Forgiven

I John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I've heard and read that verse many times, but yesterday I was thankful when I read that verse! Thankful because I was reminded of the days when people had to offer burnt offerings as a sacrifice as they sought forgiveness for their sins. I was thankful that we don't have to do that! Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice when He died for our sins upon the cross. I was thankful I don't live in a country where people think they need to hurt themselves or make a big public display when they commit a sin and seek forgiveness.

When I read this verse, I just thought how EASY it was to have our sins forgiven. All we need to do is confess our sins! OK, I know admitting we sinned and did something wrong can be quite difficult at times; however, what we receive in return makes it all worth it! We receive TOTAL forgiveness! How many times has someone told us that they forgive us, yet they keep reminding us of what we did wrong. God does NOT do that! He forgives us and forgets it. He will NEVER remind us of our past failures and sins.

Our worship team leader gave an illustration that fits perfectly with this. She said she envisioned a man standing alone. He could hear God's voice, but he couldn't see Him. She then saw that God's voice was coming from behind this brick wall that surrounded the man. On each brick she saw a sin that this man had committed: unforgiveness, hatred, lust, etc. Those sins were what was separating this man from God. She then saw the other side of the wall, the side that God was looking at. On every brick was written "FORGIVEN". This man was looking at all the things he had done wrong, yet God had already forgiven him for all those things! He simply needed to tear down that wall so that he could be close to God!

Are there sins in your life that Satan keeps reminding you of? Have you already asked God to forgive you of those sins? Then you ARE forgiven! You can tell Satan that you are no longer bound by those sins because God forgave you from them and He has forgotten them! If you have unconfessed sins, all you have to do is confess them to God and you will be forgiven! Don't build a wall! Tear it down! Draw close to God.