Holy Latrine
Have You Made a Holy Latrine? Dealing with Hidden Sin in Your Life
When we talk about holiness, we often focus on the visible aspects of our faith. We attend church, dress appropriately, and avoid obvious sins that others might see. But what about those hidden areas of our lives? The places where we think no one is watching?
In 2 Kings 10, we find a powerful story about King Jehu that reveals an important truth about partial obedience and hidden sin.
The Story of Jehu: Partial Obedience
Jehu was anointed king of Israel with a specific mission from God: to destroy the house of Ahab and eliminate Baal worship from the land. He carried out this mission with dramatic flair:
He gathered all the Baal worshippers into one place
He destroyed the temple of Baal
He killed the worshippers of Baal
He demolished the sacred pillars
He turned the temple into a latrine (a public toilet)
This last action was particularly significant. By turning the temple into a latrine, Jehu was making a powerful statement: "I am not going back to this place. I've cut it off and made it unclean."
God was pleased with Jehu's actions against Baal worship. In 2 Kings 10:30, the Lord said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons to the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel."
The Problem with Partial Obedience
But there was a problem. While Jehu destroyed the obvious idolatry of Baal worship, he left other idols untouched. 2 Kings 10:29 tells us: "But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan."
Jehu dealt with the sins everyone could see but left the hidden sins intact. The golden calves in Bethel and Dan were far from Jerusalem, where fewer people would notice them. It was like saying, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
This partial obedience had serious consequences. Despite God's promise about Jehu's dynasty, we read in verse 32: "In those days the Lord began to cut off parts of Israel." God began taking away what He had promised because of Jehu's incomplete obedience.
What Are Your "Golden Calves"?
This story challenges us to examine our own lives. Many of us have made a show of destroying certain sins—the obvious ones that others might see. We've made "latrines" out of our former lifestyles:
We don't go to clubs anymore
We dress modestly at church
We use clean language around other Christians
But what about those hidden areas? The sins we keep in our "Bethel and Dan"—places where we think no one will notice:
The way we talk at work when no Christians are around
What we look at on our computers when no one is watching
How we behave when we're out of town and no one from church is present
The attitudes we harbor in our hearts
Why Do We Keep Hidden Sins?
We often justify keeping these hidden sins for several reasons:
"No one will know" - We forget that God sees everything
"It's not that bad" - We minimize the seriousness of sin
"I've given up so much already" - We feel entitled to keep some sins
"I can handle it" - We overestimate our spiritual strength
The truth is, as long as we allow these things to remain, we're telling God they are more important than Him. We're making a decision that we know better than God.
The Danger of Hidden Sin
Scripture warns us about the danger of allowing even small sins to remain in our lives:
"The little foxes spoil the vineyard" (Song of Solomon 2:15)
"A little leaven leavens the whole lump" (1 Corinthians 5:6)
During Passover, Jewish families remove all leaven from their homes. Why? Because even one spore of yeast will multiply and spread. Similarly, the small sins we tolerate will grow and eventually contaminate our entire spiritual life.
As the Bible warns, "Sin will always take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and do more to you than you could ever imagine."
God Sees What Others Don't
We may fool others, and we may even fool ourselves, but we can never fool God. He sees everything—even the things we think are hidden.
When we first come to Christ, we often deal with the obvious sins. We're excited about our new faith, and we want to make changes. But as time goes on, we can become comfortable with certain "pet sins" that we keep hidden.
God knows our hearts. He knows our weaknesses. And when He asks us to give up certain things, it's not because He's a "killjoy." It's because He loves us and wants to protect us from harm.
Being Fully Devoted, Not Just in Public
True holiness isn't just about what others see—it's about being fully devoted to God in every area of our lives. It's about acknowledging Christ before men (Matthew 10:32) and living authentically for Him.
When we first come to Christ, we often tell everyone about our faith. We're excited, and we want to "burn every bridge" to our old life. But over time, we can become comfortable with a double life—acting one way at church and another way elsewhere.
The world needs to see real Christians who aren't just "in church" but are "in Christ." People who are new creations, transformed by His power, not just playing religious games.
Life Application
It's time to examine our lives and ask: "Have I made a holy latrine?" Have I made a show of destroying certain sins while secretly keeping others?
Here are some questions to consider:
What areas of my life am I keeping hidden from others? From God?
Are there "golden calves" I've set up in my "Bethel and Dan"—places where I think no one will notice?
What would it look like to be fully devoted to God, not just in the areas people see?
What small sins am I tolerating that could be spreading like leaven through my spiritual life?
This week, I challenge you to pray this simple prayer: "Holy Spirit, I give you permission. Search my heart and reveal to me anything that you want me to destroy in Jesus' name."
God is calling His church back to basics—back to boot camp—to strip away the worldly things we've accumulated. He wants to take us deeper, but we can't go deeper while holding onto hidden sin.
Let's be people who are uniform with God's army, fully devoted to Him in every area of our lives, not just the parts others can see.
