Iceberg of Private Sins

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He will forgive us, and cleanse us.”

Psalm 103:12

“As far as the east is from the west, He has removed our sins.”

All appeared fine. The water looked calm. The tip of the iceberg was small. No one even noticed it.

Under the surface was something much larger. Private sins and hidden circumstances that could sink the ship.

Sin matters. It can wreck a life when it is ignored and kept out of sight. These iceberg sins have also brought down public ministries. A few that were admitted, or documented by their own ministry:

• Jimmy Swaggart, Assemblies of God, 1988. A moral failure became public. He confessed on television. A later incident in 1991 led to his being defrocked.

• Jim Bakker, PTL, 1987. He resigned after paying a secretary to stay quiet about a sexual encounter. He was later convicted of fraud and served prison time.

• Bill Hybels, Willow Creek, 2018. The church’s own later investigation found his denial was not credible. He had already resigned.

• Ravi Zacharias. After his death in 2020, his own ministry hired a law firm. The report confirmed sexual abuse of multiple women over more than a decade, hidden behind the public work.

• Carl Lentz, Hillsong New York, 2020. Fired for a breach of trust. He later admitted an affair.

• Brian Houston, Hillsong, 2022. The church said he violated its code of conduct. He resigned.

Before we shame these men too harshly, remember King David. He had an Old Testament iceberg of his own. An affair, a cover-up, and a murder. Nathan had to walk in and point at the ice.

THE GOOD NEWS: There will very likely be consequences, but God is still ready to forgive and remove sin.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he will forgive us and cleanse us.

Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, he has removed our sins.

God already knows the part under the water. Pray for the well-known and us unknowns to repent, and rejoice in this promise of complete forgiveness.

What hidden thing could have sunk the ship, and how did confession change it? Share below.

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