If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.Forgiveness, something we
all look for more often than we like to admit. Not a day passes for me when I don’t find myself praying for forgiveness, either for
something I have done or for something I have not done. Usually both are
involved.
I cannot speak for you but
so often I will be looking back at what I have done during my day when I think
about something and realise I may have been able to help in a certain situation
but didn’t think of it at the time. More to the point is when I think about
when I said something and immediately regretted it. Unfortunately, words cannot
be taken back once they are said, no matter how much we apologise, once we have
said something, it stays said.
However, when we are praying we need to be honest, with God and with
ourselves. There is no point in asking forgiveness for something then giving
excuses for why we committed the sin. How can we ask forgiveness for something
without taking full responsibility for it? I know God freely forgives but I don’t think that works if we are not truly sorry for the sin we
are guilty of.
In Psalm 51: 17 David speaks
about a broken spirit with a broken and contrite heart as a sacrifice for his
‘very great sin’.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
used to tell this story:
“A certain duke once
boarded a galley ship. As he passed the crew of slaves, he asked several of
them what their offenses were. Nearly every man claimed he was innocent. They
laid the blame on someone else or accused the judge of yielding to bribery. One
young fellow, however, spoke out, ‘Sir, I deserve to be here. I stole some
money. No one is at fault but me, I’m guilty.’ Upon hearing this, the duke
seized him by the shoulder and shouted, ‘You scoundrel, you! What are you doing
here with all these honest men? Get out of their company at once!’ He was then
set at liberty while the rest were left to tug at the oars.”
Are we going to be with
those tugging on the oars? Or worse are we going to be sent to the left with
the goats when Jesus comes to separate them from His sheep? (Matthew 25).
We need to be honest in our prayers for forgiveness, admitting our
failings and accepting that without the grace of God’s forgiveness we are
completely lost.
Prayer
Almighty Father, we thank You for the
grace and mercy You have bestowed on us, sinners though we are, You see past our sins to what is in our hearts. We
know that You can see a broken and contrite heart when we are sorry in truth
for those things we have done wrong. Help us to know temptation when it arises
and to be able to reject it when it happens. May we be an example to others
each time we are able to turn away from the temptations of this world. We come
to You in Jesus wonderful name, amen.
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