Staggering Faithfulness in forgiving and purifying.

 

“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.

Many people think God would not forgive them. Many in the world end up suicide because they felt terrible about their sins and mistakes. However, the thinking that God would not forgive you is far from the truth about God. Many ancient religions and their followers are scared and feared God and think God’s wrath is on them because of their sins and shortcomings. However, the Bible settles this matter and says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

You see, God’s faithfulness and justice are the two bases of forgiveness. Because God promised forgiveness in the pages of the Bible, He will forgive. God promised in the old testament in Jeremiah 31:34, and this is repeated in Hebrews 8:12, “I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.” Psalms 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Micah 7:18 says, “where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people?” Verse 19 says God will trample our sins under His feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean. Verse 20 says all these are based on “His faithfulness and unfailing love as he promised to our ancestors and Jacob long ago.” 

You see, God would forgive your sins and mistakes because He promised. God’s forgiveness is based on His unshakable faithfulness to His word/promise. Secondly, it is also based on the fact that He is ‘just.’ Romans 3:24-26 says God presented Jesus as a perfect sacrifice. People are made right with Him when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His body, shed His blood for them. Then it says there, “God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and ‘just,’ and he makes sinners right in His sight when believing in Jesus.” You see, God himself is ‘fair and just’ by making sinners right (or just) with Him by forgiving their sins and trespasses because Christ paid for their sin by his blood. Did you get it?

Now because God is faithful to his promise that He would forgive and because God is just and proved and satisfied His justice by making Jesus pay for humanity’s sin according to His eternal plan of redemption, God’s forgiveness is available. 

God’s forgiveness is available in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When you come and accept what God did for you in and through Jesus, you are forgiven all your sins. The blood of Christ covers your sins, and you are justified before God. Now, as we, Christ believers, live on this earth and walk in the light of God, the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all our sins. This is a simple present tense. It means the blood of Jesus cleanses the sins of a believer who walks in God’s light on a going basis. How does it work in a believer’s life is what our today’s insight says. 

The way it works is by our confession. Confession means you agree with God from your sincere and obedient heart that you did sin. You see sin as sin itself and feel sorry about it. You are broken over the fact that you sinned. Therefore you are saying to the Lord in prayer, Lord, I agree what I did is sin. I am sorry for it. Please forgive me. This is how you allow God to cleanse you and get you back into His fellowship. Now, if God does not forgive, then He would be unjust. Why did I say this? Because God put all your sin on Jesus, and He paid it all for you. Now, if God does not forgive your sins that Jesus already paid, that is total unfairness and injustice. God would never be unjust. He will always be just.

Remember, God is faithful each time you ask him for forgiveness. He is faithful and just to do it for you. Do not feel wrong about going to Him. Why? Listen to what the verse before and after today’s insight says. It says, “if we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” Verse 10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our heart.” What does it mean? It means we all are sinners saved by the love and grace of God that is displayed in Jesus Christ. Until we get to heaven, we live in this sin-bound world with all our imperfections daily. 

Understanding this truth, 1 John says God is light, and as children of God, we must walk in His light. In his light means in the light of the word of God and illumination of the Holy Spirit inside us. As we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us on a going basis. The way to get cleansing is the confession of our sins to the Lord God in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Father in heaven, I believe you presented Jesus as a sacrifice for all of my sins and shortcomings. I accept Jesus as my savior and Lord. I believe He died, buried, and rose again for me and my sins. Lord, help me to walk in your light, and I am thankful that the blood of Jesus, your Son, cleanse all my sins when I walk in your light. Help me agree with you about my wrongdoings and not hide them from you or act like I do not have sins. May I allow you to cleanse me with my sincere and heartfelt confessions? In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”