Love doesn’t always make things easy. This is never more true than when God needs to bring correction to our lives.
3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away
Through my [c]groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My [d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah.
Let’s face it, as Christians, we still struggle against our flesh, we sin, we screw up. We say the wrong thing, choose to hold a grudge. Sometimes we flip-off another driver who cut us off, or wish harm to another person. We mess up, we just plain mess up. Jesus forgives our sin, yesterday, today and forever, no questions asked. But that does not mean He doesn’t call us to confess and repent of the things He convicts us of, day to day. Confession is like taking a shower and washing off spiritually. No, we can’t add to or take away from the sacrifice of Christ, but we must yield to His precious and holy discipline. Look above at the result of not confessing sin…now look below here at the results of confession.
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah.
I had to teach my children, one in particular, how to be free from guilt after doing a wrong, or committing a sin against another person. The remedy is found in 1 John 1:9
9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession is one of the greatest gifts that we have from God. Jesus makes it possible to be clean, from sin, yes, but also from the guilt of sin, the shame of wrongdoing. Jesus gives us the chance to have second chances, to start over again, to begin afresh, start anew.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when God may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Selah.
Just relish in the beauty of a clean conscience, sweet forgiveness pours over us like a cool dive into a pool, on a super hot day. Like stepping beneath a cleansing waterfall and having all that is dirty washed away. I wish I never sinned, don’t you? And I so look forward to the time when we will never have to contend with sin again, never be tempted, never fall or fail. But that time is not on earth. We must contend with sin here and now, but God has not left us without a way to be victorious over daily sins and temptations.
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No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” And that’s not all God finishes what he starts, He promises to take us all the way through Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
- and He finishes by never leaving us without His guidance
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;’
What a precious, might and wonderful God we have. Thank you, God, for who You are, for Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and for You, Father. Thank you for the freedom we have in Christ to confess sin, and truly be cleansed from the guilt. Amen and Amen
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
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