I have tested this many times and become convinced of its effectiveness. It has helped me be more cautious with certain people and avoid mistakes.
Usually, a person who consciously lives in sin hides it well within the church community so that no one finds out. However, when a conflict arises with this person (and sooner or later it will), they begin to behave strangely.
They begin to justify the guilty and make the innocent seem guilty. In other words, if such people or their friends are confronted about sin, they begin to “actively defend themselves” and accuse the person who exposed it of being involved in what happened to them.
I remember once confronting a brother at a meeting about the sin of drunkenness, which he had repeatedly fallen into for many years (about once every six months). He would sin and then come to me and repent. This went on for many years. My senior leader told me to confront this brother in front of everyone so that all would know he was a drunkard. I did so and urged him to change and produce fruits of repentance.
This brother demonstratively stood up and left the meeting, shouting that it was all untrue and that I was lying. Then he began calling our mutual acquaintances and slandering me, saying that I was responsible for his problems.
I was prepared for this situation because, during a retreat with the Lord, I received revelation about his fall, his slander, and his departure from the Church. I received precise instructions on what to do six months before it all happened. I simply did what I had been told. During that retreat, the Holy Spirit told me how to distinguish a deliberate sinner from someone who had accidentally fallen into sin:
A deliberate sinner will make the guilty appear innocent and the innocent appear guilty.
Since then, I have used this principle many times, and it works. It helps me when I talk with people.
Dmitriy Leo
