Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer for forgiveness and for not harming others through carelessness or disorder is heard by God, and it is right to bring it to Him in the name of Jesus.
Scripture says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God does not ask you to confess because He does not know your heart. He asks so you have the opportunity to agree with Him about your sin, and so He can righteously grant you forgiveness on the basis of what Jesus has done. To try to cover sin does not bring peace, but to confess it opens the way to be forgiven.
Under the old law the blood of bulls and goats could only make a covering for sin. It could not take sin away, which is why those sacrifices had to be repeated and why there was a yearly reminder of sins. The high priest first had to offer for his own sin and then for the people, sprinkling blood on the mercy seat. One goat was sacrificed and the other was led away into the wilderness to be lost, carrying sins with it. That was a picture of what Jesus would do.
When Jesus came, a body was prepared for Him so He could offer Himself once for all. He does a twofold work. He forgives sin, and He separates sin from you so that God remembers it no more. The old sacrifices covered, but Jesus takes away the sin of the world. Because of Him, forgiveness is not a temporary covering but a complete blotting out. The record is erased.
The Bible speaks of His cleansing as a continual cleansing. It is not only a past act but a present reality for those who walk with Him. As Psalm 32 says, how happy is the person whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered by God. That happiness is yours when you trust in Christ alone for salvation, for there is no other way of forgiveness.
Your greatest need, and the greatest need of every person, is this forgiveness, because it settles your standing before God for eternity. Physical needs and other struggles are real, but they are secondary to being right with God.
God also gives more than forgiveness. He gives power over sin so that you can live differently. If you are concerned that your messiness or carelessness harms others, bring that specifically to Him, receive His forgiveness, and then ask Him to help you walk in love and carefulness. Once you have been cleansed, you do not need to live with a constant consciousness of guilt as if your sins were still on you. They have been put away as far as that goat lost in the wilderness. Rejoice that they are gone.
Pray with confidence that on the basis of your confession and faith in Jesus, God has forgiven you. Then by His Spirit seek to live in a way that reflects His order and grace toward others, making amends where you can and choosing habits that build up rather than harm.
Father, in the name of Jesus we thank You that You forgive sin completely through the blood of Your Son. We ask You to cleanse this one who has confessed, to lift the weight of past errors and shortcomings, and to fill the heart with peace and joy. Give power to live in a way that does not harm others but shows Your love and care. Amen.
Scripture says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God does not ask you to confess because He does not know your heart. He asks so you have the opportunity to agree with Him about your sin, and so He can righteously grant you forgiveness on the basis of what Jesus has done. To try to cover sin does not bring peace, but to confess it opens the way to be forgiven.
Under the old law the blood of bulls and goats could only make a covering for sin. It could not take sin away, which is why those sacrifices had to be repeated and why there was a yearly reminder of sins. The high priest first had to offer for his own sin and then for the people, sprinkling blood on the mercy seat. One goat was sacrificed and the other was led away into the wilderness to be lost, carrying sins with it. That was a picture of what Jesus would do.
When Jesus came, a body was prepared for Him so He could offer Himself once for all. He does a twofold work. He forgives sin, and He separates sin from you so that God remembers it no more. The old sacrifices covered, but Jesus takes away the sin of the world. Because of Him, forgiveness is not a temporary covering but a complete blotting out. The record is erased.
The Bible speaks of His cleansing as a continual cleansing. It is not only a past act but a present reality for those who walk with Him. As Psalm 32 says, how happy is the person whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is covered by God. That happiness is yours when you trust in Christ alone for salvation, for there is no other way of forgiveness.
Your greatest need, and the greatest need of every person, is this forgiveness, because it settles your standing before God for eternity. Physical needs and other struggles are real, but they are secondary to being right with God.
God also gives more than forgiveness. He gives power over sin so that you can live differently. If you are concerned that your messiness or carelessness harms others, bring that specifically to Him, receive His forgiveness, and then ask Him to help you walk in love and carefulness. Once you have been cleansed, you do not need to live with a constant consciousness of guilt as if your sins were still on you. They have been put away as far as that goat lost in the wilderness. Rejoice that they are gone.
Pray with confidence that on the basis of your confession and faith in Jesus, God has forgiven you. Then by His Spirit seek to live in a way that reflects His order and grace toward others, making amends where you can and choosing habits that build up rather than harm.
Father, in the name of Jesus we thank You that You forgive sin completely through the blood of Your Son. We ask You to cleanse this one who has confessed, to lift the weight of past errors and shortcomings, and to fill the heart with peace and joy. Give power to live in a way that does not harm others but shows Your love and care. Amen.
