confess our sinfulness. But the apostle specifically teaches, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). He doesn’t say, “confess our sinfulness,” he says, “confess our sins.” Simon, a babe in Christ, sinned one time through ignorance and was guilty (Acts 8:5-23). The apostle Peter commanded him, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22). To be forgiven, he had to come to a knowledge of his sin, repent of that sin, confess it (1 John 1:9), and pray for forgiveness of it. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
The Deceptiveness of Sin
Sin appears to be very pleasant and desirable. Sharing gossip can bring pleasure (Proverbs 18:8), and alcoholic drinks are very alluring (Proverbs 23:29-35). But It is God’s immutable law that sin pays its wages.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Galatians 6:7-8).
Often sin pays wages in this life. Moses was not able to enter the promised land because he struck the rock when the Lord commanded him to speak to it (Numbers 20:7-12; Deuteronomy 34:1-6). Sexual sins lead to broken homes and disease (Matthew 19:9; Romans 1:27). Alcoholic beverages bring addiction (Proverbs 23:29-35).
But sin will most certainly pay its wages in eternity. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
How to Escape Sin
There is only one thing that will erase the guilt of sin, the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:13-14)
How can we receive the benefits of His blood sacrifice? We must repent, turn from, our sins. The alien sinner, one who is not a Christian, must act upon his faith in Christ (Romans 5:1-2) by repenting of his sins (Acts 3:19), confessing his faith in Christ (Romans 10:8-10), and being baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4). The erring child of God must repent, confess his sin, and pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). If we repent, the spiritual penalty for sin is lifted (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Sometimes there are penalties for sin in this life that even repentance will not lift. David repented of his adultery and was forgiven, but his child died (2 Samuel 11:1-12:23). Trouble in his family followed from then on, culminating in the heartbreak David experienced when his rebellious son Absalom was killed (2 Samuel 18:32-33). The Lord will forgive adulterers who have been put away for their adultery (1 Corinthians 6:9-11), but they must live single lives (Matthew 19:9).
Conclusion
I had a friend and brother when I lived in Florida with whom I was close. After I moved from Florida this brother left his wife and moved in with another man’s wife. The jealous husband shot my friend in the heart, killing him instantly, while my friend stood in the doorway where he and the man’s wife were living together. He is in the hands of God, but he learned that sin does indeed pay its wages. If sin stains your soul, repent before it is too late. “And be sure your sin will find you out.”
