Confession Brings Forgiveness

March 13, 2024 nofearlindaLeave a comment

When Nathan the prophet came to David and confronted him about his sinful behavior with Bathsheba which included adultery and murder. David confessed his sin to the Lord, recognized his sin nature from birth, and implored the Lord to forgive him. David’s confession is one we can model our confessions upon. We may not have committed adultery or murder but sin is sin and all of it is wrong in God’s eyes. There is no level of sin in God’s eyes all or any sin makes us guilty before Him. As we near the cross and think of Jesus’ sacrifice, think about where you need to confess and seek God’s cleansing.

¹Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
²Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
³For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
⁴Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.
⁵For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁶But you desire honesty from the womb,
    teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
⁹Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can ask Him for cleansing and forgiveness. We can have that new and clean heart before God. Remember 1 John 1:9-10 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” Make confession part of your daily prayers and keep short accounts with God. I desire a clean heart before God, do you?

Linda

#6 Practicing Your Devotion to God-by Repentance

February 10, 2020 nofearlinda1 Comment

Sin is something we all have to deal with in our lives. We were born sinners, with a sin nature. You only need to look at the willfulness of a small child to see they came that way with a rebellious, willful nature built inside. It was not something they learned. However, as we grow we learn to sin even more by fulfilling our own desires. Adam and Eve fulfilled their own desires in the garden of Eden when they willfully sinned against God by eating of the forbidden tree, the tree of good and evil.

Each of us needs to come to the realization that we are sinners and approach God with a repentant heart asking Him to forgive us through faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith in Jesus allows us to be cleansed and made whole. However, we still have that sin nature within us and we need to grow and learn about Jesus, depend upon Him and stay repentant to walk with Him by faith. Our heart’s desire is to walk with Jesus and grow more and more like him. Sanctification describes this process in our lives and it is the work of the Holy Spirit within us that enables us to grow stronger in Christ and sin less.

David knew the key to a clean and whole existence with God was to be repentant and humble, confessing his sins to God. Psalm 32 describes David’s thoughts about this:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, Repentance brings blessing.
whose sin is covered.
²Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away   Being unrepentant can cause
    through my groaning all day long. you physical illness.
⁴For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵I acknowledged my sin to you, David resolves to repent with
and I did not cover my iniquity; an openness to God.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Psalm 51:1-2, 10 David knew that God alone was able to forgive sin and lays his sins before Him. He knew he was unworthy of forgiveness but trusted God in his infinite mercy to forgive him.

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

He knew God alone could create a new heart within him.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.

What about you? Do you know the truth and reality of 1 John 1:9 ? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is a promise we can claim and depend upon. God is faithful and will keep His promise to forgive all our sins. All we need to do is confess and have a repentant heart before Him.

Practice repentance daily for a closer walk with Jesus.

Linda

Thankful in all things, really Lord?

November 27, 2019 nofearlindaLeave a comment

Paul’s final words to the Thessalonians in his first letter to them shows his pastor’s heart. He told them to take care of one another, be patient, not to seek revenge and always try to do good. Then in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 he includes these thoughts: “Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” He concludes this passage with admonitions to them to not try to block the Holy Spirit’s work and always seek to do good.

What would our lives be like if we really tried to do these things? Being patient with those who frustrate us, seeking to take care of those who are weak or in need, not being vengeful, always being filled with joy, thanks and praises to God, being known as a prayer warrior, seeking to do the will of God in all things and always looking for the good. But that is what Paul is saying is God’s will for us. God wants us filled with joy, always looking to Him in prayer and being thankful in all circumstances. Scripture does not say being thankful for all things but in all things. We do not need to be thankful for the hurricane, car accident or someone’s death, but we need to be thankful during those times of stress, deprivation, sorrow or calamity. We need to have an attitude of gratitude towards God at all times. That can be very hard in difficult times but as Paul says “this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” This is the key to having a grateful heart which God desires of us. I love the way David expresses this is Psalm 86:11-13 Teach me your ways, O Lord,
    that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
    so that I may honor you.
¹²With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God.
    I will give glory to your name forever,
¹³for your love for me is very great.
    You have rescued me from the depths of death.

Is this you in all circumstances? Let David’s words be your prayer today.

Lindar

Is Jesus Personal to You?

November 25, 2019January 1, 2020 nofearlinda1 Comment

Who is God to you? To King David He was a personal God, one who saved, loved, protected, helped, restored,cared for and directed him throughout his life. In Psalm 118:28-29 David desires to give thanks to his God.

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

David had a personal relationship with God and knew who He was and how he could depend upon Him. I too have a relationship with God that was made available to me through Jesus. Knowing Jesus as my savior opened the door to having God’s indwelling Spirit within me. Jesus put it this way in John 14:23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Jesus told Martha in John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” I don’t have ‘religion’; I have a relationship with God. I am His daughter. Paul described our new relationship with God in Romans 8:15 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Is God your Father? Do you claim your status as an adopted son or daughter of God through Jesus?

personal god Make God personal today and move into a relationship with Him. 1 John 1:9 tells us how to know Jesus- ^“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Make this your first Thanksgiving with Him- ask for His forgiveness for the sins you’ve committed. You know the words you’ve used to hurt others, your selfishness, your unkind actions… the list for all of us goes on and on as this is the sin nature we were born with. Put a stop to this circle of sinning and invite Jesus into your life. Like David, you will have a personal relationship with God. That relationship is worthy of all our thanks and praise to Jesus who made it possible. Knowing Jesus will change your life! Praise and thank Him this Thanksgiving for this new life. If you know Jesus, thank Him today for His marvelous grace and forgiveness.

Share your thanks with someone else this year. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready to share our hope in Jesus with gentleness and kindness, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” Jesus is the good news of life to a dying world. Be bold and share Him with others. You will be blessed.