"The entrance of thy words giveth light (Psalm 119:130)."
Confession and Forgiveness (Part 2)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." {1 John 1:9 NIV}
Some time back, as a young Christian, I remember becoming depressed after harboring some unforgiveness in my heart. I knew, generally, what was going on: God promises to allow demons to torture us unless we forgive other people (Matthew 18:21-35). Depression, even then, was no mystery to me. I assumed that I would have to struggle with the foothold until I was able to break free. This had happened many times before. But this time, I tried something different—with a wonderful result!
The Bible says that God will forgive us if we confess our sins. I did routinely confess sins of unforgiveness—often with little effect. I would say the right words—but it was mostly just words.
So, this time, I tried something different. I confessed the sin from my heart and using the exact words that Scripture uses to describe the sin of unforgiveness. The depression immediately went away. I hadn't ever experienced this much relief so quickly!
I simply said to God, from my heart, that I confess that I had been a 'wicked servant' (Matthew 18:21-35) and that I ask forgiveness of my sin. I didn't say just one sentence. I made it clear to God that I understood what Scripture said about my sin and that I agreed that what I was doing was wrong. And I felt better right away.
End of story.
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