“The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1 Timothy 5:24-25 ESV).
“Here Paul is reminding Timothy that some people hide their sins well. He is encouraging him to remember that such people will eventually be exposed. This principle is demonstrated virtually every time a well-respected pastor or church leader is revealed to have betrayed the trust of his congregation by engaging in some long term sinful practice.”
Unfortunately, the paragraph above was written by someone who later resigned from a church leadership position for secretly engaging in an adulterous affair. (1) Like many other fallible human beings, this person knew what was right but struggled to act upon that knowledge. So how can we identify and avoid a similar situation?
Well, one subtle pitfall to avoid involves the mental process of compartmentalization. This describes the act of isolating our actions, feelings, or responsibilities into separate behavioral “compartments.” While this may represent a good time-management strategy, a problem develops when we attempt to separate incompatible values or activities from one another. A person who isolates and compartmentalizes his or her relationship with Christ will find it easier to indulge in sinful behaviors. He or she will also find it easier to justify thoughts and acts that are incompatible with Jesus’ teachings.
Another danger involves rationalization. “Rationalization” can be defined as “a way of describing, interpreting, or explaining something (such as bad behavior) that makes it seem proper, more attractive, etc.” (2) In a spiritual sense, this takes place whenever we seek to exempt ourselves for engaging in a Biblically inappropriate behavior.
While these terms are relatively new, they actually describe old behaviors that are packaged in a different way. Consider the following observation from the Old Testament book of Proverbs…
“This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: She eats, wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong!'” (Proverbs 30:20 GW).
Another translation of that passage says, “An unfaithful wife says, ‘Sleeping with another man is as natural as eating'” (CEV). In this rendering, “doing what comes naturally” serves as the justification or rationalization that permits one to engage in an adulterous affair.
It’s important to recognize that God sees through our efforts to excuse such things. These psychological rationales (and others like them) will eventually crumble for “we must all stand before Christ to be judged and have our lives laid bare—before him. Each of us will receive whatever he deserves for the good or bad things he has done in his earthly body” (2 Corinthians 5:10 TLB).
(1) This quote has been altered slightly to protect those who were victimized and hurt by this incident.
(2) “Rationalization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rationalization. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.