In Hiding?

Fact 1 There are many people in prison for doing bad things, and the only reason they are there is because they were caught or found out.

Fact 2 There are many people free in society (and church), still doing bad things, but haven't been caught (yet).

Numbers 32:23 - “You may be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Galatians 6:1 - “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

Feeling smug because you are not one of these people who have been caught? Or proud because you think you have never sinned? Either way, you show yourself to be out of the Spirit of the Beatitudes. Perhaps we should always be aware that, “There but for the grace of God, go I.” The verses quoted above show that we are all liable to sin, and therefore be caught in sin, but as Christians should we not be as good in the restoration of a contrite soul, as we are in talking about them, and condemning them?

I love the verse in Romans Chapter 8:1-2 which says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” To me that means a sinner, that's all of us, through contrite repentance, can be fully forgiven by a loving God, who will not condemn us. Psalm 51 tells us, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (I think the key words are, 'contrite repentance'.)

Is it not our collective, compassionate, Christian duty to try to do the same?