The Lord will faithfully forgive our sins if we confess them to Him. It is very different when we try to conceal our sins and pardon those who were complicit in their execution. In that case, mercy will not come to the perpetrator and those who followed their sin because sin can only be healed by exposure, not hidden by the dismissal of our sin and issuing pardons for those whose actions help to conspire to hide our sin.

The Lord wants to be merciful to the worst of sinners if they confess their sins and walk in the light of truth. That exposure is meant to heal, not punish.  It happened to David when he was the leader of Israel. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for the death of her husband. Instead of seeking to hide his sin and pardon those who helped him commit his sin,  David wrote the following Psalm after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin.

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.; Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51: 1-4).

There is a promise waiting for those who have sinned and are willing to confess their sins, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). 

God’s mercy is waiting to be poured out on anyone who lives in the truth and does not try to hide their sin and the sins of others who worked together with them to hide their sin. Our confession must be done before the Lord, not as a religious or political gesture. As David wisely said, “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned.” Only when we realize our sin was against the Lord and openly confessed to Him, is mercy possible. Wise people seek God’s mercy, not illegitimate substitutes that attempt to wash away the truth of what happened.