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Title: When Is God Faithful? - 2
Date: Feb 10, 2010
Topic(s): Forgiveness/Unforgiveness
Scripture: 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 1:18

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The story is told of a king who had suffered greatly from his rebellious subjects. One day they surrendered their arms, threw themselves down at his feet and begged for mercy. He pardoned them all. One of his friends asked, "Didn't you say every rebel should die?"

The King replied, "Yes, but I see no rebels here."

That's what God wants to do for us: pardon our rebellion. Let's see what it takes to receive His forgiveness and stop our disobedience.

What Does God Say?

"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, ESV).

● What must we do to be forgiven?
● According to this verse, what is the basis for God's forgiveness?
● What is the difference between being forgiven and being cleansed?

My Thoughts

The word confess means to "agree with." As long as we are not willing to admit to God that we have sinned, God is not able to forgive us. We remain, instead, in a state of rebelliousness. On the other hand, if we're willing to agree with God that we have sinned, He is able through Jesus Christ to not only forgive us but to remove even the stain of sin. God says in Isaiah 1:18,

"'Come now, and let us reason together,'
Says the LORD,
'Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.'"

My Part

While confessing our sins to others may be a good way to stay accountable, it is not required in order to be forgiven. Take a piece of paper and write down the sins you need to confess to God. Read them out loud to God; then shred or burn the paper. If you are struggling with a sin that you can't seem to overcome, find a trustworthy friend to be your accountability partner.

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