I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far. Today’s devotional is a deep reflection in how we take our sins to Jesus. If you haven’t already had your coffee, go get it, get comfy, and let’s dive in. Read Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:9.
Yesterday we discussed how we receive grace, not by our actions, but through God’s grace. Today we are going to go over how we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus’ death and resurrection is something we need to believe for ourselves. We cannot experience His grace and forgiveness if we don’t trust or believe in who He is. The apostle Paul states in Romans 10:9-10, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (ESV). When we fully accept who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we receive His grace and the Holy Spirit. With this faith and believing in Christ, also comes repentance. I am not sure about you, but the word “repentance” makes me uncomfortable. Not just for the simple act of repenting to the Lord, but because of what the world has turned this word into. Growing up in a Christan home, repenting meant being sorry for causing conflict in my family. If I caused emotional damage, I had better get on my knees and repent before the Lord, ask for His forgiveness, and my family’s. This is not what repentance means. Repentance is confessing our sins to God and turning away from our sin to follow Him. Repentance happens when we accept Christ, but it is also something we continue to do as believers. Part of being a Christian is living for Jesus, which involves us turning away from our sin to pursue obedience to Jesus.
Our salvation in Jesus forgives our sin and frees us from our sin, we will still be tempted by sin. Because we are human, sin and desires will tempt us throughout our whole lives, but they don’t control us! We have the power of Jesus living in us and we are able to handle these things by giving them over to Him. Sometimes we will stray and give in to our sins, this is why repentance and confession are so important. When we repent and confess our sins to the Lord, we are recognizing that we cannot do this alone, and we want to get back on the right path with the help of the Holy Spirit. Walking in repentance and confession is part of sanctification, which leads us to becoming more like Jesus. We don’t always want to repent and confess our sins to God. How often do we hide or make excuses for our sins? Does this sound familiar (Genesis 3:8-13)? Normally, not wanting to repent comes from fear or shame. “God is angry at me- I can’t go to Him” or “I am afraid of the consequences so I will continue to say I don’t have a problem.” Lovely, this is where grace comes in! We are loved beyond anything we could ever express; He made us in His image. 1 John tells us that we can go before Him because He is faithful and righteous. We can go boldly before our God and confess our sins. Nothing can separate us from God (Roman 8:35).
Confessing our sins to fellow believers also sanctifies us. This probably seems scarier than going to God because we fear what they will say, and if they will judge us. Going to a fellow believer can also make us feel ashamed, as if they are better than us and we are dirty. Honey, they have their stuff too. The difference between a believer who might pass judgement and no who won’t is a genuine believer of Christ. They understand their role as a believer to help pick up their brother or sister, and to walk through this with them. This is why having a community is so important. Not just being in church but having a genuine group of believers that love the Lord and will love us as well. When we confess our sins to our community, this gives us encouragement and we receive the guidance we need to walk in obedience to the Lord. The Holy Spirit is also with us. The Holy Spirit dwells within us when we have faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit aids us as we follow Jesus by convicting us of our sin and empowering us to turn away from it and to obey the Lord. Repentance and confession might seem difficult, but God’s grace is unending. So, rely on the Spirit, and respond with humble and bold confession.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below, we can discuss them together!
- Read Romans 2:4. How does God’s kindness lead us to repentance?
- Read 2 Corinthians 7:8-10. What is the difference between godly grief over sin and worldly grief?
- What sins do you need to confess to the Lord today? Spend some time in prayer in confessing these sins to our loving Father.
If you do not feel as if you have anyone who is supportive in your Christian community, please comment below. This is a place to wholly worship our Father. You do not have to give details, just know someone is praying over you. Today’s verse for Lent prayer is Isaiah 61:1-2 and the prayer prompt is, “Pray a prayer of gratitude to the Lord for sending Jesus to bring the good news. Thank Him for the healing, freedom, and grace that is given through Christ.”
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. Tomorrow we will discuss what Taking up our Cross means. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.
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