Sep6
Matthew 3:5-6…….Ready
People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. (Not literally every person. But a large number of people of all walks of life, rich & poor, good & bad ) 6 Confessing their sins, (i.e. coming clean, owning-up, conceding) they were baptised (To immerse, plunge, dunk under water) by him in the Jordan River.
Continued From Book
“Teaches the best way to deal with the burden of sin is to repent and confess it to God. The burden of these peoples sins weighed heavily on their hearts and was too much for them to bear anymore. They needed relief and wanted change.” ⇒ Everyone is burdened and weighed down with something that is eating them up inside. Some are burdened by shame and guilt. Some are burdened by self-hatred, addictions, or some other self-destructive behavior. But the greatest burden that everyone struggles with, and is too much for them to bear, is the burden of sin.
Additional Notes & Applications
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Teaches how those who are repentant and remorseful over their sin can seek a new beginning and fresh start with God. Did you know that just as these people had they’re sins washed away by John in the Jordan River, you can have your sins washed away by the blood Christ shed on the cross and start a whole new life with God? (cf. Rom. 6:4, 2-Corn. 5:17, Heb. 8:12, Is. 43:18-19)
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Teaches the importance of openly confessing sin to God. Trying to hide sin from God is like trying to run from your shadow, you can never get away. You can’t run away from God because He knows everything. Your family and friends might not know about your hidden sins, but God knows! Think about it, after Adam & Eve sinned they tried to hide themselves among the trees of the garden, but the Lord God found them there! (cf. Gen. 3:8-9, Heb. 4:13-15)
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Teaches how those who are serious about getting right with God will display it in real visible and public ways.
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Teaches since it’s no secret we all sin, no sense of trying to cover-up or hide the naked truth from God. God already knows your dirty little secrets so you might as well spill the beans and come clean! Will you be honest and upfront with God since He knows your junk anyway? Will you open up to God about the messed-up places in your life? (cf. Luke 8:17, Numb. 32:23)
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Teaches how its time to stop minimizing, excusing, and rationalizing your sins to stepping up and taking responsibility. (Will you stop making excuses in blaming your family, your environment, your circumstances, your addiction, your upbringing, your heritage, your genetics, and whatever else, and just admit that you did what you did because your a sinner and evil person at heart? An insanity defense may work in a court of law, but it won’t work with God!) (cf. 1-John 1:9, 2:1-2)
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Teaches how the best way to deal with the burden of sin is to repent and confess it. The burden of these peoples sins weighed heavily on their hearts and was too much for them to bear anymore. They needed relief. They were tired of living in sin, tired of offending God, they wanted change. (Everyone is burdened and weighed down with something that is eating them up inside. Some are burdened by shame and guilt. Some are burdened by self-hatred, addictions, or some other self-destructive behavior. But the greatest burden that everyone struggles with, and is too much for them to bear, is the burden of sin.)
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Calls for cleaning the skeletons out of the closet. Are you ready to come clean to God about that secret abortion you had? Or the affair you had on a business trip years ago? Or that homosexual relationship you had in collage? Or that crime spree you went on as a teenager? If you are, then your ready for repentance. (cf. Ps. 51:1-4, Acts 19:18-19)
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Teaches how the road to Salvation is made open and available to all people regardless of gender, age, economic status, ethnicity, race, education or occupation.
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Teaches how just like John the Baptist we’re to be living in a way that is drawing and attracting others to Christ. (Are you living a genuine and authentic life that is having an impact on those around you? Are you causing a stir in the community and the culture? Are you attracting and winning people over to Jesus by how you live, how you dress, how you speak, how you raise your children, or anything else in between? What does the unsaved world see when it looks at you? What kind of message are you putting out? Are you advertising what it means to be a true and authentic Christian or something else?)
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Teaches no matter who we are or where were at God will see that the message gets out and people get Saved.
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Teaches if we remain faithful and committed to God’s work He will see that it succeeds. The lesson here is wherever God has called you to share His Word, do it faithfully and He will use it to accomplish His purposes! John the Baptist dared to share the Word and preach the message and God honored his effort.) [This preacher did not find his congregation, God saw to it that they found him.]
WHAT CONFESSING SIN IS AND IS NOT:
First: Confessing sin is more than just admitting guilt and wrongdoing. When the Bible speaks of Sin its always an offense against a Holy God. The word translated “Confess” is the Greek compound “homologeo”, meaning “to say the same thing” or “to agree with”. Thus, the idea of confession is to say the same thing that God says about our sins. Not only that, but we also agree with what God says about our forgiveness for those sins as well.-(Heb. 8:12, Ps. 103:12) The Hebrew and Greek words for “Sin” revolve around two major concepts. The first is that of “Missing the mark”, which is falling short of God’s standards in thought, word, and deed.-(Rom. 3:23, Matt. 5:21-22) The second is “Transgression”, which is any act that has transgressed, broken, or disobeyed God’s holy law/commandments, whether big or small.-(1-John 3:4, James 2:10) Sin is also the stain inherited upon all mankind as a result of Adam & Eve’s fall in the garden of Eden.-(Gen. 3:1-10) And ingrained into who we are from conception.-(Ps. 51:5, Rom. 5:12) Confessing sin is not telling God something He doesn’t already know. Or making God aware of what we’ve done wrong. He already knows. Our confessions are meant to make us aware of who we are. It allows us to confess our sins and bring them out in the open where God can cleanse them, rather than pushing them further into us to where they can fester and grow. [Note: When we confess sin we are not just asking for God’s forgiveness, we are acknowledging we have a problem and need God’s help to overcome it.] Confessing sin does not mean we must go back through each sin in our past and uncover every dead work. But we are to confess sin whenever God makes us aware of it. [Note: We don’t have to go looking for things to feel guilty or bad about, the Holy Spirit will alert us to when we’ve grieved Him, and will lead us with His gentle convictions as to what needs to be confessed and repented of.] Confession isn’t about listing your sins to God, but about getting your heart and life back in alignment with God. [Note: Confession is less about what we did wrong, and more about living alongside Jesus and what He accomplished.] Confessing sin is not about beating your self up over and over it again, its about accepting God’s forgiveness and moving on. [Note: If God says He forgets our sins, then why would you ever want to dwell on them? Past offenses are a formidable weapon in the hand of our accuser! Satan loves to remind you of your past failures and mistakes. But, when God forgives our sins, He totally forgets them and so should we.] (cf. Is. 43:25, Jer. 31:34, Mic. 7:18-19, Ps. 103:12, 2-Corn. 5:17-21, Heb. 4:15-16, 1-John 2:1-2, 1-Tim. 1:12-17)
Second: Confessing sin is not generic or vague generalities. Simply saying, “Father, forgive me of my sins, in Jesus’ name I pray” is a far cry from coming clean to God. Just confessing sin is not enough; you’ve got to be personal and specific about the sin. As an example many will pray– “Lord forgive me for borrowing this without asking”. Instead of “Lord forgive me for stealing this”. Or “Lord forgive me for being dishonest”. Instead of “Lord forgive me, I lied”. Or “Lord forgive me for this weakness”. Instead of “Lord I have a addiction problem and need your help”. Confessing sin calls for taking personal responsibility, that were not hiding, excusing or blaming. For many they’ll blame the extenuating circumstances that led them to do what they did, saying; “I couldn’t help it, I didn’t really mean it, or “I wasn’t to blame”. As an example they’ll say – “Father forgive me for the hurtful words I said to that person, but I couldn’t help it, it’s not my fault, they kept pushing my buttons”.
Third: Confessing sin must be accompanied by repentance. Simply confessing sin in “getting it off our chest” or telling someone to free ourselves of the burden isn’t enough, you must have a firm determination to turn from the sin and live differently. [Note: This is not promising never to fall into sin again. But a firm resolution to change your life and avoid repeating the same wrong action or practice. Or it could mean that you may have to change your whole way of thinking and acting.] Confessing sin frees the conscience, we no longer have to numb the guilt with good works or charity. Or drown it with drugs, alcohol, or immorality. Or run around worrying if anyone finds out. Confessing sin is not a get out of Hell free card, or an escape hatch for dodging God’s judgment and wrath. [Note: Confession is not some sort of tool where you hurry up and run to God to wipe the slate clean so you can sin all over again.] Confessing sin does not mean we walk around telling every person we meet all of our problems. Confessing sin can be a private matter just between you and God. Confessing sin doesn’t mean you walk away perfect, never to sin again. -(James 3:2) [Note: Being a Christian isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being genuine enough to admit when you sin. As the saying goes; “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven”] Confession requires humility if were going to see the sin in our lives.-(1-Pet. 5:6, James 4:6) [Note: If you don’t think you have anything to confess, just ask the person sitting next to you at church, at home, or at work or school. They’ll be more than happy to clue you in!]
Forth: Confessing and repenting of sin doesn’t mean you walk away perfect. It doesn’t mean you walk away without stuff dogging you. While confession is indeed a wondrous gift, it won’t save you from the mortal consequences of sin. Even the most sincere repentance won’t undo damage to the lungs from smoking, or undo the damage done to kidneys from years of drinking. It won’t clear up a criminal conviction, rap sheet, or jail record. It can never restore lost innocence; moreover, it can never give back to another person what was lost. Friends may not trust you because you lied to them. Or there may be “legal consequences”. Like going to prison for confessing a murder or robbery, or a divorce because you confessed to cheating on your spouse. Confessing sin can be risky, people may not forgive you, or think less of you. You can be unfairly judged, criticized, and shunned if you reveal your true self to certain people. While confessing sin can be difficult, the freedom you gain by living in God’s gracious holy light is priceless. Your soul is no longer weighed down with guilt. [Note: When it comes to confessing sin the benefits far outweigh the negatives. There are far worse things than rejection and embarrassment, such as the spiritual burden of unresolved sin. Sin can eat away at you, leaving you depressed and guilt ridden. Confessing sin brings peace and joy to the soul, whereas Unconfessed sin can poison our relationship and walk with God. Nothing can short-circuit a person spiritually than unconfessed sin!]
Note: While confessing sins, when it comes to criminal activity if its something your still struggling with, or feel guilty about it must be confessed to the authorities and restitution made. If you have stolen something or hurt someone compensation must be made to the victim. In the case of a murder/manslaughter, the destroyed life can never be restored, but the murderer might be able, to the best of his ability, help support the widow and children of his victim. If one has stolen money, it should be repaid to the extent of his ability. If a banker has embezzled millions of dollars from a financial institution for which he has worked, he might never be able to repay that entire sum, but he should attempt to do what he can. If a person declares bankruptcy, he is morally obligated to repay his creditors [as much as is feasible.]-(cf. Ex. 22:1, Luke 19:8, 2-Corn. 7:11) If one has wounded or hurt others they must do whatever is necessary to earn their trust again. Note: It’s always possible that the victim of the crime/abuse might not “forgive” the debt. But the sinner must do whatever it takes to try to make things right. Be like Zacchaeus. Who, when he invited Jesus to his home, he felt awful about his sins and said:
“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”-(Luke 19:8)
Note: When it comes to confessing sin that may seriously hurt others, prayer and godly counsel is needed to figure out how to proceed, whether the disclosure is going to do more harm than good. For example, confessing to your spouse of everyone you have slept with probably would not be the loving or wise thing to do. Likewise, if you hurt or abused someone in the past, any efforts to bring healing would likely reopen old wounds and cause more harm than good. In situations like these, there are no absolute rules when to confess. The best thing to do is ask a pastor or mature Christian friend for advice, and who can discern God’s will for the matter. Just make sure your real concern is about hurting others and not about protecting yourself or your own image. We are always capable of deceiving ourselves about our real motives. But if we look at who gets hurt, and who benefits from our confession/disclosure, we are much more likely to get it right, and do the right thing for all involved.
-Baptised-Meaning: To immerse or dunk under water. Baptism was usually reserved for Gentile Proselytes who were converting from their Pagan religion over to Judaism, and therefor wasn’t an uncommon practice of the time. But what was different was that John was calling for a onetime baptism for those who were born Jews. Baptism is not some sort of “rite of passage” like a Jewish “bar mitzvah” or “initiation ceremony” like when you christen” a boat. Baptism does not Save you, Salvation comes by faith alone.-(cf. Eph. 2:8-9). Nor is it you making a vow to God to never sin again “Baptism does not drown the devil”! But rather Baptism is a public declaration of faith of those who have given their lives over to Jesus. It is telling the world from this point forward “I’m starting a new life that is committed to Christ”. It is also explained as an “Outward symbol of an inward grace that has already taken place on the heart”. That is to say baptism is an external sign that is saying yes to God’s Saving grace and Jesus’ sacrificial death for our sins. Baptism is a Object lesson of a “Washing away of sins”. (1-Pet. 3:21) Baptism is also a symbolic act of uniting with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection by dying to sin and raising to a new life. That we have turned from the old life of sin to a new life in Christ Jesus. [Note: This is not promising to live a perfect life, never to sin again. If you do sin after you’ve been baptised, don’t think that you need to be Saved or baptised all over again. Remember “Once Saved always Saved”.-(cf. Eph. 4:4-6, 1-John 1:9) It’s also important not to delay or put off baptism by waiting until your perfect or thinking there’s areas of your life that need changing or put in order first. if you do you will never feel ready.] (cf. Acts 8:12) (For additional meanings and purposes of Baptism see Vs. 16-17 and Companion Book p. 44)
Note: “Coming clean” is not always easy. It can be uncomfortable, awkward, and painful. No one likes to admit the lies they told, injuries they caused, things they stolen, friends they deceived, people they betrayed, promises they broken. Or that they have a problem with gossip, anger, hate, greed, lust, pornography, drugs, alcohol, substance abuse, etc. Maybe for you the hard part in coming clean may entail some other area? Maybe your hiding something from the police, your parents, your teacher, your coach, your employer, your spouse, or even from God? Or maybe your hiding something deeply regretful or shameful from your past. A murder, an abortion, sexual abuse, a shady deal, an immoral relationship, an affair. Or maybe you just feel condemned and hopeless, thinking God will never forgive you for having committed some horrible sin. Or maybe you feel like a hypocrite having battled the same sin for years without success. But by “Coming clean” to God brings peace & joy to the soul. It’s been said, “Confession is good for the soul”, and that’s true. But that’s not the only reason you confess your sins to God so you can feel better about your self. We also confess our sins to justify God, that He’s right about us–were as bad as He says we are. But when we cover up sin, deny it, or try to excuse it, then God’s hands are tied. God is more then ready to forgive and wash away the shame, guilt, and sin you’ve been carrying around with you. But the question is “Will you let Him”? God’s just waiting for you to ask Him so He can start healing you and making you the person He created you to be! The Enemy knows that if you come clean to God you win your freedom and he loses you as his subject. That the prison doors he’s been keeping you locked up in flies wide open! (cf. John 8:32)
Note: A question arises why are we supposed to confess our sins to God if He has already forgiven us? If God’s forgiveness takes care of sin past, present, and future, so there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus-(John 10:28-29, Rom. 8:1) why confess your sins? Aren’t you praying for something that is already yours? The answer is that Divine forgiveness has two aspects. One is the “judicial” or “positional” forgiveness God grants to all those who receive Christ as Savior. It’s a judicial forgiveness that Christ Jesus won on our behalf by taking upon Himself the judgment we deserved by dying on the cross for our sins. It’s a forgiveness that frees you from any threat of eternal damnation. Such forgiveness/pardon is immediately complete — you’ll never need to seek it again. The other is a “relational” or “parental” forgiveness like that of a Father and son. The forgiveness of justification takes care of the judicial guilt, but it does not nullify God’s Fatherly displeasure over your sin. God is grieved when His children sin. And as a parent God chastens those whom He loves, for their good. [Note: When God chastens us, he is helping us learn from our sins, and He does this with love.-(Heb. 12:5-6)] Therefore Judicial forgiveness deals with sin’s penalty — Parental forgiveness deals with sin’s consequences. You could say Judicial forgiveness frees us from the condemnation of the righteous Judge whom we have wronged — Parental forgiveness sets things right with a grieving and displeased but loving Father. As stated before, we are Saved “Positionally”, but our daily fellowship with God needs to stay in good standing (relational forgiveness). Proper fellowship with God cannot happen with unconfessed sin in our lives. Therefore, we need to confess our sins to God as soon as we are aware that we have sinned in order to maintain close relationship with God. God won’t end His relationship with us because of sin. By virtue of our new birth, we will forever be His children and He will always be our Father. But as with any relationship, sin and dishonesty hinders fellowship. If you’ve confessed your sin, then your guilt has been forgiven and your fellowship with God has been completely restored. So the forgiveness Christians are supposed to seek in their daily walk is not pardon from an angry God, but mercy from a forgiving & loving Father. When we confess sin we live with a clear conscience by refusing to wallow in our failures that a loving God has already forgiven. [Note: If you still feel guilty after confessing your sin, it doesn’t mean your confession was not sincere or that God is still angry with you. The problem is that you’re living by your feelings and not what God’s Word says. God doesn’t look back now on your sins or your failures with condemnation, and neither should you- (Rom. 4:7-8, Philp. 3:13, Hebrews 10:17) The cloud of guilt is gone! Accept God’s complete forgiveness.]
STEPS TO CONFESSING SINS TO GOD
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Acknowledge your sinful fallen condition and your rebellion against a Holy God
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Feel a deep sorrow and regret for for your sin. Have a change of heart about the sin
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Make a true confession of sin (Call sin for what it is, not just an error, mistake, or weakness)
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Give God the honor & glory by admitting He’s right about you (Your as bad as He says you are)
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Take full responsibility for the sin (Own the sin, don’t justify, minimize, blame, or excuse)
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Get specific about the sin (Label the particular sin your struggling with)
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Ask in prayer for God’s forgiveness (Proclaim the promises of God’s forgiveness ,claim to 1-John 1:9)
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Remind yourself of who God is; A God who is loving, merciful, and compassionate
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Take personal responsibility for the sin and the damage done (Apologize to those who suffered because of what you did or failed to do, and make restitution when possible)
BENEFITS OF CONFESSING SINS TO GOD
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Confessing sin are marks of authentic Christian life (Shows how God’s Spirit is at work in our hearts)
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Confessing sin allows God to begin to work on reconstructing and restoring our lives
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Confessing sin helps keep our hearts & lives aligned with God’s perspective
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Confessing sin makes us feel better about ourselves (The weight & burden of guilt is lifted)
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Confessing sin shows how were seeking God’s grace & help to change us
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Confessing sin keeps us humble, making us more able to admit our weakness & shortcomings
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Confessing sin keeps smaller sins from growing into bigger sins (Don’t compromise)
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Confessing sin allows us to grow closer to God and experience His presence & goodness
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Confessing sin allows us to grow in the sanctification process, becoming more Christ-like
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Confessing sin can restore a right relationship with God and others (An apology can go a long way)
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Confessing sin allows us to make things right with the people we have hurt
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Confessing sin can be a powerful testimony on the transforming power of Christ in your life
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Confessing sin helps keep the enemy/Satan from gaining a foothold in our life
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Confessing sin makes us more resolute to follow God’s will and not our own whims
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Confessing sin allows others to pray & encourage you (They can offer godly console in moving forward)
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Confessing sin allows you to be more compassionate & understanding of others failings
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Confessing sin gives you the moral authority to mentor, lead, guide, and teach others.
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Confessing sin disarms (It frees others to open up without fear of judgment or condemnation)
HINDRANCES TO COMING CLEAN
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We fear humiliation & shame (People will judge us as weak & dependent)
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We fear destroying our Christian image with others (So we keep our personal struggles & sins quiet)
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We fear losing our reputation & standing (People expect us to be perfect)
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We fear the consequences (Coming clean can cost us our family, friends, job, or more)
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We allow our pride to get in the way (We want people to think we have it all together)
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We believe we can deal with it on our own (If we give it time we can fix our own issues)
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We excuse, justify, and rationalize our sins (It’s natural, everyone does it, God made me this way)
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We believe our daily prayers, sacrifices, and works of charity make up for our sins
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We minimize & downplay our sins (My sin hasn’t harmed anyone, or gotten in the way of serving the Lord)
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We fear our confession can hurt others (We don’t want to burden them or risk confrontation)
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We love our sins (Hard to confess what were unwilling to give up)
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We feel our sins too great, that were beyond God’s grace & forgiveness
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We give up, having battled sin for years without success
DANGERS OF UNCONFESSED SIN
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Unconfessed sin can ruin our relationship with God (We lose sense of God’s presence/closeness)
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Unconfessed sin can pull us further & further away from God (We can wander away from Church, even God)
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Unconfessed sin can obstruct the work of the Holy Spirit on our souls
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Unconfessed sin can lead to greater guilt, hopelessness, and despair
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Unconfessed sin can lead to a hardened heart, a seared conscience (Sin no longer disturbs us)
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Unconfessed sin can rob you of your peace & joy making you cranky, miserable, and depressed
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Unconfessed sin can leave you spiritually & emotionally sick, weak, and guilt ridden
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Unconfessed sin can affect your prayer life (prayers will become less & less, or stop all together)
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Unconfessed sin can lead to greater bondage (Gives Satan a greater foothold in our lives)
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Unconfessed sin can cause us to lose our boldness & effectiveness in witnessing
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Unconfessed sin can affect our work in doing God’s will. (God can’t use us if were all bound up in sin)
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Unconfessed sin can lead to God’s discipline & chastening (God disciplines those He loves)
HOW TO EMBRACE GOD’S FORGIVENESS
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Remind yourself of your Saving relationship with Christ Jesus
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Stand on the truth of God’s Word and not your feelings or emotions
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Rest in God’s unconditional love, whether you feel forgiven or not
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Stop trying to pay God back for what you did wrong when Jesus already made it right
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Forget about the past and move forward (Know your not perfect, your going to make mistakes)
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Reject self-condemning thoughts and the enemy’s lies, telling us we’ve blown it
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Stay reading God’ word and learning about God’s loving character and nature
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Keep short accounts with God (God doesn’t remember your sins, why should you!)
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Write down and memorize bible passages that promises God’s forgiveness
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Accept that everyone sins, including you (Know your in a work in progress)
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Reject inappropriate guilt (Know that ugly thoughts, failures, and temptations is not a sin)
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Know your need to let go of anger & bitterness, God is not the one to blame
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Apologize to the people you hurt (How can God forgive you if your unwilling to forgive others)
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Realize God can bring good out of your sin (There’s a lesson to be learned)
(For more Applications get the whole Book) (All material is copyrighted and may be used for preaching, teaching, and instructing. And not for publication in any form without the written permission of the author.)
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