Confession

Have you ever wronged a person and been convicted enough to confess to him or her the indiscretion? Maybe it was terrible. Maybe slight and rather innocent, but it was an offense. It’s good to get it off our chest, isn’t it?

It’s hard to say, “I was wrong.” But what if our sin is against a holy God? He has very high standards and expectations, and we are guilty of missing the mark so often! Fortunately, we don’t have to be afraid to confess our sin to Him. He stands ready to welcome and forgive. He understands a contrite heart.

David confessed his sin to the Lord in Psalm 51. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (NIV).

In the New Testament, we find this assurance. “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 (NIV).
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7, NIV).

In my last blog I talked about the ACTS model for prayer, A being Adoration. So this is the second phase. C stands for confession. Let’s make sure we don’t forget about this part of prayer and always be quick to confess our sins. In other words, keep short accounts with God. Don’t let unconfessed sin rob you of the joy of God’s forgiveness. I’m trying to bask in His grace and mercy, always welcoming His embrace. Isn’t that the best way to live?

“I Hear Thy Welcome Voice” from “Singing On”