Proclamation:
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9
(NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit
of God by John, the youngest of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He wrote this letter in his old age as the
last of the twelve. This general epistle
is not addressed to any particular church or group and is therefore considered
to be applicable to all believers. Here
believers are told that if they confess their sins to God in prayer, that He
would forgive them of all of their sins and cleanse them from all of their
unrighteousness.
Application:
The Bible teaches us that all of us have sinned, believers
included. (Romans 3:23) The issue is not
"if we have sinned," the issue is "are we willing to confess all of our sins." When we pray and confess our sins, it would be
better for us if we identify each sin that we want to be forgiven for
committing. Stating each of our sinful
acts, thoughts, and spoken words may result in some very long prayers. However, if we want to be forgiven for each
sin, then we ought to confess each sin. It can be a humbling experience trying to list
all of the sins that we have committed in a day. Such an activity might help us to realize that
we are not as good as we would like to think that we are, and it might help to
become more Christ-like by causing us to commit fewer sins. The Lord God is faithful to His word. If we ask to be forgiven, He will forgive us.
