Hidden Charges
I do not care for hidden charges. I ordered some books recently that cost $24.95, but an extra charge put my order at 39.95 (eight dollars more than it was supposed to cost). I called to protest, the company relented and reduced my bill.
The toughest kind of hidden charges though, are the ones that leave scars.
A student gets caught cheating for a final exam. He and a buddy arranged to get the material beforehand, but only he was caught. He argues it was not his fault and blames the professor. Up to that point, he was one of the top students in the class.
A young woman gets pregnant after realizing she and her boyfriend went too far. She does not want to face her parents and thinks there is only one way out – she’ll have to get rid of the baby.
A student officer has been caught using organization funds for personal use. His face is on the front page of the student newspaper with the headline, “Guilty!” He wonders if his reputation will ever be restored.
A student realizes she has $700 of charges on her credit card at the end of the month with no receipts and no idea of how she spent the funds. The bill is due in a week and she is afraid she won’t be able to pay it. She thinks “What am I going to do? There is no way I can pay it on time.”
What are the “consequences” of bad choices? What are the “hidden charges” of sin?
They could range from a loss of self-respect to the loss of respect from friends. The disappointment of your parents. The loss of respect from a professor or supervisor. The feelings of shame and guilt. A ruined reputation. A loss of testimony to friends and family who do not know the Lord.
You realize that sin can sometimes be hidden from people, but not from God. Scripture says nothing is hidden from God, and that He grieves over the poor choices we often make as His people.
Read James 4:6-10. The author says in verse 8 to “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” To be cleansed from sin, we need to confess our failure to God. 1 John 1:9 also declares that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Walk wisely. Sin always comes with hidden charges. You can try to hide the consequences of sin, but ultimately the truth will come out. God does not promise that the hidden charges of sin will go away. He does promise to forgive us when we humbly confess our sin and help us get a new start. He also promises the help of others in the Body of Christ – take a peek at James 5:16 for some bonus blessing. Then live it.
Love is a verb,
Mike
P.S. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you right now of a sin, what are you going to do about it?
