Fear of Being Found Out

     America is finding out that all people have a past. Kamala Harris, apparently, engaged in sex with Mayor Brown for political favors and Joe Biden did a "David Coppafeel" magical act with scores of women. Many others have robbed the public blind or lied with impunity. It seems that politicians are the worst of the lot, but remember; they are representatives of the people!
     Prominent in the #metoo movement is Alyssa Milano. How could anyone have the audacity to sexually assault women, in her mind, albeit she is the temptress for sexual assault! I did a YouTube review of her movies and most of the time she was squirming beneath the desires of lascivious men. She invited assault with her behavior behind the camera. She should feel blessed that she has not been assaulted in real life, although her tantalizing behavior may have been the incentive for men to assault other women; the ones she claims to care so much about!
     Public figures are so well-known for their abhorrent behavior that they are easily forgiven by the public. Those they represent are not as fortunate; if caught they are imprisoned or black-listed. Some people are criminalized for their personal morality, for instance, not wanting to bake cakes for unholy matrimony.
     A friend, on behalf of the Republican Party of Kentucky, called and asked me to run for U.S. Congressman in my district. I laughed as I had just lost in the city commission race, but then became serious. I could not run to represent the public because I have a past of which I'm not proud. Although, it was in the past, I am still ashamed. Christians should share much but primary is to be ashamed of the "old person" that we all were. Those who are not Christians are depraved; some say totally depraved. Depravities are perversions, corruptness, or evilness. Non-Christians are morally corrupt, and would still be if not for the intervention of Jesus who cleanses the depravity from the old creature and creates a new creature. Total depravity is the unwillingness to assist, or to resist, Jesus in his tough job!
     The nature of people is to not be found out. Even Christian act-out what is expected because we are ashamed of secret identities. Christians are still sinful; God can buy into that, but we can't! We want others to perceive us as Christlike - as God, knowing full-well that we are far from it. Sometimes I am so remorseful of who I am that I cannot forget; I am a sinner saved by grace, yet I don't want God or anyone else know that I am a sinner, and that my nature is to sin. The new creature is to have a new nature; a super-nature. Most of us will never wear an "S" on our shirts because the flesh is what can be killed by Kryptonite. Lusts are the Kryptonite of everyone whether it be for lusts of the flesh, eyes, or for pride. With a little irony, most have lusts of the eyes and flesh, but are too prideful for that to be revealed. We all want to be upstanding Christians but hypocrisy abounds.
     Hypocrisy is the desire to be pure but failing the task. The churches are filled with hypocrites, and the apostle Paul admitted to his hypocrisy when he said, "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Mat 26:41). By grace, God doesn't judge the flesh but the spirit. He experienced the flesh with His Spirit. He knows the tug of sin, and the resistance of the Spirit and empathizes.
     God is satisfied if Christians are willing. However, that willingness must sometimes be successful to the extent that Christians overcome the world. We need not do that ourselves as Jesus has overcome the world on our behalf (John 16:33). That gives us peace, according to that passage. Satan is the enemy of peace. His emissaries keep reminding Christians just how bad we are. Do we deserve that taunt? We surly do, but it must be remembered that we can't work off our sins; they were paid for in full by Jesus Christ. If people fail to see that the payment has been made, perhaps they need to re-examine whether they are new creatures or not!
     Christians claim to love and fear God. When we sin, we are loving ourselves and merely fearing becoming found out. The fear of being found hypocritical causes all sorts of coverups. Usually blame is the most prevalent. We all have engaged in sin, but then point at the accomplices. Eve did that to the Serpent and Adam did that to Eve. All were found guilty!
     As a young child, I ran into the house and ratted on my brother: "Carroll is playing with matches!" Dad told me to have Carroll come see him; "Is that right, Carroll?" to which he responded, "Yes, and Larry was too." We were accomplices in "sin" but I blamed Carroll as a way to vindicate myself.
     Dad then asked me, "Is that right, son?" to which I responded, "I'm not saying anymore." If I did, I would have incriminated myself, and I would have been found out! Adults do the same thing; I had an adult do that to me! We were both in the wrong, but the guilt was placed on me. That is human nature to do that because none of us want to be found out. I have done that to others as well.
     To cleanse the soul; requires an admission of sin, remorse for having sinned, confession, and repentance. It is difficult to admit that Christians still sin, but even tougher at having remorse. Lot's wife looked back at what had been; Christians look back to the pleasure we had as sinners. Failure to be remorseful short-circuits God's pardon. That is the flesh wrestling with the spirit. Often, the flesh wins out, and the spirit loses. It's an unfair fight because there are demons warring within us, and only dependence on God can out-wrestle the demons. That's what rebirth is all about; trusting Jesus to kill the "snakes."
     It is hard for Christians to admit that we are imperfect. Admitting that is humility, and God rewards the meek. I would like to scream out loud, "I still sin," but the other Christians would be appalled. I tried that one time when I was a deacon; I declined a ministry because I admitted that I was not tip-top with God. The other deacons were amazed that I would admit my duplicity in public! Why not? God already knew!
     What do sinful Christians need to do? Confess and beg forgiveness. David's Psalm 51 is really  a great sinner's prayer, although the sinners may be people after God's own heart as David was.