Proverbs 20, 19 says, he that goeth about as a tail bearer, revealeth secrets, therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. I think we should hone in on this idea of a tail bearer revealing secrets. To start with, it's obvious in this context that the tail bearer is revealing secrets that ought to remain secret, and that's a bad thing. But like grave robbers, these people go out and dig up bones, exhuming things that better left alone, as Randy Travis might put it. They dig up a corpse that still stinketh. Now, we need to make something clear. We're not talking about secret, unrepentant sin here. We're not talking about covering up sin that someone hasn't made right. If I find out that my Christian friend Nabal is committing sin and is unrepentant about it, I should confront him directly. and if he still will not repent and make things right, I go to the pastor and follow Matthew 18, 15 to 17. It's in the hands of the local church leadership at that point. It's up to them to handle things biblically and only make it known to the church if Nabal remains unrepentant. But if he repents, he's to be forgiven. Luke 17, three says, take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him. And if he repent, forgive him. And once a person has dealt with sin and there's been restitution when possible and reconciliation as far as is possible, then let dead dogs lie, as the saying goes. To dig up secrets like that is a satanic act. When Satan is finally cast down in Revelation 12, 10, we read, and I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. We're to follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, not the example of Satan. Only when absolutely necessary should we ever look into a man or woman's past, such as when a Christian, including pastors, by the way, have committed some sort of crime. and that might involve money, sex, or violence, and there's a cover-up. There are cases like those of charismatic preacher Robert Morris or the unbiblical ministry of Bill Gothard where the past is relevant because they covered up their sin and refused to step down from ministry. These both are accused of committing crimes against minor children and have admitted to it to some degree while denying some of what's been said. It's just messy, and it's a bad, sad situation in both cases. But other men have sinned, especially in their younger years, and that sin was dealt with properly. They were restored to ministry and have had a clean record ever since. In those cases, digging up those secrets is an unbiblical refusal to forgive and forget. as Luke 17 teaches. A couple of my favorite teachers in their younger years committed sin that had to be dealt with. It was dealt with and they've had a clean record ever since. As we mentioned in the close of our previous devotional, He That Goeth About, We can be thankful that when we're saved and we confess our sins to God as Christians, we can be assured of forgiveness and the fact that once it's settled with God, he doesn't bring up past sins. They're forgotten. We quoted several other passages, but I also love Hebrews 8.12, for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Tell-bearers violate that trust with God when they go digging up secrets. Only for a very specific reason and only when absolutely necessary do I ever want to hear about another man's sins in his past. We're about repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5.18 says, And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. God is about reconciling sinners, and he's given that to us as a ministry. And verse 20 goes on to say, now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.