It is Shameful to Mention What the Disobedient do in Secret

It is Shameful to Mention What the Disobedient do in Secret

One thing that has been convicting me a lot lately is speaking about what the disobedient do.  Such shameful things to speak about come up in conversations about a bad experience at a church or a disagreement among believers.  In the beginning, such shameful things are fruitful to talk about so we are called to expose these disobedient deeds.  But it is important to draw a fine line between unfruitful talking and fruitful exposing.  Take a look at the following verses:

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” Ephesians 5:11-12

This passage is tucked away yet infinitely important.  We are called to be children of light and walk as such.  The standard required of us is so great, but not heavy.  It is a matter of knowing light from dark and choosing light.  Here, we see that it is a shame to even mention the sins that are committed in secret.  There is a subconscious desire in man to sin in secret, outside of the public eye yet, never leaving the sight of God.  Such disobedience, although completely individualized and isolated from the body of believers, is just as reckless as sin that is not done in secret.  Concluding that all sin, whether secret or not secret, is so anti-Christ that to even speak of the sin is shameful for you.

1 John 1:6 says “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”  Thus, we are called to not even speak of darkness, whether committed openly or in secret.  True, this verse in 1 John is interpreted as our battle against sin.  But if to even mention what the disobedient do in secret is not of the light, then isn’t to do so not walking by the truth?

What deeds are darkness, disobedient, or sinful?  Deeds that are fruitless.  For further reading on fruits, check out Judging others by their fruits.  A fruitless deed does not just mean an outcome that produces no results.  A fruitless deed can be a deed which seems to produce positive results.  However, biblical fruit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

Therefore, if the fruit from Galatians 5:22-23 is not produced, it is not fruit at all.  And if the deed is fruitless, we are told to have nothing to do with it.  In other words, separate yourself from the deeds that the individual performs, not the individual.  Why not the individual?  Because we are called to be fisher of men. (Unless the individual does not repent of their sin, we know that they have no place in the house of God and we are called to part ourselves from such spirits – 1 Corinthians 5:11.)

What is the fine line between exposing these fruitless deeds and mentioning the sin of the disobedient? It is at the point where exposing such darkness no longer bears fruit and at this point, you yourself are participating in a fruitless deed and becoming a gossiper and slanderer.  Again what fruit must exposing them bear?  Refer to the above – the biblical fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23.  At the point that exposing the fruit no longer becomes edifying, you are fellowshipping with darkness and not living by the truth.  Therefore, Ephesians 5:12 can serve as a warning; a warning to guard your tongue so that you can remain blameless, otherwise, you too will be cruising down a reckless path and branching off the sin of another.

-Mark