Good Morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Up here in northern Minnesota there are a lot of people who enjoy four wheeling. On nice days in the summer, Andrew and I have been working out in a remote part of the woods, not expecting to see anything, when all of a sudden a family of four wheelers will come roaring out of nowhere. The town that we live in is not very big but it sure seems to swell in size from those who enjoy this hobby. There have been days when we have seen more four wheelers in town than there were vehicles.
No matter if they’re from a different town or visiting from the southern part of the state, there’s something that each of them share in common. Many of them will return back into town nearly unrecognizable because of the quantity of mud from the trails that they got into. At the end of the day, either at the car wash or at home with their own pressure washer, they will begin to wash their machines, cleaning off all of the heavy mud that gathered on them during their long trip through the woods.
God also wants to wash away all of the mud. He wants to cleanse our hearts from the mud of sin.
1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God wants to completely wash our sins away, but before we can be forgiven with God or with our neighbor, we first need to confess our faults otherwise forgiveness cannot occur. In order to have our sins cleansed we have to admit them first. When you confess, it means to admit that you have done something wrong, or to admit unwillingly that something is true. Confession is a very important part of the Christian Life. When you wrong somebody, especially in the church, you should be compelled to apologize and to admit your fault. If you are incapable of doing this a lot of different issues can arise.
Matthew 18:15-20 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The church is filled with sinners who are making an attempt at living a new life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Each of us have our own faults and shortcomings. God gives us grace as we need it to get up and to try it again. The thing that can prevent you from getting forgiven is not recognizing your own faults. This is caused by self-righteousness and pride. Instead of examining oneself, many find it easier to be fault-finders of everybody else.
There’s a false gospel in the world today where people are claiming that you can confess to God but you don’t have to apologize to others that you have wronged. That’s one of the most unloving statements that I’ve heard recently. How can you possibly hurt somebody else and not apologize to them for what you’ve done? That’s not love, it’s cruelty to somebody whom you have wounded. If you hurt a dog because you hit him with your car on the highway, wouldn’t you have the compassion to pick them up and take them to the vet simply because you cared about them? If you would do that for an animal, wouldn’t you do that for a human heart that you have bruised? The refusal to simply say “I’m sorry” is caused by impenitence. We are supposed to confess not only to God but each other as the need arises. This is commanded in scripture.
James 5:16 – Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
How can you forgive others who don’t apologize? How can you feed somebody if they don’t show up for supper? If you refuse to humbly apologize, you are setting yourself up to be bound in a state of unforgiveness. Confession is so important that God wants you to reconcile with a brother whom you have wronged before you even bring a gift to the church. God doesn’t want sacrifices, He wants us to show others mercy and apologize.
Psalms 32:5 – I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Before God can wash our sins away we need to admit them. We need to petition Him and admit our faults.
Psalms 51:1-5 – Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Confession is the handle by which the door to forgiveness is opened. In order to have the mud of sin washed off of our hearts we need to acknowledge our transgressions.
Psalms 51:2-5 – Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psalms 38:18 – For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.
Each day God is waiting patiently for people to repent and come forward boldly, declaring their faults so He can wash them thoroughly from sin through the riches of His grace.
Psalms 86:5 – For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
We have a great and precious promise in scripture today that if we trust God and confess our faults He will forgive us, which is the same way we need to treat one another in the church.
Jeremiah 33:8 – And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
God wants to cleanse us. Have you apologized to Him and each other so that we can be cleansed and walk together in mercy and grace?
Let’s think about those things for right now and Lord willing, we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody. ❤️
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