Wednesday, September 27 The one covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and abandons them will be shown mercy.​—Prov. 28:13.

[Poly Ester]

Wednesday, September 27

The one covering over his transgressions will not succeed, but whoever confesses and abandons them will be shown mercy.—Prov. 28:13.

 

True repentance involves more than saying we are sorry that we have pursued a sinful course. It also involves a genuine change of mind and heart. This includes abandoning a wrong course and turning around to walk in Jehovah’s ways again. (Ezek. 33:14-16) A sinner’s primary concern should be to repair his damaged relationship with Jehovah. What should we do if we learn that a close friend of ours has committed a serious sin? We would only harm our friend by trying to cover up his sin. Such efforts never succeed anyway because Jehovah is watching. (Prov. 5:21, 22) You can help your friend by reminding him that the elders want to help. If your friend refuses to confess to the elders, you should inform the elders about the matter, thereby showing that you truly want to help him. w21.10 7 ¶19-21