If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
“We need to maintain short accounts with God.” Heard that one? Apparently it means we need to confess our sins to stay forgiven.
But what if we miss one? What if we confess 99 sins but forget the 100th?
Other say, “You have to confess your sins to maintain fellowship with the Lord.” But John says you have been cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). You have been 100% forgiven on “account of his name” (1 John 2:12).
Jesus has done it all!
God treats sin the same way banks treat money – very seriously. If you think you can manage your sin debt, you need to account for every single sin, big and small. It’s impossible.
Happily, there is a better way: take your sin debt to the cross where it will be stamped, “Paid in full for all time.” Confess what God has done for you and receive the free gift of his forgiveness.
Because of Jesus, all your sins – past, present, and future – have been removed as far as the east is from the west.
In him, you have been cleansed from ALL unrighteousness.
Want to go deeper? Check out the entry for Forgiveness in the Grace Glossary.
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Love this Paul… when I finally realized this (nearly 20 years back) and began explaning to my congregation that I was no longer participating in “keepng short accounts with God” and/or being a Bapti-Catholic… they didn’t take it well… and became offended… and after 17 months of “teaching “the gosple of the grace of Christ”… they asked me to leave… And I’ve never been more free!!! Thanks again for allowing God’s TRUTH to come from within your inner man wehre His Spirit lives and works IN and THROUGH and FROM you!!!