Promised Forgiveness

Promised Forgiveness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9

IN WORD We often take far too passive an approach to the continuing promise of forgiveness. The bountiful nature of God’s pardon frequently raises our comfort level with our sin. Despite Paul’s warning that the blessing of grace must not expand our capacity for disobedience (Romans 6:1), it often does. It’s one of the many annoying vagaries of fallen human nature; whatever we have in abundance, we treat casually.

That’s why we need to read a lot into the word confess. It means agreeing with God about our sin, and we would do well to take it a step further. Not only must we agree with Him about the fact of our sinfulness, we should agree with Him emotionally about the grief of our sinfulness. If He is angered and grieved over the defacing of creation’s beauty, we should be angered and grieved over our role in it. When sexuality is distorted and abused, it should bother us profoundly. When greed puts mere things in the place of God in our hearts, it should stagger us. When deceitfulness—even in the small things—slanders the pure and true character of our God, it should knock the spiritual wind out of us. Whatever God thinks about our sin should be what we think about our sin. Whatever grieves Him should grieve us. Whatever vandalizes His purposes should make us outraged. That’s what it means to “confess.”

IN DEED That kind of confession can never be casual about the offer of forgiveness. The trauma of confession should prompt a traumatic acceptance of mercy. The promise of never-ending grace should prompt never-ending gratitude. The promise should never be taken for granted.

Is 1 John 1:9 a “great and precious promise” to you? If not, consider the sacrifice that made it possible. Consider the Savior who granted it. And consider the God whose grace is never exhausted. Never forget how precious that grace can be.

God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and He’s even put a No Fishing sign over the spot.

—D. L. MOODY