But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. John 8:12

We know when we’ve done wrong.  Even your dog tucks his tail between his legs after he’s helped himself to your sandwich sitting on your coffee table when you stepped away. The world’s three largest religions: Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism, all recognize a concept of sin.  Christianity is unique, in that its entire message is based on man’s redemption from sin through the person of Jesus Christ.

The God of the Bible does is not an angry god that sits in judgment, weighing our sins against the good things we have done, in order to decide our eternal fate.  If we had to live with that over our heads, we would never have a life of peace, joy and freedom, or what Jesus called, the “abundant life” that He said He came to give us (John 10:10).

The Bible has much to say on the forgiveness of sin.  But there’s one type of sin that remains unforgiven and that is sin that is unconfessed.  There is no promise of forgiveness in the Bible for unconfessed sin.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” the book of 1 John, makes it clear (1 John 1:9).

To confess simply means that I take responsibility for my thoughts, attitudes or actions and agree with what God says about them.  I begin again, with God’s help.  “The Christian life,” says Pastor Jim Cymbala, “is made up of 10,000 new beginnings.”

 

Resource reading: 1 John 3:1-10