It is obvious that in today’s world, not too many people are concerned with the reality of sin. In fact, if one tells a person that they need to repent they will quickly ask “repent of what?” While in times past, sin was something of which a person felt ashamed. They didn’t want people to know that they were committing and act that is identified as sin against God and man. Many are the ways in which people have tried to hide their sins but the main way is always to lie about it. If it is something one has to lie about in order to hide it, then that is proof that it was a sin before God.
Our Judeo-Christian ethic system is always welcoming to those who want to confess their sin and get on a right track with God again. Every Christian denomination stresses that purity before God is attained by the confession of faith in Jesus as Savior and by maintaining a right relationship with God through the genuine confession of sin before Him. Then, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). God’s word also tells us that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God…(Romans 3:23). So, God stands ready and willing to forgive us our sins in order to maintain an unbroken relationship with us.
In the past when someone was confronted with sin in their lives, they instantly and desperately knew that they needed to deal with it. They were ashamed of it because they knew that God knew about it in great detail and that He was not pleased. But, today the general society thinks that it does not have to recognize sin, confess it to God and forsake it. I believe that they know they have sinned but they don’t think there will be repercussions from it and furthermore, if they hide it, no one will know so it doesn’t matter. Let me warn that kind of person. God knows and you can hide nothing from Him, not even one little particle of sin.
Now, let me tell you why every little particle of sin must be confessed and forgiven. God is a HOLY God. We would all agree that He is a good God who blesses us in many different ways, but He is a lot more that just a good God. He is a HOLY God. He is holy be his nature. God did not just arbitrarily declare that He is a holy God. He is automatically holy by His nature. Listen….by His nature He is holy just like you, by your nature are a sinner. You were born a sinner and that’s the reason you sin. You are not a sinner because you sin, you a sin because you are a sinner by nature. Now, what does it me when we say God is HOLY. It means that, in his holiness, He cannot allow even one scintilla of sin in His presence. It violates His holiness. That’s why sin that we would say is a “little bitty” sin is just as important to Him as is a gross sin as pertaining to coming into His presence. Both will keep a person from being able to have a Godly relationship with Him.
He says that there are some sins that He hates so badly that they are considered something that violates Him to a greater degree but ALL sins which are unconfessed will keep one from His presence. He is HOLY. We have to be made holy in order to fellowship with Him so how does He make us holy. He does that through the Blood of Jesus when we confess him as our savior by faith. He covers our sin with the Lord’s blood shed on the Cross for us. Once our sin is covered by the Blood of Jesus, God chooses to no longer be able to see it. If He cannot see it because it is covered by the Lord’s Blood, we can approach Him and He is not offended. One gets that covering by trusting Jesus as Savior and committing their life to Him.
When a Christian sins, and they will because they are human (1 John 1:8), they are instantly convicted of that sin by the Holy Spirit which is given to us as our guide when we trust in Jesus by faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. If we will listen to the Holy Spirit, we will want to be clean before God again and that desire will come to us immediately after we sin. In fact, if one will listen, the Holy Spirit will warn them of impending sin that is about to happen. Immediately before the sin is committed, a person is warned not to do it. He does that in order to keep you from doing that sin so that your fellowship with God will not be broken. When we fail, repentance and confession is a necessity in order to be forgiven and restored to the former relationship. Remember, we are dealing with a HOLY God and not just with a good one. One must remember that confession is a necessity. It is not an option with God. Confession of sin in true repentance is essential for a right relationship with God. Confession is not meant to be done flippantly but with a true desire to maintain our relationship with God and receive His blessings.
God loves us so much that He sent His Only Son to die for us in our place so that we could be saved from sin and in harmony with Him. He wants fellowship with you and no matter who you are, He has provided the way for you to be one of His by faith. Just believe what He has told us. Have faith in what He has said about Salvation and how to obtain it through Jesus. Believe Him about Jesus!
This is an excellent time to do something about the sin problem in the lives of people. It is Easter! The day that Jesus rose from the dead. It is a special time but not the only time one can be saved. That is available any time any where and it lasts forever. I remember the first time I saw the Garden Tomb. Every hair on my body stood straight up. A chill ran over me. I entered that tomb and saw where Jesus lay before He was resurrected. I have news for everyone….THAT TOMB IS EMPTY!!! His resurrection proved that all God had said about Him was true. The resurrection which we celebrate on Easter Sunday was God’s stamp of approval upon the work of Jesus and it was another assurance to us that Salvation comes only through Jesus our Resurrected Lord. He stands ready to save people and to provide the confession of sin in order for us to have an unending relationship with God as one of His redeemed children.
Happy Easter!
3-31-2024….Wm. F. Harrell
