Read 2 Chronicles 7 and Proverbs 28.
This devotional is about Proverbs 28:1 & 13.
A number of years ago I read a newspaper story about a man who was arrested in Chicago for a crime he had committed in Boston. I don’t remember all the details—and I haven’t been able to find the article online again—but whatever crime he committed was serious and something like 10 or 20 years had passed between the crime and his arrest.
If my memory is correct, he said he was relieved when they finally arrested him. Though he had managed to build a new life for himself and live undetected for a long time, the witness of his conscience and his fear of being captured weighted on his heart during the entire time. This is what verse 1 of Proverbs 28 means when it says, “The wicked flee though no one pursues….” It is the fear of being caught and the witness of one’s conscience that makes us panic when we’ve done something wrong and “gotten away with it.”
The contrast in verse 1b is, “…but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” This boldness is boldness in daily living, it is the confidence that comes from a clean conscience.
As sinners, we all know how nerve-wracking it is to have sin that you’re trying to cover. So, while “the righteous are as bold as a lion,” we have many moments in our life when we lack that boldness.
What should we do to recover a clean conscience? Verse 13: “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Only confession and true repentance can restore a clean conscience. It is incredibly hard to voluntarily confess your sins, especially if there are consequences—even criminal penalties—that may result from confessing. But, God is “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4) and offers us forgiveness in Christ. Often people will be merciful, too, especially when someone voluntarily confesses without getting caught and demonstrates true repentance.
These verses remind us not only to repent of our sins; they give us good reasons to avoid sinning in the first place. There is moral power in living a righteous life and, by the grace of God, we can choose to do what is right and enjoy the freedom of a clear conscience.
So, are you hiding any sin? Do you feel the weight of that on your conscience? I encourage you now to confess that sin–confess it to the Lord right now and go to the appropriate person, whom you’ve sinned against, and confess it to him, too.
And, if you aren’t hiding sin in your life now, keep it that way! You will face temptation again, so ask God to help you to do what is right in the moment of temptation so that you can glorify God with your life and enjoy the power of a clean conscience.
All of this is possible only because of Christ and his atonement for us on the cross. He died for our sins, an act of mercy that makes forgiveness a righteous possibility. He also rose from the dead in order to give us spiritual power to say no to sin as well. So, confess what you need to confess and do what is right because you love the Lord and because you want to live a clean life before him.