6. What should those who have committed a serious sin do?

⁶ Of course, those who have committed a serious sin, one that could lead to a person’s being removed from the congregation, should approach an elder. (1 Cor. 5:11-13) Any who have succumbed to serious sin need help to repair their relationship with Jehovah. To gain Jehovah’s forgiveness through the ransom, we must display “works that befit repentance.” (Acts 26:20) Those works include approaching the elders if we have committed a serious sin.

WHY SHOULD WE CALL THE ELDERS?

9. Why should we not let shame stop us from calling the elders? (Proverbs 28:13)

⁹ We need faith and courage to ask for help when we have committed a serious sin or when we feel that we are losing our fight against a personal weakness. We should not let shame hold us back from calling the elders. Why not? By following Jehovah’s arrangement, we show that we trust him and his instructions for keeping us healthy and strong in the faith. We acknowledge that we need his help if we are about to fall. (Ps. 94:18) And if we have sinned, we will receive God’s mercy if we confess and abandon our sins.​—Read Proverbs 28:13.

10. What can happen if we were to try to hide our sins?

¹⁰ In contrast to the blessings we gain by speaking to an elder when we need help, we can make our situation worse if we try to hide our sins. When King David tried to cover up his sins, he suffered spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. (Ps. 32:3-5) Like a physical illness or injury, a spiritual problem often gets worse if we fail to take care of it. Jehovah understands this, so he invites us to “set matters straight” with him through the means he has set up for our spiritual healing.​—Isa. 1:5, 6, 18.

11. How could others be affected if we were to hide serious sins?

¹¹ If we were to hide our serious sin, we could affect others. We could hinder the flow of God’s spirit to the entire congregation and threaten the peace of our brothers and sisters. (Eph. 4:30)