And although I'm more than willing to admit, and often do, that I have sinned and the only good news is Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law in my life, I still wouldn't want the specifics of my past to come out. Is it ok for me to feel that way? A lot of the circles that I walk in talk about how God brings into light what we've done in darkness. And their interpretation of that is he exposes to the church what we've done in our secret lives.

I fully understand the hesitation in having the specifics of your past (or maybe even your present) get exposed. Of course I think much of this comes from the examination of sin that the religious institution is always looking for. When somebody's bringing their microscope in my direction I feel the very same things you feel. We feel the sense of judgment, and we cringe from it. Let the feeling declare to you exactly why you feel that way, for it is making you aware of the legal demands coming at you.

I have found that in relating to one another in the true grace of God that I have witnessed way more reality revealed than in any sin-focused examination. There is a real freedom in Christ to be able to call things for what they are without the intimidation of religious judgment. Only in this do we get past the hypocrisy demanded in the religious set up! And this is why I suspect that you have found much freedom from a lot of the sins that have exerted so much invalid power over you in the past.