Confession is Good for the Soul
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness” – 1 John 1:9
That has gotten me through a lot of stupid things on my part. I can’t tell you how many times I would do something dumb and then again have to go to God and ask for forgiveness. What I like about this verse is that God is not only faithful, but just. He is fair in His dealings with us. I think about my kids. When they mess up, I sometimes find it easier to forgive than to be just in my reaction. I’ll say things like, “I forgive you, but because you did this, I have to punish you”. And then the punishment handed out is harsh or nowhere near the grace that God offers us. I sometimes react out of frustration. I love them, I forgive them, but I’m certainly not acting in a manner that is fair.
Can you imagine if God dealt with us like that? What would happen if God dealt with us the same way we deal with our kids or employees or friends or family? Ask yourself that question … if God dealt with me the way I deal with my friends, family, kids, employees, would that be just?
If you’ve grown up in church, we hear so much about how faithful God is. I don’t hear as much about how just God is. And the best part? God’s justice is so much more full of grace than ours. God looks at the heart. If we are in Christ, God sees Christs blood that was shed on the cross. The justice that we deserve has already been paid. So while we say things like, “you did this, so you deserve this”, God says, “you did this, but I’ve already dealt with it”. You are justified through Christs blood.
If you don’t know Christ, you need to. Contact me and I would love to help you get to know the loving savior I know.
Be encouraged today. If you find yourself failing yet again, know that if you are truly repentant of your sins and you confess them before a loving God, God is faithful and just to forgive AND cleanse you of your sins. God is faithful and God is just. What a loving God He is!