Don’t be Deceived – Confess

 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 NIV. Bold is mine addition.

Yep, I really don’t want to go there. Where, you ask? The tension between sin still being present in each of us and the only way sins are forgiven – through confession. And yet, as John says, God is faithful.

We are in the middle of our backpack distribution season that starts in April and goes into August. We gather names from schools, ask for donations, purchase supplies and then distribute first day school supplies to pre-selected families with the most need. During this time we experience all sorts of stress and attacks from the enemy. Even as I am writing this, my wife’s 90 year old mom is under hospice care with the family providing support.

One of the places we accept donations is at our indoor University Mall. We ask people to give a dollar or more and then we write their name on an apple and put it on our tree.

Yesterday, I was working the table, no one was giving. I started thinking about stress, attitudes and then thoughts of sin present within me. Was my sin stopping the flow of God’s blessings?

I know that God loves a pure heart. Mine was not at the moment. No negotiations. No blaming. No excuses. He is pure and I was not.

The bending of the will, submitting to God being right and me being wrong only takes a few moments of honesty. Confession is not complicated, but it feels like such a tall hurdle. We speak and ask Him to forgive. “I’m sorry” and “I was wrong” need to be spoken, not just “understood”.

His blood washes clean immediately. The payment for sin by Jesus’ death on the cross has already been accomplished. The power of His blood to make us clean is so true and immediate.  Just-as-if-ied never sinned. Peace came to my heart.

It was time to leave and I collected the money from the day. Moments later,  a mother and a daughter were passing by our table. The daughter stopped and opened her wallet and put some money in our big Red School house. I didn’t even ask her to donate. 

I gave her one of our green apples to sign her name to put on the tree. She signed it and told me to put it on the tree.  I picked up the apple to apply the tape and then read her name….GRACE. I gave thanks to my Father who loves me so much.

Don’t be deceived, confess and receive a pure heart that is open to Jesus. And then live as a clean, forgiven child who loves much.

Blessings Love ya’ll

BTW James 5 tells us to confess our sins one to another that we may be healed. So, now you know why I had to go there! Step out of the darkness into His marvelous light…don’t deceive yourself.