Introduction:
At some point in their life, every kid tries to hide the evidence of an accident or a mistake they made by simply covering it up. They believe if the evidence is covered up and out of sight, they are free from that mistake. But as the song from Tangled goes, “Mother knows best.” The mom of the house always knows what has happened, even if it has been covered up. Simply because a kid covers up an accident does not mean they are free from it or its consequences. It is not until the mom has forgiven her kid that they are free. And we all know the type of freedom that comes when your parent looks you in the eyes and forgives you. Honestly, our sin condition is a close parallel.
Acts 13:36-39
“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
Think about it:
For thousands of years, sin was dealt with by sacrifices according to the law of Moses; however, these animal sacrifices were only to cover the sin of man temporarily until Jesus paid the ultimate debt. Freedom, like that of a parent forgiving their child, was not experienced in full until Jesus died for the sin of the world. As Paul writes in verse 39, “everyone who believes is freed from everything from which he could not be freed.” There is no more need to “cover it up.” We know freedom is not found through concealing sin, but that there is freedom in confessing your sin to the one who is faithful to forgive all sin! God has already paid the debt for our sin, and all we have to do is give them up to him through confession. He is faithful to forgive every sin.
Take away:
Freedom is not found by covering sin up, but by confessing our sin.
Personal reflection:
When was a time that you confessed your sin and experienced freedom? Is there sin in your life you are still just trying to “cover up?”