The Benefits of Exposure

And they have not exposed your iniquity so as to restore you from captivity. Lamentations 2:14

Ever since Adam and Eve tried to hide behind fig leaves, people have tried to hide the issues and sins of their heart. We use many techniques to avoid confronting and confessing the things in our life that are not good. Excuses abound in hopes that somehow we can circumvent dealing with the truth. Many times we forget God’s purpose in revealing those things we are trying so hard to hide.

Two of God’s motives for exposing our sin are for restoration and release. He wants nothing more than for us to be restored to right fellowship with Him. But He also wants us released from the things that have us in their grip. The first step someone must take when trying to overcome an addiction, be it with drugs, alcohol, food, or relationships, is to admit there is a problem. As long as they just keep referring back to the many reasons they have the addiction nothing will happen.

Lamentations is a short five chapter book that depicts God’s people under judgment for their sin and rebellion. While God holds them personally responsible for their actions He also makes it clear that part of the problem has been in the false prophets who did not point out their sins so that they could be restored from captivity. They sugar coated their messages to appease the masses. They said what people wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear. They actually hindered God’s work rather than helped it.

I see two extremes in our pulpits today. While some pastors never mention sin and warn of consequences others are all too happy to brow beat and shame their congregations. Sitting under the first gives people a false sense of security in the way they are living their Christian life. Sitting under the second causes people to walk in shame, condemnation, and the feeling that they just can never measure up. Both ways leave out the very heart of God. While God does not ignore sin, neither does He expose it for the sole purpose of letting us know how horrible we are. He is a loving Shepherd who wants to woo us back to Himself. His motives are always for our good. May we find a good balance between hiding and harping!

Father, I am learning to trust the exposure of my heart to You. Show me my own captivity and any area that hinders fellowship with You. Amen.