When a person cheats, the cheater hopes no one knows.
It is estimated that one in 2.7 men will cheat—and most of their wives will never know about it. Women cheat too. You need not teach children to cheat. They know.
Just as the teacher hands out the spelling test, you see Jeff pull out a small piece of paper with a lot of little scribbling on it. Jeff tucks the note into his closed fist but soon takes it out again. While he’s taking the test, you see him looking back and forth between the teacher and his paper. There’s no mistaking it — he’s cheating. For kids, cheating may happen at school, at home, or while playing a sport.
Cheating is when a person misleads, deceives, or acts dishonestly on purpose. Sometimes it may seem like cheaters have it all figured out. But other people lose respect for cheaters and think less of them. The cheaters themselves may feel bad because they know they are not doing right and, if they are caught cheating there will be repercussions.
Some cheat because they’re busy or lazy and they want to prosper without spending the time to achieve. Others might feel like they can’t achieve without cheating . Yet others cheat because everybody else is doing it with the tax man. Even when there seems to be a “good reason” for cheating, cheating isn’t a good idea. Nothing is hidden from God.
Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
What did King David do after his wrong was pointed out to him by the prophet?
2 Samuel 24:10-14. David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned-The act of numbering the people was not in itself sinful; for Moses did it by the express authority of God. But David acted not only independently of such order or sanction, but from motives unworthy of the delegated king of Israel; from pride and vainglory; from self-confidence and distrust of God; and, above all, from ambitious designs of conquest, in furtherance of which he was determined to force the people into military service, and to ascertain whether he could muster an army sufficient for the magnitude of the enterprises he contemplated. It was a breach of the constitution, an infringement of the liberties of the people, and opposed to that divine policy which required that Israel should continue a separate people. His eyes were not opened to the heinousness of his sin till God had spoken unto him by His commissioned prophet.
– Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
It is well, when a man has sinned, if he has a heart within to smite him for it. If we confess our sins, we may pray in faith that God would forgive them, and take away, by pardoning mercy, that sin which we cast away by sincere repentance. What we make the matter of our pride, it is just in God to take from us, or make bitter to us, and make it our punishment. This must be such a punishment as the people have a large share in, for though it was David’s sin that opened the sluice, the sins of the people all contributed to the flood. In this difficulty, David chose a judgment which came immediately from God, whose mercies he knew to be very great, rather than from men, who would have triumphed in the miseries of Israel, and have been thereby hardened in their idolatry. He chose the pestilence; he and his family would be as much exposed to it as the poorest Israelite; and he would continue for a shorter time under the Divine rebuke, however severe it was. The rapid destruction by the pestilence shows how easily God can bring down the proudest sinners, and how much we owe daily to the Divine patience.
–Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Jesus calls us to repent of our sins for He alone looks on our hearts.
” I (Jesus) said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins.” John 8:24
Confession is good for the soul. If God’s Spirit is tugging at your heart, confess tcoday.
Psalm 51, “Be gracious to me, oh God, according to they loving kindness, according to the greatness of thy compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only I have sinned and done what is evil in thy sight so that thou art justified when thou doest speak and blameless when thou doest judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, thou doest desire truth in the innermost being and in the hidden part, thou wilt make me no wisdom. Purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter then snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which thou has broken rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from they presence and do not take thy holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors thy ways and sinners will be converted to thee. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, oh God, thou God of my salvation. Then my tongue will joyfully sing of thy righteousness. Oh, Lord, open my lips that my mouth may declare thy praise for thou doest not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it. Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart, oh God, thou wilt not despise. .”
Cleanse thou me from secret faults.—Psalm 19:12.