by Doug Mann
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
Is there any hope for those who, after having accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, have fallen back into sin? No sin is too small or too big that it does not need forgiveness. Perhaps you were rude to a clerk at the store; maybe you told a little ‘white lie’; or maybe you have a sinful habit like looking with lust toward others either in the movies or on your computer. The reality is that sometimes Christians may still sin; even though John says our spirits can never sin (1 John 5:18), if we are not careful – we can sometimes walk back in darkness. What hope do we have?
First, realize that disobeying God is not inevitable.
This verse does not say “when we confess our sin”, but “IF we confess our sin”. As a child of God, we should not go looking for sin or assume that we can’t help but fall every now and then. This verse is not a license to do wrong, but rather a help for those who are truly struggling to be godly in this evil world.
Second, we ought to know we are not alone in fighting the flesh.
Sin affects all of us in different ways. As we strive for the holiness that Christ Jesus has asked of us – you may catch the attention of the evil one who will do all he can to place enticing, worldly pleasures before you. But understand we are all struggling with our sin nature and the way to overcome it is to choose not to be conformed to this world, but rather to be transformed by the renewing of our mind by reading the Bible! (Romans 12:1-2)
Third, confess your sins to God and God alone.
No one, not a priest, a pastor, a parent, a friend, or a spouse can act as a mediator and forgive your sins. Only Jesus can forgive your sins, but you must first confess each one of them to Him. To confess means to acknowledge we have done wrong according to God’s word and recognize we may have hurt people along the way. When we agree with God that we have done wrong, He forgives us and cleanses us! Hallelujah!
by Doug Mann
How can we recall each and every sin we’ve committed? 🙁
The Holy Spirit will tell you when you have sinned. Two things I think people forget. Number one sin never feels bad until you have committed it. (Otherwise you would probably never sin.) Number two all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Finally 1st John 1:8 makes it clear to say we never sin we are liars. And he was talking to everyone.
So yes we should do our best to live as Christ wants us to live, but to try and set up all the rules and regulations some churches require is to live under the law.
You get today and that’s it. There is no guarantee that you will see the sun rise tomorrow. Praise the Lord today and let Him walk you through it. His death on the cross was for all sins we have committed yesterday, today and even the ones we will commit in the future. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise because unless they can walk on water they are no different than you or I.