Occasionally, I will read things written or spoken by a follower of Jesus that sound more like an alignment with the spirit of the age than a word of revelation.

We are seeing this taking place on a global scale as a result of Shawn Bolz’s sin and the impact it’s having on others. This is a time when God is leading His Church to a new place – a place of honesty and transparency. God wastes nothing, even the effects of our sin.

Not all these miscommunications are malicious. Some are done in ignorance of the downstream effects of their choices. If we knew the final destination of our sin, we would be appalled at where our unconfessed sin was leading us. 

I don’t have an issue with those who make ill-informed comments. We all do this from time to time. What I struggle with is the intractability of such comments and actions, and the inability to see them as sin and then begin to defend their words and actions. Only confession and repentance are the way forward, even when the “I told you so” crowd chimes in with their disgust.

What we will miss out on with unconfessed sin is the blessing of God because we did not endure a time of testing of our integrity. No matter how rational our argument might be to dismiss our sin and not deal with it, it will be impossible for us to live a blessed life. 

“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Those who endure seasons of testing and temptation will live a blessed life and eventually be able to wear the crown of life.

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death” (vs.14-15).

All sin begins in our minds. If the battle is not waged first in our thoughts, we will set ourselves on a course that will rob us of the crown of life that God promised to those who love Him.

Unbridled thinking is a womb where the offspring of all kinds of sin are conceived. If our sin is not challenged first in our minds or by those who love us enough to challenge us, its unchallenged course will lead us to a place of death that will separate us from God’s intended blessing for our lives. The sounds of confession and repentance are the first sounds of a true revival.