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A few weeks ago, while Maddie was away on a trip, the dogs were starting to make me lose my mind. Fenway had injured his paw and had to wear a cone, which meant he kept running into everything and acting as if his life was ending. Quincy, on the other hand, was being suspiciously quiet—never a good sign. After finishing up some work that evening, I went downstairs to find an entire package of toilet paper shredded and spread across our bed. Suddenly, Quincy’s silence made perfect sense. The moment no one was around, she decided to destroy.

As I thought about the hilarity—and frustration—of that moment, it struck me how predictable this is: leave a dog alone, and they’ll find something to tear apart. But then another thought hit me. Isn’t that often how we are in our own lives? We act as though the absence of people means the absence of accountability. We convince ourselves that no one knows, no one sees, and we are free to do as we please. How often do we tell ourselves in our spiritual lives that what we do in private goes unseen, and therefore, it has no real impact on us?

Consider for a moment what Scripture teaches about this. Are we ever truly alone? Is obedience to Christ something for all areas of life, or only for when others are watching?

God Sees Both the Public and the Private

Scripture is clear that God sees and knows all. Nothing escapes His gaze or oversight. Psalm 90:8 reminds us that even “our secret sins [are] in the light of thy countenance.” So often we become consumed with what others see that we forget the One who sees perfectly. Yes, we sin against others, but ultimately our sin is against God. We can become so enamored with what others think that we present a “cleaned-up” version of ourselves, even though God sees the decay and ugliness we may be harboring inside.

Search Scripture on God seeing the ways of man and you’ll find a repeated theme—God sees all our actions, good or bad. This should draw us into sober-minded living. We may think we have everyone convinced of how great we are, but God sees the heart. He knows the truth. God calls His people to pursue righteousness not only publicly, but privately. Don’t let Satan’s lie take root—that hidden sin doesn’t matter. Confess it, repent of it, and seek His help in replacing it with righteousness.

“Private” Sin Still Affects Us

With public sin, the consequences are easy to recognize: someone loses a position, someone loses a relationship, someone is incarcerated. Whatever it is, everyone sees it. Satan likes to convince us that private sin avoids such consequences—that it’s like “diet sin”: maybe a little bad, but not nearly as harmful as the “full-sugar” version.

Scripture points us to the opposite reality. Proverbs 28:13 reminds us that those who hide their sins will not prosper or receive mercy. Confession is the key that allows us to experience God’s forgiveness and compassion. Galatians 6 reminds us that what we sow, we will reap. Sin always has consequences, even if we are blind to them for a season. Chief among them is that unrepentant sin disrupts our fellowship with God. It’s not a permanent separation, but it continues as long as the sin remains undealt with.

Forgiveness Stands Ready When We Come in Repentance

David is the obvious example that comes to mind. His great sin—though public in some ways—was largely private. Consider how David must have felt believing he had gotten away with everything until Nathan appeared. What happened? Were there consequences? Yes. But there was also forgiveness. Through repentance, David experienced God’s full mercy and pardon.

Many believe Psalm 32 was written by David after this sin. Note what he says in verse 5: “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” You and I can experience the same forgiveness. It simply requires that we confess our sin to God. Stop thinking we have everyone fooled and that no one knows. God sees. God knows. God cares. And God stands ready to forgive today.

It reminds me of Quincy and the shredded toilet paper: just because no one seems to be watching doesn’t mean our actions go unnoticed. I want to encourage us about what that means for our spiritual lives. Remember that as followers of Christ we have been given a purpose that He has called us to. Don’t allow “hidden” sin to derail you from accomplishing that purpose. May we heed and live out the words of Paul in Romans 13, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

Serving Together,

Pastor Derek