THE NEED FOR CONFESSION OF SIN!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JUNE 23, 2023.

SUBJECT : THE NEED FOR CONFESSION OF SIN!

Memory verse: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (First John 1 vs 9.)

READ: Psalm 32 vs 5 - 6; Proverbs 28 vs 13::

Psalm 32:5: I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.

32:6: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.

Proverbs 28:13: He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

INTIMATION:

To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that He is right to declare what we have done as sinful and that we are wrong to desire or do it. It means affirming our intention of forsaking that sin in order to follow God more faithfully. The feeling of guilt cannot be disregarded by those who seek to be godly. Such people cannot continue to be living in the knowledge that they have deliberately sinned against God. Relief can only come when you acknowledge your sin, and ask for forgiveness from the Lord who only can forgive sin.

Honest confession should precede worship to the Lord because we cannot have a right relationship with God if we hold on to certain sins. And anything you do to honor God is an act of worship. However, reading and studying God’s Word should precede confession because God can show us where we are sinning. The psalmist said in Psalm 66 vs 18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." When we refuse to repent or when we harbor and cherish certain sins, we place a wall between us and God. We may not be able to remember every sin we have ever committed, but our attitude should be one of confession and obedience. 

As imperfect being we are, we are always sinning; knowingly or unknowingly. Therefore, we need to continually be confessing our sins so as to receive forgiveness of our sins from the Lord, and to ensure continued fellowship with the Lord. As enumerated in our memory verse, God is so faithful that if we confess our sins, we are assured of His forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness, and our fellowship with Him is restored.

Most believers are plagued by guilt; they may have committed a sin unknowingly; done something good with selfish intentions, failed to put their whole heart into a task, or neglected what they should have done. With an attitude of confession, we will always present ourselves to God as sinners that needs forgiveness. God fully and completely forgives us—even for those sins we do unknowingly.

We must take full responsibility, admit our wrong, and ask God for forgiveness. Many people want to add God and the benefits of Christianity to their lives without acknowledging their personal sin and guilt. But confession and repentance must come before receiving forgiveness. We must take full responsibility for our actions and confess them to God before we can expect Him to forgive us and continue His work in us.

God cannot be found by those who refuse to repent. It is not that God has hidden Himself from the sinner, but that the sinner with unrepentant heart seek to hide from God. God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure, and thus one can always come to Him through repentance. (First Corinthians 10 vs 13.) When our sins are forgiven, we can stand boldly in His presence and make our petition. Therefore, it is to our own advantage that we ask for forgiveness of sins, so that our Heavenly Father can hear our prayers.

David confessed his sin and prayed, "Cleans me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins (Psalm 19 vs 12 - 13.) Presumptuous sins are the sins we commit unknowingly, or when we take certain things for granted; when we believe that something is true without proof. Most times we end up apologizing for the wrong done unwittingly.

Christ has made it possible for us to go directly to God for forgiveness. But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church—the Body of Christ. (1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask him or her to forgive us. (2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly. (3) if we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess that sin to those who are able to provide that support. (4) If we doubt God’s forgiveness, after confessing a sin to Him, we may wish to confess that sin to a fellow believer for assurance of God’s pardon. In Christ’s kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers (First Peter 2 vs 9.)

Prayer: Abba Father, I will stop at nothing to confess my sins to You, knowing that You are so faithful to forgive my sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness, that my fellowship with You is restored. Endue me with the spirit of humility and total obedience to You in all things, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!