“Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not uncovered your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions.” Lamentations 2:14 (Read Lamentations 2)

In the midst of the images of horror and judgment upon God’s people for turning aside from serving the LORD God and not walking according to His Word, Jeremiah, in his laments, points out one of the causes of the calamity which had come upon Judah and Jerusalem: their prophets had not uncovered and rebuked the sin and iniquity of God’s people but had told them false prophecies and delusions. In other words, the prophets who should have been warning God’s people and calling them to repentance were not uncovering and pointing out the people’s sins but were speaking false words of comfort, assuring them that all was well with their souls when, in fact, God’s judgment was at the doors.

The same thing happens today when pastors overlook sin and fail to uncover it, rebuke it and warn of its consequences (cf. Eph. 5:11). It happens when pastors preach peace and forgiveness where there is no peace and forgiveness because there is no true repentance or faith.

And we, too, would often prefer delusions to the truth. Few wish to face the truth that we all sin in our thoughts, desires, words and actions and that sin damns. It is as the Bible teaches: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); “There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin” (Eccl. 7:20); and, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

While many would prefer that pastors know nothing of their lives but what they see on Sunday mornings, it is the job of pastors to uncover sins. No, they are not to be out spying on their parishioners or conducting investigations into their personal lives; but they are to uncover sins by shining the light of God’s Word upon their lives.

They do this by preaching God’s law in all its severity — not watering down or softening its demands or its judgments in the least. Pastors must preach against sin in their own lives and sin in their parishioners’ lives and point out that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezek. 18:20; cf. 33:1-11). They must warn that those who continue on in their sinful ways will not inherit the blessings of heaven (cf. Rom. 6:1-23; Heb. 10:26-31; Eph. 5:3ff.; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Such uncovering of sin is not pleasant and all of us, as we are by our natural birth, would rather avoid it. Jesus said in John 3:19-20: “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Of course, such uncovering of the sins in our lives which lead to eternal condemnation would do little good if pastors did not also proclaim God’s remedy for our sin and just condemnation. It is as we often confess, not only are we guilty of sin before God but we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition.

Therefore, to those whose sins are uncovered and stand condemned by God’s law, pastors preach and proclaim God’s remedy in Christ Jesus. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures … He was buried … He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3,4). “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:1,2). “He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:6,7). “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:21-26).

To the penitent — those who see and acknowledge their sinful and lost condition — pastors proclaim God’s mercy and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. They give their hearers the assurance that, through faith in Christ, their sins are forgiven and that God accepts them and gives to them eternal life in His heavenly kingdom.

And, so, I ask you to examine yourselves in the light of God’s Word. Where God’s Word uncovers and reveals sin in your life, don’t cover it back up or quickly turn off the light. Rather, acknowledge and confess it as sin to the Lord God, and look to Him for mercy in the Son, Jesus Christ. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

Then, as a fruit of your faith in Christ, seek the guidance of God’s Word and the help and strength which only the Holy Spirit can give to amend your lives, rid yourselves of the sin and live for Him who died for you and rose again (cf. 2 Cor. 5:15).

Let the light of Your Word shine into our lives, O God, that we might see our sin and look to Christ for mercy and forgiveness and seek the help and aid of Your Spirit to walk in Your ways. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]