Unmasked

The exposure of sin is the beginning of freedom in Christ. However, if sin is not dealt with then God deals with sin.

First sin will be:

I.                    Uncovered (19-24)

A.                Facing the Reality of Sin (19)

B.                 Revealing of Hidden Sin (20-24)

1.                  Confession

2.                  Exposure

Billy Sunday--One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.

C           There is a lesson to be learned in these few verses.  The lesson is this, AThe longer the sin is hid the more intense measure God will take to uncover the sin.@ 

[What ever sin is in your life confess it and be cleansed, before God will expose it and you have to suffer what will come next to Achan.]

What comes next is:

II.                 Consequence (25)

A.                Sin Affected Others (Not Just Achan)

The Israelites suffered as a nation because of the sin of one man.  A church will suffer because of the sin of a person or people in that church.

B.                 Confession Does Not Erase Consequence

C.                 The More Intense the Exposure, the More the Intense the Consequence

C           God is not wanting to punish us because of our sin.  In fact, before the sin is exposed and consequences come, He give us the opportunity to confess and be cleansed.  However, if we do not heed to the convictions of the Spirit of God, we leave God with no recourse of action.  How can a HOLY God, let wickedness go unpunished?  What we have to do is to listen to the warnings of God, before we have to suffer the consequences.

[When sin is dealt with, then we will follow the course of the Israelite army at Ai.]

They became:

III.               Conquerors (8:1-2)

A.                God Goes Before Us

B.                 God Fills with Blessings

Erwin W. Lutzer--Christ's death on the cross included a sacrifice for all our sins, past, present, and future. Every sin that you will ever commit has already been paid for. All of our sins were future when Christ died two thousand years ago. There is no sin that you will ever commit that has not already been included in Christ's death.

C           If we deal with sin in our lives according to Scripture (I John 1:9) then we will move forward in Christ.  We are more then conquerors in Christ.

C           If we don=t deal with the sin in our lives, God will exposed it, and we suffer the consequences.  Either God will expose the sin to us and we can confess it to Him (and be clean before the throne), or He can expose it before the world.

Remember, the exposure of sin is the beginning of freedom in Christ.  Are you ready to be free?