I read a verse this morning that I’ve probably read a hundred times. It is one of those familiar verses that you could probably say along with me. The words of it are familiar. In fact, they are so familiar I think we sometimes gloss over them without letting them affect us.
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. - 1 John 1:9 (NLT)
There are several things I noticed anew in here this morning.
If – we must do it. The confession of sin is an uncomfortable thing to do, but we are called to do it. - He is faithful – we can count on it. He will forgive our sins. Every time, all the time. He will always listen and He will always forgive.
- He is just – we can trust it. God’s forgiveness is completely in line with His perfect holiness. This is due to the atoning blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7). He is true to His word.
- He forgives us – we can forget it. Too often, we remember our sins that we have confessed. We bring them back up over and over again. Our heavenly Father must wonder why we keep bringing up what He has forgotten. We don’t have to keep on living with the guilt of our sin…it has been forgiven (Psalm 103:12).
- He cleanses us – we can stop it. We don’t have to keep on living in patterns of sin. We are able to break free from them to live lives that reflect our faith more and more (Hebrews 9:14).
Of the five things listed, the first was probably the one I most needed to be reminded of. Too often, I fail to confess my sins. Sometimes I am too prideful to notice them. Sometimes I am too preoccupied to notice them. Sometimes I just don’t want to think about them.
If that sounds like you, I’d encourage you to read Matthew 5:17-47, where Jesus enlightens us with the reality of God’s standards. When you are finished reading it, read 1 John 1:9 again.
1 comment
KellySueLew says:
August 19, 2009 at 7:51 am (UTC -5 )
Loved your thoughts in this post – especially in light of having communion this week. Last night our worship team read through Ps. 51. I told them how the other day I was thinking of the verse “against You and You only have I sinned.” What came to mind were all those little no-big-deal things that no one sees and that don’t hurt anyone. But I realized that they are a big deal to God and they hurt Him. I started writing them all down and asking forgiveness. Seeing the list made me squirm, but it also made me so much more grateful for the cross. When I remember Jesus dying for me as we ake communion on Sunday, I will remember some of those specific sins that he has covered, forgiven, and forgotten. So powerful!!