Confess!

Confess!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV

John lays the groundwork for the witness that is effective: it has to be personal. In the human court of law. eyewitness accounts are the strongest testimonies. Hearsay is not admissible. If this is the rule for human courts, imagine how it also applies to God's court. He wants me to come to a personal knowledge and experience of Him; the testimonies of other people's experiences are good, but I must have my own. When I stand to speak, the strength of my convictions will be revealed by the depth of my personal experience. I can make up the stories as I go on, but there will always be a test that will prove the worth of that which I hold on to. Fellowship with God will impact my daily decisions, pursuits and priorities. Have I met this God that John speaks about here, the One who craves fellowship with me, so He can pour of Himself into me?

The secret to all of these treasures is to hate what He hates and love what He loves. At least, His Word makes it clear that God hates sin. He has made adequate provision for sin by the blood of his Son, Jesus who knew no sin. His sacrifice is the perfect antidote to the power and effect of sin, and it is sufficient for all generations, but there is a key: Confession. This is where it gets personal: I cannot confess on your behalf, as I cannot go to heaven or hell on your behalf. It is a personal experience, and it is by confessing my sins and forsaking them that I access the forgiveness that is available with God. As we know, God does not make promises He does not intend to keep; if He says it, He can do it. Confession is my admission that I cannot help myself and that all I need is found in Him alone. Have I come to that point yet?

Remember: Confession brings Possession. If I confess my sins, God will forgive me. It is as simple, yet as complex as that. It is simple because that is all that God requires from me; He has not asked me for blood offerings or an arm or leg; just a simple admission that I need help, and a request for God's mercy. It is also complex because it seems that man always wants the hard way: he wants to earn it. Unfortunately, this is one of the many things from God that education, enlightenment, exposure, expenditure, elocution or experience cannot get for you; simply asking God for mercy is all that gives me the new life in God that guarantees eternal life. Would I settle for the simple or the complex? God has done His part; would I come to Him and take hold of that which He has provided? God's time of favour is here.