If We Confess Our Sins

IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO GOD HE WILL FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND PURIFY US FROM ALL OUR WRONGDOING. 1 John 1.9.

A young friend of mine had been in the clutches of drugs, smoking and minor crimes for many years. He didn’t pursue his studies because of his wayward life. Obviously he didn’t listen to his parents or concerned friends.

He comes from a devout Christian family but he kept away from the church and Christian influence which made things worse. He had short spells in rehabs but they were of little use. Many times he had been challenged to commit his life to Christ. But he wanted to run his life on his own, as he used to say!

Then he met a girl and fell in love. He wanted to marry her. He promised her and everyone else that he would definitely change this time, though he had never been able to do so before! All of us want to believe him with all our hearts. But it is natural that there are genuine doubts against all the good hopes and prayers!

Hence, I told him as I had done before, “You cannot change yourself. You have tried! But Christ can change you! All you have to do is to confess your sins to God. Then God will keep His promise, “God will forgive him his sins and purify him from all his wrong doings”. The Spirit of God will empower him to do what he could not do himself all these years. Not only will all his sins be forgiven, he will be made a new creation in Christ Jesus! Old things will pass away. All things will be made new! (2 Cor 5.17).

Dear friend, if you haven’t experienced this miracle of life transformation, then let me invite you “to come to your senses at last like ‘the Prodigal Son’ of the Bible” (Lk 15.11). God has brought you to your present situation. It may be so extreme like the prodigal in the pig’s pen, starving. Or, God may have brought you, like this young friend of mine, to a most exciting stage in his life! God has brought a girl to love and to cherish in his lonely, defeated life.

Remember, God puts you through different situations in life to bring you to your right sense, when you stray from Him. I trust that you will say like the prodigal, “I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Lk 15.18). Instead of doubting your intentions like men do, God your loving Father will say, “let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” (v 24).

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, let my circumstances bring me to my senses that I will know that I am lost without You. Help me to say, “I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you”. I know You will trust me and set me right. Amen.