1 Timothy 5:1-25
It has been said, "Some may misjudge you, standing afar; God will not deal with you, but as you are!" The Lord knows all about us. And He "has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." Acts 17:31. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Romans 14:10.
Paul wrote to Timothy, "Some men's sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment." 1 Timothy 5:24. And they don't care. They flaunt their sins of homosexuality, fornication (today called pre-marital sex), adultery, drunkenness, heresies, anger, lewdness, selfish ambition, and the like. They have no secret sins. Everything is shamelessly displayed. Judgment day is like a joke to them, as they say, "Well, when I go to hell, I won't be alone. I'll have all of my friends with me."
Other men's sins are not clearly evident to others. But "those (sins) of some men they follow after." In the Old Testament an outstanding example is Achan. You can read about him in the seventh chapter of Joshua. He stole some spoils of war, and hid them in the ground in his tent. No one was supposed to find them, but his sin was later discovered.
In the New Testament the scribes and Pharisees were professional hypocrites. Jesus described them as "whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27. The Lord had warned His disciples, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." Luke 12:1, 2.
Regardless whether sins are openly displayed or secretly concealed, they will be dealt with.
The good news is that God has already dealt with our sins. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, took them to the cross, where He bore the punishment on our behalf. Those, who put their faith where God placed our sins, receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. This great, loving God, who knows everything, also has a short memory. One blessing of the new covenant is this: "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 10:17. What God forgives, He forgets!
O holy God, how grateful we are that You have poured out Your grace and mercy upon us! Thank You for Calvary and the forgiveness of sins. Teach us to live blamelessly and righteously in Your sight. In Jesus' name. Amen!
