February 11, 2019 ● 19-12
Psalms 51:4: Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.
Psalms 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 139:23-24: Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me. And lead me in the everlasting way.
1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The word ‘confess’ means to say the same about sin that God says about sin, and to God, all sin is sin. Christians have been called to live confessional lives, meaning we must always be aware of sin that encroaches in our lives, and confess and repent of it. God’s Word by His Spirit is like a search light that scans our souls exposing sin. When sin is exposed it must be confessed and forsaken. Only then can we be led, “in the everlasting way.”
It has been said that confession is good for the soul, and this is true. It is not easy to confess our sins. When we confess we are admitting we have done something wrong. However, when sin is confessed, God immediately forgives us and wipes that sin away. God does not keep a record of the sins He forgives, otherwise, none of us would have a chance.
The key to fellowship is confession. Fellowship means we have something in common, and what we have in common as children of God is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Sin in the life of the Christian breaks fellowship with other Christians and with the church. Until that sin is confessed and forsaken that break will continue. When sin is left unchecked and unconfessed, it grows like a cancer in your soul. Sin must not be messed around with or taken lightly. The only way sin can be dealt with is through an honest look at our lives and a commitment to confess and repent of sin the moment we know it is present.
I want to encourage you to allow God’s Word to equip you in confessing and repenting of sin. Use the following Scriptures to help you understand the power of confession and the joy of God’s forgiveness:
Psalm 32, Psalm 103:10-13, Psalm 130