You Are Forgiven
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
Could you imagine if you were only allowed to take a bath when you were first born? You would be one very sick individual. Our bodies need to be cleaned daily. Spiritually speaking, it is the same thing. If we didn’t have 1 John 1:9, it wouldn’t take long for us to get stinky with sin.
When we first give our heart to the Lord, we are made righteous. We get cleansed from all sin and even the leftover stain of sin that could linger. We are made a new creation in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17 (AMPC) says, “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!”
When we confess our sins to God, He cleanses us every single time. Our part is to first acknowledge our sin, confess it and ask for forgiveness. Then we are to turn from that sin. God sees your heart. He knows if you have a spirit of repentance or are giving lip service to changing.
Our world also has a watered-down idea of what sin is. Just because some things have become common and accepted in our society doesn’t mean God accepts them. He doesn’t change – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He called it sin in the Bible, it’s still sin today! Galatians 5:19 (NLT)says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Without God in our lives, we fall into those sins without giving it a second thought – it’s the nature of our flesh. But when God cleansed us, we were made new. Those things don’t fit our new recreated spirit. Although our spirits are recreated, our minds still have to be renewed to what the scripture says. That’s why it’s essential to read the Bible daily. We need to find out what is right and wrong from God’s perspective, not what we think is right or wrong for us.
Remember that God doesn’t condemn us. If you feel guilty about something, take 1 John 1:9 to heart. Confess your sin and believe God that you are cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Dear Lord, thank you for cleansing me of my sin. Help me learn what is right and wrong in your sight and live accordingly. Amen.