I have got to stop overeating! I’m no longer able to continue the pace of intense exercise that kept me trim in my youth. Besides, overeating is not within God’s plan for me. On Sunday, my pastor presented an effective lesson from Genesis: God provided food and a way for the body he created to convert it to needed energy. A friend shared a good read on the topic. The book is teaching me to wait for God’s built-in signal telling me my empty food tank needs filling—hunger! And, I’m learning to quit eating when my hunger is satisfied—God’s own design to let me know my food tank is full.

God calls me to confession. Any departure from God’s ideal for me puts me out of harmony with myself and out of proper relationship with God. My view of truth and rightness becomes flawed, darkened. Sin creates two needy states in the soul—guilt and pollution. With an awareness of such conditions and feeling sorrow for my part, God’s grace calls me to confession. If I make a habit of confessing my sins from a deep sense of my impurity and fault, I humble myself before God, acknowledging his holiness and my helplessness. I receive pardon of the guilt and cleansing of the pollution caused by the sin.

Confession leads to repentance. God promises no forgiveness of sin without confession. Yet, confession is not the cause of my pardon and it’s not what makes God’s forgiveness known to me. Humbly confessing, under a strong sense of wrongdoing, points me to Jesus. Through his sufferings, Christ opened a way for God to pardon my sins. Then, in the grace of repentance, I choose to turn away from them. Old habits are hard to break, so true repentance gives the appearance of striving to do better. I don’t want to return to that sin. God forgives those who confess, faithfully believe on his Son, trust in the power of his sacrifice and repent.

Repentance leads to cleansing. Confession is both a grace and a discipline. God’s grace calls me to confession. That call requires a response. To get a clean heart, I must know and feel the depravity of my sin. If I deny my sin, I am not in the truth. I remain in darkness and disconnected from relationship with my Creator. A conscious choice to walk in the light of God’s forgiveness and so restore my broken fellowship with him places me in position for inner transformation. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross not only made possible the removal of my guilt, but also the purification of my heart. Confession leads to cleansing and change.

Please pray with me: God, I praise you for giving me a desire to remain in your light. When I stray, may your Spirit call me to confession and repentance. Thank you for your Son, Jesus, that I may experience forgiveness and restoration to right relationship with you. Help me, God, when I am weak and unable to conquer sin in my own strength. Amen.

 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

Happy Resurrection Day!

May you receive abundant blessing in the light of Christ’s forgiveness!