Living in the Light — Erlo Stegen

Concealing Sin Prevents Prosperity

Our text we now find in the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 28, and we'll read from verse 13. Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. We'll read thus far.

This verse is amazing. It is a very deep sermon containing much. If only the whole world would hear this and understand it, things would be changed. God says the one who hides his sins will not prosper.

You can make every effort. You can pray. You can fast food the whole night. You can be prostrate on the floor begging God to help you and grant you success and help. But you will not prosper if you have not revealed your sins.

God's word says the one who hides or conceals his transgressions will not prosper. I remember some years ago at the Mceni Clinic where people have AIDS. A nursing sister from another country, a white lady, came to assist us.

When I asked her, how is it going with the sick people? She said all the patients except for two are doing well and making progress, but those two, it seems like they're just going backwards. I asked her, what do you think is the cause?

She said, I don't know. But I do know that all the patients are making right and cleansing their lives, but those two do not confess their sins. So I said, well maybe they have not understood properly.

Cleansing the Heart Through Confession

This nursing sister came from a foreign country and did not know Zulu. I said to her, I'd like to see them. I took my chair and put it next to their beds. I spoke to the first one. I asked her how she was doing.

She said, it's terrible, my disease is just going from bad to worse. And prayer just does not help me. I see others being helped, but not me. I said, well tell me, do you cleanse your life? Do you bring your sins to the Lord Jesus?

Because if the Lord helps a person physically, he starts with the heart. I explained that there are the physical bodily diseases, but there are also the diseases of the soul. I said, one can wash oneself or bath one's body, and that's very important.

And we should do that every day. I said, but there is still the washing of the heart deep down inside you. I asked, do you do that? She said, no. I asked, why not? Are you an angel? That you're so pure you have no sin?

Because we put people in this world, when before the sun sets, we have gone wrong somewhere. I said, the house needs to be swept every day, the furniture dusted, the dishes washed. The house needs to be cleaned.

And when the sun sets, the house needs to be cleaned. If I drink a cup of tea, when I'm finished, it gets put away, and there might be sugar at the bottom, and should it not be washed, and I come for tea the next day, there might be flies already in the cup.

Is that good? I said, in the Zulu tradition, if a man has paid the lobola or dowry price for his bride, and days pass, and she doesn't clean anything, she doesn't wash, he will regret all the cattle he has spent on her.

I said, we are the temple of God, and the Lord Jesus should be inside us. And this house of God needs to be constantly cleaned. I said, is there nothing you need to confess where you might have sinned against the Lord?

She said, I don't remember anything. I said, what, nothing? She said, well, I can't remember anything. She was as hard as a rock. Here is this person, dying of AIDS, and yet feels they have no sin. So I left her.

I failed. I just prayed and said, oh God, wouldn't you work by your Holy Spirit, you who convict us of sin. I went out of that room and went into the next one. I greeted, asked how she was. She said, it is awful.

I asked, have you cleansed your life? I said, for the Bible does speak of the confession of sin when it comes to healing, that you might be healed when you have confessed your sins. I said, have you exposed your life?

Have you asked God for forgiveness? She said, no, I haven't, but I remember a lot of things and I'd like to speak to you. She unburdened herself immediately. It was like a person who is nauseous and they vomit everything out.

She went from her childhood, her teenage years, and she brought her sins to the Lord. Prayed together that God would cleanse her through the precious blood of Jesus. I left. After two days, I went back to Mseni.

I asked the nurse, how is it going now? She said, it's going well with all the patients, but regarding those two that I've mentioned, the one who refused to confess anything to the Lord, she is headed for death.

And the second one who did cleanse her life, she was prayed for and is getting much better. She's eating. She can get up now, able to sleep. She said, it is a marvel just to look at her, her face is shining.

After that, she got well, completely well. But the one who refused to bring anything to the Lord, she just sensed, and it was said of her, she's headed for death. And this nursing sister said, well, how about, because she's just not getting better now, this one, we take her to a local hospital at Mpumulo.

I said, well, maybe it will help her. Because I said, we can't continue to pray that the Lord Jesus would help her in this condition. So we sent a car with a driver to take her to that hospital at Mpumulo.

But she arrived there already stone dead. She died on the short trip to get there. And I said to the nursing sister, then, have you learned something from this? She said, I have indeed. Now she had been studying theology and also nursing.

That touched us, moved us. It was a lesson to us as well. I'd like to tell you now about two witches who were there at a fire where my brother from Tunzini was. These two witches were like twins. They were so closely bound.

Repentance and the Refusal to Forsake Sin

One of them repented. And my brother mentioned to me that there was a witch who had come to the Lord there, got converted. And the Lord blessed her and used her and she was a blessing and had the Lord reveal themselves to her in a wonderful way.

God spoke to her and she even mentioned the things that the Lord has been speaking to her about. But the second one, she was hard. Many years passed without her surrendering her life to Jesus. Not having received the cleansing of her heart through the blood of Jesus.

And many years later they brought her here. She was ill by then, here to the mission. And she stayed here for many weeks. We gave her her own room so that she could be alone. We tried to assist her. Sometimes it was as if though she was mentally confused.

But we'd speak to her. And one day she said to me, I've confessed my sins. But there is one sin that I have refused, I have not confessed. And I will never reveal it, ever. I said to her, well, you'll never really be helped because Satan should find no room in your life for his dwelling place.

He gets power through sin. Many weeks later, we had failed. To help her, she went back home without having received help. Still bound by the chains of Satan. She then joined another church where they do not believe in the confession of sins.

And she then dressed in western clothing, a dress over her skins, her witchcraft skins. And finally she died. She finally died without having confessed her sins. Jesus came to remove our sins. He says, if we hide our transgressions, we will never prosper.

The one who confesses and departs from his sin will obtain mercy. That is a secret. It is not sufficient for you to confess your sin and then go back to it once again. In the sight of God, sin is a terrible thing to him.

That Jesus died and gave himself and suffered and was nailed on the cross was because of our sins. He carried them into and took them into himself. Even God turned away from him and Jesus then cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why was it? It was because of our sins in him. Sin is terrible. And God who is absolutely holy has no fellowship with sin. And he speaks very harsh words regarding sin. He says, the wages of sin is death.

If you do not part from your sins, you will die. Peter writes that the one who has confessed his sin and goes back to it once again is like a dog in the sight of God. That is an awful thing. That God should call a person a dog.

You know dogs? You know how they vomit? After which? It goes back and licks up its vomit again. I remember a certain woman who was of high standing who brought her husband and he was a lawyer. She was brought by the husband who was a lawyer.

And he said, my wife is troubled by evil spirits. Please pray for her. Which we did. After which she vomited and vomited. It was just wet on the floor. She was kneeling in this room. After this vomiting episode, we saw and witnessed a horrible thing.

She went down and licked up this vomit. She licked up the vomit like a dog does. What a terrible thing it was. I felt so sorry for the husband. She literally licked up with her tongue this vomit of hers.

What a bad thing. And God says, the person who repents of a sin, whether it is anger, irritability, or whatever it might be, or a grudge, and then goes back to it, it would have been better that he had never known the way.

The Bible speaks about dogs not entering heaven. He's not speaking about the four-legged dog, but the human dog. Human being who confesses a sin and goes back to it again. It is the worst thing for you, after confessing your sin, to go back to it once again.

Peter continues and speaks very strong words, harsh. Saying that same person who has confessed a sin and gone back to it can also be compared to a pig which is washed and goes back to wallow in the mud again.

Very harsh words. I heard of a pastor who preached these very words, and the congregation stood up and told them that it is inappropriate. He should never use words like this to speak about a dog or a pig in church.

He was disciplined and warned, if you ever speak like that again, you will be expelled or excommunicated. It was a white congregation which declared that a preacher should never speak such words from the pulpit.

Actually, that preacher was not blaspheming, he was simply quoting the Bible. But I'll leave that point. Let me mention David, King of Israel. This David is often referred to by preachers and whoever in this world saying, well, David fell into sin so we too can do the same.

David's Sin and the Danger of Excusing Sin

The pity is these same preachers do not speak about David's repentance, his remorse, his parting from his sin. David's repentance was marvelous. There is so much that we can learn from David's fall and his repentance.

It should never be an excuse for mischievous people to excuse their sin. The Bible speaks so clearly about his deep conviction, his remorse, his tears, how he even said, my bones dried up within me. I'd like to take that and have a closer look.

Firstly, David, when he had sinned, he tried to cover up. He tried to hide his sin, that it should not come to light. When he had sinned, then he got the message from that woman, it seems that I'm pregnant.

David thought, now how am I going to get rid of this disgrace? Uriah, her husband, the husband of Bathsheba was away at war. David was at home. He had been on the rooftop. From the rooftop, he had gazed upon this woman who was bathing.

He asked who she was. After which he then called for her and sinned, fell into sin with her. The Bible says, flee from the lusts of the flesh, not draw closer to them. There is a church that has the rule, you're not allowed to touch a woman.

They have a rule, must be at least six inches apart between sexes. No touching. For the Bible says, flee from youthful lusts, don't get closer to them. It is difficult. The thing is, in touching the opposite sex, there is a desire or lust that rises up.

The Bible says, flee from the lusts of the flesh, not draw closer to them. There is a church that has the rule, you're not allowed to touch a woman. These days, I was shown a film about an airplane, had 200 people in it.

There was then fire. It then crashed into the sea. They all died. It's years ago. We don't know how the fire actually started. But it was a fire that was so hot, they couldn't extinguish it. And finally, everyone perished.

Don't play with fire. Youthful lusts, the lusts of the flesh are like fire. And they all died because of that fire. Once the fire of the lusts of the flesh enters into a church, the whole congregation dies.

How heartbreaking if it is the minister himself who is bound by the sin, as we see across this world. Where the minister fails to control himself, this goes like fire. And so you get many people swimming in the sin who excuse themselves by saying, well, David fell in the same way I did.

But this David, his terrible mistake was that he tried to cover up. Isn't that the same of our own characters? Well, first thing after sin is we try to cover up and hide. But David thought, well, what am I going to do?

Sent a messenger. For Uriah was at war. He was a soldier. So David sent word, let him come back home immediately. David wanted to speak to him. And then send him home. Sleep overnight with his wife. As a means of covering up his pregnancy with her.

Because it would be said, well, after all, her husband slept at home. David then spoke to him. And then towards evening he said, now, Uriah, go home and sleep there. He, Uriah, wasn't like men who always want to be at home, sleep at home.

He wasn't like those men. Uriah, an upright man. Uriah, an upright man. Uriah said, your majesty, I cannot go and sleep at home while my brothers are at the battlefront. Israel is at war. I can never go home now.

David tried and pleaded. Uriah was, he stood his ground despite what David said. Another man would have said, oh, it would be wonderful to go home and see my children. David then went to sleep. But Uriah never went home.

He slept rather at the gate of the king. Till dawn, still there. And then David realized, my strategy of getting the blame to shift to Uriah, I failed. So he wrote a note. After his plans had failed, he then wrote a letter and gave it to Uriah to give to the general of the army.

Uriah didn't even open it to have a peep, not like mischievous women who want to read every letter that their husband gets. So without opening it, he went straight to the general and he said, here is a letter that I've been entrusted to pass on to you by the king.

He opened it and read it. Where it was said, take Uriah. Where the instruction was written, send Uriah to the hottest battlefront and then let the battalion withdraw to leave him right there to die. And indeed, that is exactly what happened.

And Uriah fought bravely right at the battlefront with his brothers against the enemy. And then when the battle was really hot, they withdrew. And deserted him and then David thought, now my sin is truly covered.

God's Eyes See Hidden Sin

When he heard of Uriah's death, but even if you can hide your sin, you will not prosper. The word guarantees that person will never be successful and prosper. That is what God in heaven says. Let everyone listening understand this, that you can make all other efforts, you can pray more, read the Bible more, you might even preach more, but you will not prosper.

You will not have God's blessing on your life, even if you are so cunning that you can hide it from the eyes of men, but before God it is open and transparent. David seemed like his conscience had died.

He was silent about his sin. It is an evil thing if a person can just go on his way after sinning and sleep and be relaxed. As if nothing is wrong. David should have suffered. He should have been troubled.

He should have found no peace because of the sin which he had committed, but he kept quiet about it. Some keep silent for years, sitting on sin without revealing it. But I say to you, you will not prosper and God has guaranteed that.

Nathan Exposes David's Hidden Sin

After a while, God spoke to Nathan and said, Nathan, David has sinned, but is quiet about his sin. Go and speak to him and go and speak to him for something terrible has happened. And tell him that something terrible has happened for there was a rich man with many sheep.

And at the same time, there was also a poor man with just one sheep. He just had this little lamb which they reared. They even kept it in the home. They fed it with a bottle. And this little lamb was like a daughter in the home.

You know how a dog can be so close to the family that it sleeps in the home? And so the lamb was getting bigger. And then having grown up a bit, the rich man who had many flocks of sheep, he was visited by a friend.

And then he went to the poor man, grabbed his sheep and slaughtered it. Now Nathan was telling the story to David. When David heard this, he lost his temper. He said, that rich man has sinned grievously, he deserves to die.

Nathan then said, oh king, you are the man. You are the very one. You are the one like the rich man who took the lamb from that other family and you took the lamb of that husband. He was furious. David was.

You see, it is possible that we are very indignant. We are furious about somebody else's sin. But you keep quiet about yours and you even tell others about your neighbor's sin. Then David was convicted.

He said, Nathan, I have sinned. He was deeply troubled. It looked as if he would die from the grief of his sin. Now I have actually summarized a long story. For time does not allow us to tell every detail.

Finally, David went to Nathan. He admitted and said, I have sinned. I have sinned against God. He did not say, I have sinned against Uriah. He did not say, I have sinned against Bathsheba. He said, my sin is against God.

He saw the awfulness of his own sin, not regarding other people only, but he saw it regarding the Most High. He feared a curse and that he would die. Nathan, seeing the conviction and the remorse David had, he said, David, a king, your sin, God has removed it.

And you will not die. He feared that he would die. God forgave him. And his sin was removed. Nevertheless, God said, even though you will not die from the result of your sin, but there will be consequences, you will reap.

Forgiveness Does Not Remove Earthly Consequences

As you killed Uriah with the sword, the sword will never leave your home, your household. For you have given the enemy the opportunity to blaspheme. But still God said that the child would die. And God struck the child down with illness immediately.

For seven days it was at death's door. David locked himself up in his room, could not sleep on his bed, he lay face down on the floor. When they brought him food, he refused it. He cried day and night because of this dying child, which was as a result of his own sin.

His workers, his servants feared that maybe he would commit suicide, he would die. So great was his anguish. After seven days, he overheard the whispering of his servants and soldiers outside talking.

And he thought, maybe the child has died. His servants said, we fear the worst for David, because while the child was still alive, he refused to eat, was in a terrible state, maybe if we give the news of the child's death, he would commit suicide.

Then David asked, is the child well? They had to say, the child is dead. But he got up, dressed, went to the temple, and bowed and worshipped before God. Then he came back home, he said, now you can bring me food.

They brought him food, he ate. He was now free and relieved. The servants said, O King, what is this? While the child was still alive, you were prostrate on the floor, and we could not lift you up. You refused all food, but now that the child is dead, now you can worship God and you have accepted food.

The servants said, O King, what is this? While the child was still alive, you were prostrate on the floor, and we could not lift you up. You refused all food, but now that the child is dead, now you can worship God and you have accepted food.

Absalom's Rebellion and David's Grief

David, though he had sinned, he was an amazing man. One day, his oldest son, Absalom, rebelled against him, wanting to kill David. War broke out. Absalom, with his very long hair, when he fled on his mule, he was caught in the thorns of a tree and hung there.

The generals of David went straight to him and threw a spear into his heart and he died. Then they went quickly to David and said, Your son is dead. David cried and wept bitterly. He tore his clothing.

Yet when the child had died, he did not mourn, but when Absalom died, he wept bitterly. He said, Absalom, Absalom, would that I had died instead of you. The people did not understand, but David knew. He knew that Absalom, having not repented in his rebellion, went to hell.

That is why he cried, If only I had died instead of Absalom. So David had discernment and understanding. He wept. For he understood that his son was not prepared to go to heaven. Well then, brethren, The word of the Lord had said and says, David, why have you sinned against the Lord and despised God through that act?

God Sees Sin Done in Secret

It might be a girl at school who writes a letter, a love letter, and a boy may be writing it, and you do it in the sight of God. God sees, and you deny the very thing which you have done, denying it, saying, I didn't, and you hide it.

God said, David, you killed Uriah with the sword, and so the sword will never depart from your household. You took the wife of Uriah as yours. Others will take your wives and sleep with them in public.

You did it in secret. But they will do it in broad daylight. You see, God can give terrible consequences. For David had been the king and had hidden his sin. He didn't go immediately to Nathan and say, I have sinned against the Lord.

Instead, God had to send Nathan to him. He took the wife of Uriah. Others will take his wives. David did it in secret. They will do it in public. God said, David, this will happen in broad daylight. You did it hiding away.

They will do it in the open. He who covers his sin will not prosper. But he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. But he who covers his sin will not prosper. But that brings me joy that despite David's having hidden his sin, when the servant of the Lord then spoke to him, it's better, it's good if a person exposes himself before he's cornered and quickly go and confess his sin.

But if you just confess because you're caught, it's not good. Make haste to confess your sin for the wages of sin is death. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal to you all that is unrighteous in your life.

Pray and say, Lord, please speak to me. Reveal me as I am before you that I would not be like one without a conscience. Be quick to reveal your sin. It might be you might have a grudge against somebody and years later you're still talking about what that other person did.

Brother, make sure and realize that God will not even hear your prayers until you've dealt with that sin. The Bible says, God says, if a person has sinned against you or has sinned, rather go to the person and talk to that person.

Don't go and discuss it with other people. Otherwise, you'll find yourself in the position that God doesn't hear your prayers. And then the one who confesses and forsakes. So I come to the final point.

David's Final Victory Over Sexual Temptation

When David was very old and he was very ill at death's door, it was so cold that it just penetrated his whole being. The servants thought, what are they going to do? Because despite covering him up with blankets, he just would not get warm.

They didn't know what to do. Their king was dying of cold. I don't know whose suggestion it was, but it was then decided, let's go throughout the whole nation and seek a girl who is the most beautiful.

Which they found and brought her and laid her there also with him under the blanket to warm him. But the Bible says that despite that, he never touched her or never sinned with her. David had been healed of that sin.

Many talk about his sin and his fall. Very few speak about his rising up again. And even though they took the most beautiful girl and put her into the bed with him, he never touched her. Thank God that though David did fall, he rose up again.

He rose up to never sin in that manner again. Even when they brought that temptation so near to him, he did not go near to it. David had received grace. He confessed his sin and departed from it. Are there those in our midst who have sinned?

May you rise up now, right till death, never ever go back to that sin again. Shall we stand to our feet and we'll pray. Lord Jesus, wouldn't you write indelibly into our hearts like on a tombstone. Written, he who confesses and forsakes his sin will obtain mercy.

The one who doesn't will not succeed and prosper. Lord, we are saddened by David's fall, his bluntness and the dying of his conscience. But when you sent your servant, he rose up from his death. He could stand.

And never go back to that sin again. He was completely healed. Wouldn't you work in such a way that we can truly say hallelujah because of his rising up again. And that it would also be true of us. Amen.