Thank you for the question on forgiveness, “Does God forgive secret sin in your life if you have confessed it only to him but nobody else?”
The Scripture declares that God forgive all or every sin when one confesses and repents of it. Confession of sin is acknowledging one’s evil or sinful act against God or man. The sin regardless of its nature, small or big sin, if I may use that term is an offense against God. Every sin has to be confessed if one wants to be in fellowship with God.
John 1:says this, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). Bible citations are in the New International Version.
James 5 says this, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (NIV).
The deeper question for one to consider is not the secrecy of the sin but whether one wants to overcome the bondage of that sin in one’s life. Shame keeps one under its bondage. Rarely can anyone overcome a sin by oneself. We need the encouragement and support of others to overcome it. Be vulnerable and honest. Who doesn’t struggle with sin whether it be pornography, drug addition, uncontrollable anger, envy or jealousy.
It is true that there will be some Christians who will look at one with disdain for not being a “perfect” Christian. It is false narrative that Christians are sinless. Every Christian sins if we were honest with ourselves and with others. Everyone needs the forgiving grace of God and support of others in overcoming sin. Without the enablement of the Holy Spirit, we will be under the bondage of sin.
The church is for redeemed sinful children of God who are still struggling with sinful attitudes and actions in one’s life.
SUMMARY: God will forgive confessed sins, but Christians struggled with forgiving oneself or others. It’s time to get out of the “closet” of sin.
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