"But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:23).

This was the warning that Moses had given to the men of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. They had chosen for themselves the land on the eastern side of the Jordan River, but they needed continue to help their brethren secure the land on the west side of the Jordan. Moses told them that they could have the land as long as they promised to cross the river and help their brethren. They said they would do so, but Moses warned them against going back on their word. If they did not do as they had promised, they will have sinned against the Lord, and their sin would find them out.

This passage tells us something about the nature of sin. We may try to hide our sins, but sin has a way of revealing itself and exposing us as transgressors.

What alarms me is the manner in which some of my brethren appear to be either so brazen or so foolish in the way that they "advertise" their sins on the internet. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, allow people to stay in contact with each other. Members of these sites can talk about their activities throughout the day, make announcements to their friends, and even post pictures and videos of themselves to be viewed by others.

There is certainly nothing wrong with such websites. They serve a good purpose. However, such sites have exposed the sins of some Christians. Sometimes the comments left by brethren contain language that a Christian should never use, or indicate that they have been involved in (or enjoy) sinful activities. "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers... But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks" (Eph. 4:29, 5:3-4).

To make matters worse, sometimes these posts contain pictures or videos which serve as evidence of one's involvement in sinful activities. Instead of trying to hide their sin, they have posted it on the internet for the whole world to see. Such a brazen celebration of one's sin reminds me of the words of Jeremiah: "'Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down,' says the Lord" (Jer. 6:15).

The "reality television" phenomenon has made an impact upon our culture. Everyone can be a star; and the bolder one's behavior is, the bigger the star he can be. The posts that some young Christians leave on these social networking sites reveals the fact that they have been influenced by this current worldly trend. There used to be a time when members of the Lord's church were ashamed of their sinful conduct and tried to keep it a secret. Today some Christians proudly display their sins on the internet where everyone can see them, rate them, comment on them, and forward them to others.

Apparently, the only people who aren't supposed to see these posts or comment on them are their brethren who will hold them accountable for their sinful words, attitudes, and actions. Sometimes these sinning Christians get angry when their brethren confront them about such posts, as if the internet is somehow "off limits," and they try to make their brethren out to be the "bad guys" for "snooping around" and "spying on them." Give me a break. It is called the "world wide web" for a reason. The only reason someone puts things on such sites is so everyone can see it. Such reasoning reminds me of the message of another prophet: "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil..." (Is. 5:20).

Brethren, we live in a world that delights in celebrating sin. There is always going to be a temptation for us to conform, but we are to resist the allurements of the world (2 Cor. 6:17-18, 1 Pet. 2:11). When we sin, we are not try to hide our sins (nor proudly display them on the internet). We must confess our sins, repent of them, and seek God's forgiveness (Acts 8:22, 1 John 1:9).

Be sure that your sin will find you out - especially if you post it on the internet.