Psalm 51:3
Growing up I heard all kinds of “personal” testimonies. At every “come to Jesus” worship service there would always be a speaker who mesmerized me with stories of their “life of sin.” My life seemed depressingly boring by comparison. I loved hearing how God had reached down and pulled them out of their sin pit. Somehow it gave more meaning to the concept of being “saved.” I loved Jesus, but I didn’t really know what I needed to be “saved” from! At least that is what I thought, then.
Acknowledging sin is usually the snag that trips up Jesus followers. When a “good” life has been lived it becomes particularly challenging – what exactly should be “confessed?”
It’s easy to focus on the “biggies” when faced with confession. But the Bible doesn’t mention the “biggies” nearly as often as those behaviors we don’t always consider “sin”—bad tempers, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk and lying (Colossians 3:8-9a The Message). A reasonable, plausible excuse can usually be found for any one of these “sins.” But sin is sin and no excuses are available.
When faced with “no excuses” sin there is no escaping confession. Whether they are conscious or unconscious sins, confession opens the door to a saved life.
Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
my sins are staring me down.
Amen. (Psalm 51:1-2 The Message)
Image - The Blasphemer
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