This past Sunday, the preacher at our church gave a sermon on secret sin. Now you may be thinking that God knows all and that is true. So if He knows our sins, then why can He forgive them when we ask?
The answer is actually very simple, because if the sin is a secret, then you are holding on to it and if you are holding on to it, then you are not really ready for salvation. Remember this one thing, God cannot be in the presence of sin period.
So if you want salvation, then confess to God your sins. If you are not sure what your sins are, then ask God to show you how you have sinned so you can then confess your sins and ask for forgiveness.
James 5:16 English Standard Version (ESV)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
1 John 1:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
It is really that simple, but it is very hard to accomplish. The reason being, there are so many obstacles from us, the world, and Satan. It is a choice that you have to make and mean it.