We often have our blind spots, areas where we don’t even realise we are failing. However, there are areas where we know we are failing and where we fall… Areas where we are convicted by the Holy Spirit that we know full well that what we are doing is nothing but sin. Sometimes some people use ‘confession’ to their advantage… they confess to make people let their guards down so that they can ease their guilt and continue their ways with the help of others. For example, the person with an issue with power and control, would ‘confess’ to their unacceptable behaviour.
There are many wolves out there in sheep’s clothing. Their confession is not because they want to change but rather a tactic to stop people “towering over them” so that they can continue to abuse others (financially, emotionally, morally, physically or sexually). They get a ‘kick’ out of it. Of course the confession comes with the right jargon and well played out body language.
This is not a unique pattern but something I have witnessed a number of times over the years. However, the tube light went on just now, enlightened by God obviously! The fact is we can fool others and even ourselves but we can never fool God. God KNOWS.. He knows our hearts more than we do.
God sacrificed His one and only Son on the cross to forgive us from our sins… He has given us a clean slate..
If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared – Psalm 130:3-4
But then why do we not accept His forgiveness, knowing all this? If we truly loved Him, wouldn’t we embrace the forgiveness and set our paths straight? Yes, there will be a continued battle but it will be more uphill than downhill.
Accepting, confessing a sin can be merely remorse…
Never mistake remorse for repentance; remorse simply puts a man in hell while he is on earth – Oswald Chambers
Confessing a sin can be for various reasons as mentioned above. However..
Repentance is an ongoing process. One must be forever repentant. It is not enough to once feel sorrow over sin. . . . True repentance affects the whole man and alters the entire lifestyle – Richard Owen Roberts
There will be change where there is repentance… lifestyle will change..
Sincere conviction leads to change
Where there is sincere conviction, authentic fruit of the Spirit will be displayed. We can “fake” it and think people are being fooled, but the wise know it’s no point talking sense to the fools… As the fruit of the Spirit increases, the acts of the sinful nature such as covetousness, greed, lying, adultery, murder, stealing, selfish ambition will begin to decrease dramatically. Where the Holy Spirit is given room, the latter cannot exist in high proportions.
The acidic truth is that God KNOWS what’s in your heart.. He knows when we are being hypocritical and pretending to be saints yet acting in the sinful nature.. We read in the Old Testament God telling Abraham,
In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here,
for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure – Genesis 15:16
God knew that the Amorites were sinning and would keep on sinning.. and for FOUR generations… That is a long time. He knew that their hearts were so hardened.. and thus He told Abraham that their sin “has not yet reached its full measure”.
God will take nine steps toward us, but he will not take the tenth.
He will incline us to repent, but he cannot do our repenting for us – A. W. Tozer
God allowed the time for the Amorites to repent… however, ultimately their lack of repentance and their continuing in being steeped in sin cost them their lives… Their land and assets were taken away from them (those sinned and their generations) and given over to Abraham and His descendants.
On the other hand, God speaks of Abraham…
For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him -Genesis 18:19
God knows the heart… Just as He knew the Amorites, He also knew that Abraham would keep the way of the LORD by DOING WHAT IS RIGHT AND JUST.. and then God gives the assurance that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what was promised to him.
It all boils down to how much we love Him… Jesus makes it clear that the one who loves Him is the one who has His commands and obeys them…
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.
He who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I too will love him and show myself to him – John 14:21
Jesus sums up the commandments into two fold love – Love for God and love for the neighbour. Selfishness, looking to our own needs and our pride and our acceptance at the expense of undercutting or playing out someone else is a true act of not loving God.
- Where do you stand today? Do you love Jesus? If so do you have His commands and obey them?
- What is more evident in your life – the acts of the sinful nature or the fruit of the Spirit?
Don’t deceive yourself and let your hearts be hardened today… It may be too late – if your sin reaches its full measure , then your story may end up like the Amorites. However if you are doing what is right and just, loving God, loving our neighbours in all honesty, the promise of spending eternity with our Heavenly Father in heaven is yours.
You choose… the consequences are yours too – either the reward to enjoy or the punishment to destroy!
Reflections 