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, NKJV
Dear God, Thank You so much for not only forgiving us, but also for cleansing us from all wrong-doing. Amen
How wonderful it feels to be forgiven; really forgiven. Not like the fellow who lay on his deathbed and was visited by a former friend, from whom he had withheld his speech for many years. What was so sad is that their dispute was over something very insignificant. His friend, had tried to make peace with him on many occasions, but his efforts were always rejected. When he heard that he was dying, he came praying that his friend would receive him. This was his last desperate attempt to make reconciliation. When the two men saw each other, both of them burst into tears!
They asked each other’s forgiveness and promised to let bygones be bygones. His friend was relieved, and happy, that they had finally been able to talk things over and make peace. After visiting with him a while, he bade him farewell, and as he turned to leave, the dying man mustered up just enough strength to whisper: “But if I rise up from my sick bed, the feud continues.”
I am so glad that that is not the kind of forgiveness that Jesus offers us! When he forgives He forgives completely. His forgiveness is so complete that it erases even the stain left by our sin, and brings about our cleansing. The psalmist exclaims, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities….He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities…As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us” (Psalm 103: 2, 3, 10, 12).
Have you noticed that the psalmist used the comparison of the distance between the east and the west instead of that of the north and the south? I believe it is because the distance between the north and the south can be measured. Not so with the east and the west. You can keep going east without ever coming to what you could call the end of the east. The same thing is true of the west. Now, isn’t that just marvelous? Do you know what that means? That you do not ever have to worry about your sins once you confess them to God! They are too far removed! Hallelujah! They are out of reach! Praise His name! What a God!
If you have been living under the load of your sins. Why don’t you give them to Jesus today? You will never have to worry about them again. Listen to what Timothy says: “Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgement, but those of some men follow after” (1 Timothy 5: 24). If there is one thing you do not want following you to the judgment, it is your sin! You want to confess it and send it ahead of you, that Jesus can plead before the Father on your behalf: “My blood Father, My blood, covers these sins.” Then when your name is called in the judgment, your sins will have already been blotted out, and your name retained, in the Lamb’s book of Life!
If you have not confessed your sins before, today is the best day to do so. Go on, send them ahead to the judgment, then you can rest assured that they will not be around to condemn you!