If/then ----
If we confess our sins...
Then He will forgive and cleanse us.
We always have a part in God's promises to us, don't we? Confession to God is essential for us to be continually humbled and brought into an honest realization of how needful we are of our Savior. Without confession, we can quickly become prideful and arrogant, easily forgetting who we really are and how far from God's standards we come.
I know there are some who confess with a blanket confession, "Please, Lord, forgive me for all of the sins I have committed today" (which I have also often prayed), and others who go even farther saying that once you have confessed yourself as a sinner before God in need of His forgiveness that additional confession is not needed.
But, for me, the best time of confession is when I review my day and really think about all of the places that I missed God's mark and bring those times before Him and ask His forgiveness. That time allows true self-examination and allows me to see just where it is that the Holy Spirit is convicting me to improve. It also prompts me to try to make my list just a little shorter the next day!
When we bring our sins and our sinfulness before God, then He has promised that He will not only forgive, but He will wipe our slate clean, cleansing us from all of the filth that we have encountered. I take great joy in this, because it assures me that my past failures are stripped from who I am today. I can walk in the light of the knowledge that I do not have to carry the burdens of all of my past sins today or in the future. I am cleansed and I am free of them. If I choose to do so, then I am not fully trusting God's promise to me of His faithfulness and justice to forgive.
If we confess our sins...
Then He will forgive and cleanse us.
We always have a part in God's promises to us, don't we? Confession to God is essential for us to be continually humbled and brought into an honest realization of how needful we are of our Savior. Without confession, we can quickly become prideful and arrogant, easily forgetting who we really are and how far from God's standards we come.
I know there are some who confess with a blanket confession, "Please, Lord, forgive me for all of the sins I have committed today" (which I have also often prayed), and others who go even farther saying that once you have confessed yourself as a sinner before God in need of His forgiveness that additional confession is not needed.
But, for me, the best time of confession is when I review my day and really think about all of the places that I missed God's mark and bring those times before Him and ask His forgiveness. That time allows true self-examination and allows me to see just where it is that the Holy Spirit is convicting me to improve. It also prompts me to try to make my list just a little shorter the next day!
When we bring our sins and our sinfulness before God, then He has promised that He will not only forgive, but He will wipe our slate clean, cleansing us from all of the filth that we have encountered. I take great joy in this, because it assures me that my past failures are stripped from who I am today. I can walk in the light of the knowledge that I do not have to carry the burdens of all of my past sins today or in the future. I am cleansed and I am free of them. If I choose to do so, then I am not fully trusting God's promise to me of His faithfulness and justice to forgive.Sometimes it seems we can accept God's forgiveness for everyone else, but not ourselves. The promise is for me as well as for you. Let it take hold in your heart that God is ready to forgive you and to cleanse you...the "if" is on us....confess to Him. He is ready to hear our words of humble confession.
1 comment:
Each day I encounter the sin of selfishness. It seems I am always worried about my feelings and the shortcomings I have experienced. I'm learning that with more discernment I am needing to pray for the others - pray for their healing and their walk with Christ. I have a hard time with "sharing" my children. It is as if I own them. They must lead their lives independently as I do. They belong to God and what relationship I share with them is only for this short time on earth. God is showing me that my security and significance comes from Him. I don't have to be significant to anyone else. I am focusing on my relationship with Christ. He comes first in my life. I only need to fellowship with others. I feel God is forgiving me of my selfishness and He is showing me a new relationship to cherish - my relationship with Him.
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