John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Did you know that God remembers everything except our confessed sins. He says in Hebrews 8:12, “I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” God doesn’t just forgive us our sins, He wipes the slate clean. Why is it then, that often we don’t feel forgiven? Maybe sometimes we don’t feel forgiven because our confessions are not very specific. We say, “Lord, please forgive me of my sins and everything I’ve done wrong.” That is a pretty generic word. It is not enough for us to feel sorry for what we have done. We need to experience and know what we are sorry for. The goal of confession is not just forgiveness, it is life change. Kyle Idleman expresses it this way, “Imagine going to the doctor and simply saying you don’t feel well. It would be awfully difficult for the doctor to give a diagnosis or a prognosis. You need to be a little more specific than that. You start with the symptoms and work your way to the root of the problem.” And that is true of our confession. It is all about naming it and claiming it. You have to name your sin so you will be able to claim God’s mercy and new life for you. If you are having trouble after you have confessed your sin accepting you have been forgiven, maybe you haven’t been specific enough about your sin. Give that a try today. God has forgotten, and He wants you to be able to forget, too.
Forget About It
November 19, 2015