Bible Reading: Psalm 137:1- 9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
Recently, I was called by my last employer that one of the credit facilities that was approved about seventeen years ago has been dragged to the police for investigation. Though I left the institution about twelve years ago, I was still summoned to give account of what I remembered of the transaction. To further prepare me, they gave me documents that I signed and those signed by others at that time.
It occurred to me that if we can still revisit cases of seventeen years ago even whilst one had left the employment over a decade ago, then revisiting all we did on earth and showing us our roles cannot be difficult for God. The assertion in Matthew 12:36(KJV): “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Became real to me.
The reality dawn on me that truly all the words that we had spoken on earth would be played back for us to hear and respond to. So every gossip, back-biting, falsehood will be brought into the open for us to hear and see. Nothing would be hidden. We will all be there to receive judgment of all we had done.
But God is so magnanimous, he has given us a way of escape by saying we should accept him as our lord and Saviour and ask for mercy on all our previous sins and he will forgive us. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV): “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
He has promised to give us a new beginning so that all previous sins would be written off like a bad debt! That assurance is stated in 1 John 1:9 (KJV): “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
So all he expects us to do is to come forward and lay everything bare at his feet and he will set us free forever. He even promises us that those sins shall no longer weigh against our prosperity because we would have new insight from the righteous view (from mercy perspective). That’s why Proverbs 28:13(KJV) says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
However, going forward, we are expected to live a life of holiness to have a continuous relationship with God. Our God cannot behold iniquity and so without holiness we cannot see him.
Prayer: Father, Please cleanse me from all unrighteousness and keep me till the end in Jesus name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero