I CONFESS BECAUSE THERE IS NO MORE DARKNESS

This week, I am exploring what God says about CONFESSION.  As I enter prayer now, I reflect on God’s instruction, “’I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And You forgave the guilt of my sin.”  

Lord, teach me today about confession.  I desire  

to be obedient to the grace You give to me,  

so my heart can be full of Your Holy Spirit. 

Let me consider the Word of God from 1 John 1:5-10: 

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 

There is no darkness in a room full of light, just as there is no light in a totally dark room.  The same applies to my heart; each bit of darkness I let in corrupts my entire heart.  When the light of Jesus Christ comes into my heart, my sin is revealed, and I am convicted. 

There are three scenarios listed in this set of verses about sin: 

1. If I claim to have fellowship with Jesus yet walk in the darkness, I lie and do not live in the truth.  To whom am I lying?  I am lying to myself.  I am walking in darkness while telling myself I am living in the light. 

2. If I claim to be without sin, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. There is only One who is without sin, and He is the Truth. Anything less is a deception. 

3. If I claim I have not sinned, I make Him out to be a liar and His Word is not in me.  This is the classic, “I did not do it.”  Sin is not a list of rules, but a heart of rebellion against God and His Word. 

Lord, the things humans lack are light, truth, and the Word. The presence of sin is punished by exclusion from both a sinless heaven and relationship with You. 

The Lord says if I confess my sin, He is faithful and just, forgives me of my sins, and purifies me from all unrighteousness.  God hates sin and wants me to hate it too.  Confession means to “say the same” about sin as God says.  If He says that sin is bad, I need to recognize it in my life and run from it!  God is my Judge.  He sent Jesus to purify me from sin, so I can live in conformity to Him now and in eternity. 

Lord, I cannot get over how much You love me!   

Thank You for the precious gift of Jesus who cleanses my heart from sin.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.