Post flood, Noah got drunk. His son Shem saw his nakedness and told his two brothers. Genesis 9:23 says, “But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.”

That is another great picture of what it means to walk in the light. We do not expose others’ sins to those around us. Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.”

James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” If you are struggling with a hidden sin, seek out a believer that is walking in the light. 

Galatians 6:1 is for us. It says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness…” Accountability is a huge key to being a victorious overcomer.

1 John 1:5 says, “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” Verse 7 says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

James 3:14 clarifies those who are not walking in His light. It says, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.” Verse 16 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Remember that inner defilement is a disease of the heart. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” Evil thoughts can be defined as negative dialogue against yourself, others, or your circumstances.

1 Peter 1:22 says, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.” Sincere ~ no pretense.

A deceived person doesn’t recognize that they are. Self-deception is a blind spot. We need God’s word, and those He placed in our lives to be fruit inspectors. James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.”

Hebrews 3:13 is a great clarifier for us. It says, “But exhort one another daily…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Our hidden sin makes us callous and insensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

There are many ‘one another’ verses. We are in the body of Christ. We are individual members that make up the whole. 1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Did you notice that self-deception is described as darkness?

Kevin Prosch wrote a song years ago. Here are a few lines. “…Come to the light, come as you are…Take off the mask, give up your pride….” Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the lies you are living in that you don’t recognize.

I started my reading through 1 & 2 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3:3 says, “For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”

The Holy Spirit reminded me that reactions are fleshly. Spirit led responses are evidence of the fruit of the Spirit working in our lives. As you read each one, ask yourself if it is visible to others who are in your life. 

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” 1 Corinthians 13 is another barometer. Here is another list. Ask yourself as you read each one if those around you would agree that they are evident in your life.

Verses 4-8 say, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”

I was in Ecuador in 1987 on a short term mission trip. Our team straddled the equator line, where the north and the south meet. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

The Lord has chosen to not bring our sins up again. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Micah 7:19 says, “…You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

Our sins were paid for by Jesus on the cross. His words, “It is finished!” was a statement proclaiming that the Father’s wrath was fulfilled ~ sin was judged.

As we emulate the Lord, we too are to keep no record of wrongs. If you are still rehearsing the sins done against you, here is my suggestion. Write them down on a piece of paper. Forgive as you have been forgiven, and literally destroy the record. Fulfill His command to forgive ~ wipe the slate clean. Ephesians 4:32. Colossians 3:13.

I grab my magnifying glass when I want to see details close up. It makes something small much bigger. Psalm 103:10 is like a magnifying glass for me over mercy. It says, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.”

We know from Romans 3:23 that, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We miss the mark. Think of two dots spaced wide apart. The last dot is a little higher. As you draw a line with a ruler straight across, you will see that the line misses the far dot.

How tragic to live our lives thinking that we are going to heaven because of our good works, only to miss the mark of believing in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

A verse in a new song called Extravagant Oil Of Joy. “O the wonder. The marvelous wonder and awe. All my sins are cleansed in the power of Your blood.” Hallelujah for His abundant, unequaled, and rich mercy that is new every morning, and endures forever.

Luke 1:78 was part of Zacharias’ prophecy concerning Jesus. It says, “Through the tender mercies of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us.” We are called to exemplify the Lord in every aspect of our lives.

Are you a tenderhearted person? Colossians 3:12-13 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

Unforgiveness hardens the heart. Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Forgiving is not an option. It is a command. 

Tenderhearted means merciful and compassionate. Think of Jesus’ interactions with those who were bound in sickness and every disease. Matthew 9:36 says, “…He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary…”

Physical and emotional pain is exhausting. O Lord, help us to always be moved with compassion for those who are physically and emotionally weary and distraught.

Psalm 103:4 says, “Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Jeremiah 31:3 says, “…with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Consider this verse. Psalm 145:9 says, “The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”

We are the work of His hands. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” According to Romans 8:28 He orchestrates everything in our lives to turn around for our good.

Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. Nothing is in vain because He redeems it all. We are of great value in His eyes. Psalm 139:17 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” I love exclamation points.

The next time you fall into a trial, or you complain about the circumstances in your life, remember His tender mercies are arching over you. They are a canopy of His love that covers our lives continually.

Our pasts are only in our minds. We cannot go back into them to change anything. They happened. They are our past that has passed. We are designed to live in our present in His Presence.

Remember that at salvation we received two irrevocable gifts ~ joy and peace. The moment we go back and rehearse a negative situation in our past, we cover over those gifts. Irrevocable means not able to be changed, reversed; final.

Here is a verse in Proverbs 3:2 Amplified that reveals the fruit of one that daily keeps, adheres to, and applies God’s word to their lives. It says, “For length of days and years of a life (worth living) and tranquility (inward and outward and continuing through old age till death), these shall they add to you.”

We will all live out the days He fashioned for us. Psalm 139:16. I want my life to be like Psalm 92:14. It says, “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.” The literal for fresh is fat (full of oil or sap).

Psalm 119:73 says, “Your hands have fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.” Psalm 25:4-5 says, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.”

Hosea 10:13 says, “You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity. You have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way…” Inner vows and pronouncements are lies that war against God’s design. They bring shame, inner defilement, and self-contempt.

2 Corinthians 4:2 says, “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully…” Hebrews 3:13 says that sin is deceitful and it hardens our hearts.

Renounce means to disown. We first confess our sin in believing the lies. Then we use God’s word to dig up the roots and destroy the strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are…mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”