Latest / Reformed Thinking / Faithful and Just: Why Confession Works (1 John 1:9)
Transcript
- 0:00Welcome to reformed thinking today we're doing a deep dive
- 0:03into a single verse that honestly is just fundamental for
- 0:05how we live day-to-day as believers.
- 0:07It's first John 1.9. You know it's funny, the oldest
- 0:10human instinct right back to the garden is well, it's to hide.
- 0:13We do it all the time, managing our image, you know, on social
- 0:15media, choosing our words carefully, maybe using
- 0:18euphemisms instead of calling thin.
- 0:19We want to control how people see us but the gospel, it pulls
- 0:22us out of that exhausting work, doesn't it?
- 0:25It calls us into the light where God is pure light.
- 0:28And yes, that light shows up our flaws, our daily feelings.
- 0:31But the amazing thing is it also shows us the way back, secure,
- 0:36way back into fellowship. So our mission today really is
- 0:39to find that solid ground for daily forgiveness and cleansing.
- 0:42We want to shift the focus off our feelings, off our efforts,
- 0:45and onto God himself. It's unchanging character.
- 0:48Here's the core idea we want to establish.
- 0:50Confession isn't the price we pay for pardon.
- 0:52It's not about earning it. It's the path got himself set up
- 0:55because He is faithful and just. That's such a critical
- 0:58distinction because if confession was the price, how
- 1:02would we ever know If we paid enough?
- 1:03We'd always be uncertain. But look at the verse itself.
- 1:06If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
- 1:10our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- 1:14See the structure there? It's built entirely on God's
- 1:16certainty. We do the practice.
- 1:18That's the confessing part. And God guarantees the
- 1:21provision, forgiveness and cleansing based entirely on His
- 1:25own perfect attributes, His faithfulness, His justice.
- 1:30Right. It takes the pressure off our
- 1:31performance. Completely.
- 1:33And when you grasp that it changes how you see the
- 1:35Christian life. You stop the hiding, the image
- 1:37management, all that heavy labor, and instead you take up
- 1:40what Jesus called the light yoke of truth.
- 1:42It means approaching confession, not by, you know, trying to
- 1:44scramble back up to God through sheer willpower or sorrow, but
- 1:47by coming because of who God has already revealed himself to be
- 1:51in Christ. That gives us a security, a deep
- 1:54theological security that we need every single day.
- 1:57OK, so let's dig into that practice first.
- 1:59Confession. When people hear that word,
- 2:01maybe they think of just saying sorry or maybe a a big emotional
- 2:05moment. But you're saying the original
- 2:07language is much more specific. Oh, definitely.
- 2:09The Greek verb John uses here, Omolo goleman, commalizeman.
- 2:13It's, well, it's wonderfully precise.
- 2:15If you break it down, it literally means something like
- 2:18if we keep on saying the same thing.
- 2:19Saying the same thing about what?
- 2:21About our sins, saying the same thing about our sins that God
- 2:24himself says about them. OK, so confession isn't
- 2:27primarily about expressing emotion, it's about agreement
- 2:31alignment? Exactly.
- 2:33It's the moment we stop arguing with God, maybe even arguing
- 2:36internally. We stop making excuses and we
- 2:39consciously, willingly align our words, our verdict on ourselves
- 2:44with God's revealed truth. We're essentially making God's
- 2:47truth the language on our tongue.
- 2:49It's admitting, yes, you're right, that was sin.
- 2:51It broke your law. It deserves judgement.
- 2:53We're agreeing with the judge. And you mentioned the verb tense
- 2:56implies this isn't just a one off thing.
- 2:58Not just for salvation, but ongoing.
- 3:00Absolutely. The tense points to a continuous
- 3:03action, a habit, a regular rhythm or cadence in the
- 3:06believers life. This is what marks those people
- 3:09John describes as walking in the light.
- 3:12Walking in the light isn't about being sinless.
- 3:14It's about dealing with sin honestly when it happens,
- 3:17keeping short accounts with God. You stumble, you fall, you
- 3:20acknowledge it right away and get back on the path of truth.
- 3:22You don't let that guilt build up and turn into secrecy.
- 3:25It should be this steady rhythm of hopeful honesty.
- 3:30Hopeful honesty. I like that.
- 3:32But if it means agreeing with God, that requires a level of
- 3:35honesty that frankly feels uncomfortable.
- 3:38It pushes against our natural desire to manage our image.
- 3:41Moral candor, you called. It yes, moral candor, and it's
- 3:44necessary because it's the exact opposite of denial, which John
- 3:47warns about just before this verse.
- 3:49Confection is disclosure. It's opening U before the Holy
- 3:52one. Practically this means we have
- 3:54to ditch the image management tactics when we come to God.
- 3:57No more euphemisms, no more blame shifting, no more vague I
- 4:01messed up generalities. It's so easy to say, well, I got
- 4:04frustrated instead of owning, I sinned in my anger.
- 4:07Precisely, we have to call sin what God calls it.
- 4:10Use the actual names. Call lust lust.
- 4:13Call envy, envy, bitterness, bitterness, deceit, deceit.
- 4:18We have to fight that urge to just, you know, narrate the
- 4:22circumstances, what you see. They did this and then I
- 4:24reacted. No, instead we own our specific
- 4:28moral choices. Real confession is specific,
- 4:30it's sincere, and it's submitted to God's standard.
- 4:33It says my heart was wrong in this specific way, regardless of
- 4:36what anyone else did. And this candor is so important
- 4:39because John contrasts it so sharply with denial and verses 8
- 4:42and. 10 he does. Denial is catastrophic,
- 4:44spiritually speaking. If we say we have no sin, verse
- 4:468, or claim we've not sinned, verse 10, well, John says we're
- 4:49simply calling out a liar. Think of that word contradicting
- 4:51his own diagnosis of the human condition.
- 4:53If God says we're sinners who eat a Savior, and we say Nope,
- 4:56not me, we're rejecting his fundamental testimony about
- 4:59reality. And John says if we do that, his
- 5:01word isn't in US, the truth isn't in US.
- 5:03Denial is that heavy, exhausting labor of hiding.
- 5:06It blocks the path of confession, and it keeps us from
- 5:08enjoying the fellowship in the cleansing Christ offers.
- 5:11OK, so we need this specific candid agreement with God.
- 5:16Where is this confession primarily directed towards God
- 5:19first? Yes, absolutely.
- 5:21Confession is first and foremost God word.
- 5:23The primary audience, the primary courtroom is God's
- 5:25throne. We're speaking to the judge.
- 5:27His law was broken. David's confession, Psalm 51 is
- 5:30the classic example. Isn't it against you?
- 5:33You only have I sinned that sets the priority right before my sin
- 5:37hurt my spouse or my friend or my Co worker, it was an offense
- 5:40against God's infinite holiness, His revealed will.
- 5:43That makes sense theologically, but practically a lot of our
- 5:45sins do hurt other people. How does focusing on God first
- 5:48lead to fixing things horizontally between people?
- 5:51It's the natural outflow because we first gone to God, admitted
- 5:55the truth, and received his pardon.
- 5:57We're then in the right posture to go to the person we've
- 5:59wronged. We can approach them with
- 6:01genuine humility, not defensiveness, because the main
- 6:05issue, the God Word issue, is settled when we sin against a
- 6:08brother or sister. Christ Himself requires us to
- 6:10seek reconciliation. But the goal isn't just
- 6:13smoothing things over. It's actual restoration, if not
- 6:16a public performance to make ourselves feel better.
- 6:18So what should that look like going to someone we've wronged?
- 6:21It needs wisdom, prudence and love.
- 6:24It means going to them directly usually and offering specific
- 6:27ownership. Something like I sinned against
- 6:30you when I inter naming the specific action or word.
- 6:32Will you forgive me? The crucial part is leaving out
- 6:34the buck. No excuses, no justifications.
- 6:37No, but you also just own your part.
- 6:41That honesty mirrors the vertical confession we made to
- 6:43God. We own the offense and we trust
- 6:46God for the outcome in the relationship.
- 6:48OK, now we need to make a really crucial shift.
- 6:49We've talked about the practice. We do confession, but the
- 6:52assurance, the certainty, forgiveness doesn't come from
- 6:54how well we confess. It comes entirely from who God
- 6:57is. Our focus has to move completely
- 6:59away from our shaky performance onto the person of God.
- 7:02John anchors the whole promise on this.
- 7:04He is faithful and just. That's the secure ground.
- 7:08That's what makes Daily Pardon as solid as our initial
- 7:10justification. That's a powerful shift.
- 7:12It means the guarantee isn't based on my sincerity level that
- 7:16morning or how sorry I feel, but on God's unchanging character.
- 7:21And you're saying the security rests on 2 pillars, Christ's
- 7:24finished work and God's own nature, his faithfulness and
- 7:27justice. Let's start with Christ's work.
- 7:30How does that secure daily forgiveness?
- 7:32It's the absolute foundation we have to understand that God's
- 7:34forgiveness isn't just him being nice or deciding to overlook
- 7:38things. No, it's a righteous verdict.
- 7:40It issues from a law that has been completely satisfied.
- 7:43There's no cheap grace here. Christ was, as the Bible says,
- 7:46set forth as a propitiation by His blood.
- 7:49That means he absorbed the righteous wrath of God that our
- 7:52sin deserve. Propitiate is a big word.
- 7:54Can you unpack what that means for us day-to-day when we mess
- 7:56up? It means the full penalty,
- 7:58everything our sin earned landed squarely on our substitute
- 8:01Jesus. Isaiah 53 puts it graphically.
- 8:04He was crushed for our iniquities, the debt we owed.
- 8:07Colossians 2 says. The record of that debt, the
- 8:09charges against this, was cancelled, nailed to the cross,
- 8:12paid in full. And if the debt is paid, there's
- 8:15a logical follow through there, isn't there?
- 8:17Exactly. If the debt is paid in full by
- 8:20Christ, it would actually violate God's own justice to
- 8:23demand payment again from us. Think about it.
- 8:26God cannot justly demand payment twice for the same offense.
- 8:30So when a believer confesses we're not coming tentatively
- 8:33hoping God might be merciful this time, we're not trying to
- 8:35negotiate. We are coming to stand on a
- 8:37finished transaction. We're claiming the verdict that
- 8:40Christ already secured with his blood.
- 8:42And it's not just past sins. First, John 2 tells us Jesus is
- 8:45right now our advocate with the Father, the propitiation for our
- 8:48sins. He's actively representing us
- 8:50based on his finished work covering the sins we commit
- 8:53today and tomorrow. OK, so Christ satisfaction is
- 8:55the best bedrock. Now the verse points to God's
- 8:58character. He's faithful.
- 8:59What does God's faithfulness, his pistos, guarantee here?
- 9:03In a covenant context, faithfulness means God is
- 9:05promise keeping, He's truth keeping.
- 9:08He always acts in line with his own character and his own word.
- 9:12He is who he says He is and he does what he promises to do
- 9:15Period. This means forgiveness isn't
- 9:17some kind of divine mood swing. You know?
- 9:20It doesn't depend on whether God's feeling generous today or
- 9:23whether we managed to conjure up enough sorrow.
- 9:25It's a covenant certainty. That's huge for anyone who
- 9:28struggles with feeling condemned, thinking God's
- 9:30opinion must fluctuate based on their performance.
- 9:32It absolutely destroys that idea.
- 9:34God binds himself by His promises, even by oath.
- 9:37He doesn't say yes and then no. In Christ, all His promises are
- 9:41yes. We stand on His revealed word,
- 9:44His covenant promises. Think about the new covenant
- 9:47promise in Jeremiah. I will remember their sins no
- 9:50more. God's faithfulness means He will
- 9:52do that for those in Christ. Complete lotting out, legally
- 9:55speaking. Yes, and His faithfulness also
- 9:58extends to His Son. The Father publicly showed His
- 10:01acceptance of Christ's perfect obedience and sacrifice through
- 10:04the resurrection. Since the Father accepted the
- 10:07payment made by the Son, God's faithfulness requires Him to
- 10:10honor every single plea for forgiveness that comes through
- 10:13Jesus, our Mediator. So our assurance isn't fragile
- 10:16based on feelings, it's rock solid because it's based on the
- 10:20very nature of God himself. If he could be unfaithful, the
- 10:23whole gospel collapses. OK, faithfulness is 1 anchor.
- 10:26The other is that God is decaios just.
- 10:30This one feels almost paradoxical.
- 10:32How can God be just and still forgive sinners?
- 10:35Doesn't justice demand punishment?
- 10:37This is really the genius, the glory of the gospel right here
- 10:39in this verse. God is just, and He hasn't
- 10:41compromised His justice one bit to forgive us.
- 10:43Instead, He exercises His justice in forgiving us.
- 10:46How? Because the demands of his
- 10:48justice, the penalty for sin, were fully met by Christ on the
- 10:50cross. Forgiveness is a righteous
- 10:52verdict precisely because the law was satisfied.
- 10:55The cross wasn't God setting aside justice, it was God
- 10:58satisfying justice. Romans 3 talks about this right
- 11:00God demonstrating his righteousness at the cross.
- 11:03Romans 3.2526 is stunning on this point.
- 11:06It says God set forth Christ as a propitiation to demonstrate
- 11:10His righteousness. So they could be both just and
- 11:14the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
- 11:17See, if God just waved away sin without payment, he wouldn't be
- 11:20just. He'd be ignoring his own law.
- 11:22But because Christ paid the price, God maintains his perfect
- 11:25justice while He pardons the guilty Sinner who trusts in
- 11:28Christ. He's simultaneously just and the
- 11:30one who declares us just. So it flips things around
- 11:33because Christ took the penalty. God's justice isn't against the
- 11:36believer anymore. It's actually for the believer.
- 11:38That's the incredible implication.
- 11:40Christ has so fully answered Justice's demands for his people
- 11:43that God's justice now stands on our side.
- 11:46When we confess, we aren't asking God to bend his rules or
- 11:49look the other way. We are asking him to act
- 11:51according to his justice, which was satisfied by Christ.
- 11:54We're asking him to apply the verdict Christ earned.
- 11:58It is combination faithful and just is the Granite Foundation.
- 12:01Our pardon is secure because God keeps His promises faithful, and
- 12:05it's legally sound because justice has been served just.
- 12:08OK, that foundation is solid. Before we talk about what God
- 12:11gives us based on that, let's just be crystal clear because
- 12:13our hearts love to sneak works back in.
- 12:16What is a security not based on? Yes, we have to hammer this
- 12:19home, reject completely any idea that forgiveness depends on us,
- 12:23our performance, our feelings. The assurance is 100% secured by
- 12:26God's unchanging character and Christ's finished work, not by
- 12:31the quality of our repentance. So it doesn't matter how intense
- 12:33my sorrow is. Nope.
- 12:35You might feel terrible, or you might feel numb.
- 12:38Neither feeling earns the verdict.
- 12:40It also doesn't rest on how eloquent or detailed our
- 12:43confession was. Confession is vital.
- 12:45It's the appointed path. It's an expression of faith, but
- 12:48it's not a work that merits pardon.
- 12:50It's definitely not the price of pardon.
- 12:52We're simply claiming what Christ already bought.
- 12:55We're not trying to add our tears or promises to his
- 12:57payment. That frees us from trying to
- 13:00somehow punish ourselves to make up for our sin.
- 13:02OK, so standing on that foundation, Christ's work, God's
- 13:07faithfulness and justice. When we confess, God gives us
- 13:10something. The verse says He forgives and
- 13:12cleanses. You called this the double cure
- 13:14to things happening. That's right.
- 13:16Think of them as twin graces, Forgiveness and cleansing.
- 13:19They both flow from the same source.
- 13:21Christ sacrifice, his partition, Tory blood, but they address two
- 13:25different aspects of sins, damage.
- 13:26It's really helpful to distinguish them, even though
- 13:28they always come together. Forgiveness tackles the legal
- 13:30problem. Cleansing tackles the pollution
- 13:33problem. Let's take forgiveness first.
- 13:35You mentioned the legal courtroom language.
- 13:37Exactly. Forgiveness.
- 13:39The Greek word Afyomi is about the legal remission of guilt.
- 13:43It's God the judge declaring the confessing believer not guilty,
- 13:46not based on innocence, but based on Christ's payment.
- 13:49The effect? The debt is cancelled, wiped
- 13:52out. Colossians 2 confirms this, and
- 13:54it includes that incredible promise from Jeremiah 31.
- 13:57He will remember those sins no more, judicially speaking.
- 14:00So it's not God pretending it didn't happen, it's a formal
- 14:03legal change of status. Precisely when God Forgives
- 14:06Psalm one O 3 says he removes our transgressions as far as the
- 14:09east is from the West. He completely clears the record.
- 14:12Our legal standing before him is righteous because we're counted
- 14:15righteous in Christ. That brings peace with God.
- 14:18But he doesn't stop there. The verse promises cleansing to
- 14:21Cath rising. How is that different from
- 14:23forgiving? OK, so forgiveness deals with
- 14:26the guilt, cleansing deals with the pollution, the stain, the
- 14:29inner defilement that sin causes.
- 14:31Sin doesn't just make us legally guilty, it makes us dirty, it
- 14:34corrupts US. Cleansing addresses that moral
- 14:37and you could say spiritual contamination.
- 14:40So God doesn't just clear the legal record, He washes the
- 14:43stain. He works to loosen sins grip on
- 14:46our hearts and minds. He renews us inwardly.
- 14:49The same blood that justifies us, secures pardon, also
- 14:52purifies us, enables holiness. It's the power source for our
- 14:56ongoing sanctification. So cleansing is more about the
- 15:00holy spirits work inside us, empowering us to actually change
- 15:02and obey, dealing with the root, not just the record.
- 15:06That's it. It's the Spirit sanctifying
- 15:07work. It starts to reorder our
- 15:09desires. It gives us the power for new
- 15:11obedience. If we confess lying, the
- 15:13cleansing works towards making us truth tellers.
- 15:15If we confess lust, cleansing empowers purity.
- 15:18If we confess greed, it works towards generosity.
- 15:21It also effects our conscience. Hebrews 10 talks about drawing
- 15:24near with hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.
- 15:27Cleansing helps sensitize us to sin, to hate it not just because
- 15:30it's wrong, but because it's ugly and defiling.
- 15:32And the scope of this double cure is just massive from all
- 15:37unrighteousness. That word all is so critical.
- 15:40It leaves no loopholes, no exceptions.
- 15:42It's completely comprehensive. It covers every kind of sin you
- 15:45can imagine. Sins we do since we fail to do
- 15:48actions, words, thoughts, motives, deliberate rebellion,
- 15:51ignorant mistakes. It deals with those old stubborn
- 15:54stains that haunt us and the fresh failure from 5 minutes
- 15:57ago. God promises to cleanse the root
- 16:00and the residue. Nothing is left out, and this
- 16:03comprehensive scope is precisely what protects us from falling
- 16:06into spiritual extremes. Right, because that double cure,
- 16:08full forgiveness and comprehensive cleansing acts
- 16:11like guardrails, keeping us from either despair or presumption.
- 16:14Exactly. It functions pastorally.
- 16:16It stabilizes us. It provides the antidote to both
- 16:19that crushing despair where we think we're too far gone, and
- 16:22that casual presumption where we treat sin too lightly.
- 16:25OK, let's talk about despair first.
- 16:26How does this promise guard against that feeling that my sin
- 16:30is just too bad, too deep? Despair always whispers, not
- 16:34that sin. It tries to isolate one
- 16:37particular failure or pattern, maybe a long term addiction or
- 16:40deep seated bitterness or a secret hypocrisy, and tells you
- 16:44this one is different. This one is too ingrained, too
- 16:47ugly for God's grace. We've all felt that, haven't we?
- 16:50That some part of us is just irredeemable.
- 16:52Absolutely. But that's where the phrase from
- 16:55all unrighteousness becomes our lifeline.
- 16:57The cure is the sheer scope of the promise.
- 17:00It confirms there is literally no stain to set, no pattern too
- 17:04deep, no sin to repulsive for the blood of Jesus to deal with.
- 17:07Full stop. Our security when we confess
- 17:10isn't based on how sorry we feel, but on the sufficiency of
- 17:13Christ's sacrifice. It covers all.
- 17:15But what about the feeling if someone confesses the same
- 17:18failure again and again? How does just saying the words
- 17:20fix that feeling of being too dirty for God?
- 17:23It's fixed by the verdict, not the feeling.
- 17:25The feeling of repulsion might be very real, but that feeling
- 17:28has to submit to the truth of God's Word.
- 17:32When we confess, we're not asking for a temporary or
- 17:34partial pardon. We're claiming a full pardon
- 17:37based on a finished payment. And we're also claiming the
- 17:39promise of cleansing. That cleansing is an ongoing
- 17:42work of the Spirit may be slow, but it's real.
- 17:45So we fight the despair by holding on to the declaration.
- 17:48God said all, and all includes even this struggle, the one I'm
- 17:52facing today. OK, so that deals with despair.
- 17:55What about the other ditch presumption?
- 17:57Treating grace cheaply. Presumption is the opposite
- 17:59error. It thinks sin doesn't really
- 18:01matter that much, A quick sorry will do.
- 18:03It treats first John 1.9 like a cosmic undo button, a sterile
- 18:07reset without any real intention to fight the sin or change.
- 18:10Just using confession to manage the consequences without
- 18:13addressing the heart. Right.
- 18:15And the counter to that is God's justice.
- 18:17Remembering that God is the sin reminds us that sin isn't
- 18:21trivial. It caused the death of his Son.
- 18:23Grace is free, but it wasn't cheap.
- 18:26And if we've truly received forgiveness in cleansing, that
- 18:29cleansing involves the Spirit working in US, changing our
- 18:31desires and abling new obedience.
- 18:34So we can't genuinely claim the promise of cleansing while
- 18:37simultaneously refusing to wage war against the very sin we just
- 18:41confessed. So if the confession doesn't
- 18:43lead to a renewed desire and intention to obey, even if
- 18:46imperfectly, it probably wasn't genuine confession in the first
- 18:50place. It was likely a counterfeit.
- 18:51True confession is specific, it's sincere, and it includes a
- 18:55turning, a desire to walk in God's way.
- 18:56Now this prevents us from abusing the promise, turning
- 19:00grace into a license. We're just settling for a sin
- 19:02management routine that lacks any real pursuit of holiness.
- 19:05Are there other counterfeits of confession we should watch out
- 19:07for? Yes, a couple are really common.
- 19:10First, we have to reject legalistic confession.
- 19:13True confession flows from gratitude for grace already
- 19:16received. It's evangelical.
- 19:18It's not a work we do to earn pardon, and it's definitely not
- 19:21self atonement, trying to pay God back by feeling extra
- 19:23miserable or punishing ourselves.
- 19:26Our sorrow adds nothing to Christ's payment.
- 19:28Second, we reject mystical confession.
- 19:32Assurance isn't found by looking inward for special feelings,
- 19:35inner lights, or ecstatic experiences to make the guilt go
- 19:37away. Assurance is objective.
- 19:40It's anchored outside of us. In the character of God, He is
- 19:43faithful and just. And in the finished work of
- 19:45Christ, we look to the promise, not our fluctuating feelings.
- 19:48OK, so if this confession is meant to be a regular habit, a
- 19:51daily cadence for those walking in the light, how do we actually
- 19:54build this into our lives? Practically, Life gets dizzy.
- 19:57It does. We have to be intentional about
- 19:58building this gospel rhythm. It starts with making time for
- 20:01that private God word, honesty, letting the light shine.
- 20:04So starting with self examination, but inviting God
- 20:07into that process. Exactly.
- 20:09We can pray like David did in Psalm 139.
- 20:12Search me, O God, and know my heart.
- 20:14See if there's any wicked way in me and lead me in the way
- 20:17everlasting. We actively asked the Lord to
- 20:20show a specific sins of thought, attitude, word, action, and
- 20:25importantly, sins of omission too.
- 20:27Where did I fail to love, fail to act?
- 20:29And once God brings something specific to mind.
- 20:32Then comes the immediate claim of the promise.
- 20:34This is crucial. Name the sin plainly to God.
- 20:36No excuses, no blame shifting, and then right away lay hold of
- 20:39first. John 1.9.
- 20:41Thank you for the certainty of forgiveness and cleansing based
- 20:43on His faithfulness and justice in Christ.
- 20:45Don't let the guilt sit and fester.
- 20:47Keep short accounts. Confess it then and there if
- 20:49possible. The goal is immediate
- 20:51restoration of fellowship. That sounds good, but fitting it
- 20:54into a packed schedule? Can we structure it simply?
- 20:57Definitely think maybe three touch points.
- 20:59Morning, maybe just three minutes.
- 21:02Briefly examine your heart, Confess anything immediate and
- 21:04claim the promise preemptively for the day ahead.
- 21:07Midday, maybe just 60 seconds. Quick and mental reset.
- 21:11Confess one fresh failure, that impatient word, that anxious
- 21:14thought, and ask for strength. And then an evening review.
- 21:16Yeah, a brief review of the day, interactions, thoughts.
- 21:20Maybe jot down specific sins in a private journal, Not to dwell
- 21:23on them but to acknowledge them, and then this can be powerful,
- 21:26physically right or marked next to it, forgiven and cleansed in
- 21:30Christ. Train your conscience to believe
- 21:32God's verdict. This rhythm is key because, as
- 21:35we said, confession isn't real unless it's submitted to God.
- 21:39Ready to walk in new obedience. Right, the cleansing part needs
- 21:42application, yes? So identify one recurring sin, a
- 21:46besetting sin, and make a concrete plan for a replacement
- 21:50action tomorrow. If it's bitterness towards
- 21:52someone, plan a specific act of kindness.
- 21:55If it's fear, have a verse ready to counter it.
- 21:58If it's gossip, plan to speak words that build up.
- 22:01Confession must lead to intended obedience.
- 22:03And what about when sin effects others?
- 22:05Horizontal confession. Right, that needs specific
- 22:07attention to stems from just telling God.
- 22:09You mentioned seeking reconciliation quickly.
- 22:11Yes, ideally within 24 hours if possible.
- 22:14Don't let the breech widen. Go to the person, own it.
- 22:17Specifically. Use clear humble language.
- 22:20I send against you when I did said specific thing.
- 22:22Will you forgive me and stop talking?
- 22:25No buts take full responsibility for your part.
- 22:28What if restitution is needed if something was broken or stolen?
- 22:32Absolutely more appropriate. Make it right.
- 22:34Tangibly repay what was taken, Correct the slander with those
- 22:38who heard it, fix what was broken.
- 22:40This shows the sincerity of our repentance and that we value the
- 22:43relationship. This kind of honesty, especially
- 22:45say between a husband and wife, keeping short accounts is vital.
- 22:48OK, so daily personal habits, quick reconciliation.
- 22:51What else supports this rhythm? We need to constantly reinforce
- 22:55the truth underpinning it. Memorize first John 1.9
- 22:58obviously, but maybe also verses like Romans 3.26 about God being
- 23:02just and justifier, or Micah 7 about God pardoning iniquity.
- 23:05Have those ready to preach to your own soul.
- 23:08When guilt or Satan accuses you, remind yourself of God's
- 23:10character. And corporate worship plays a
- 23:12role, too. Huge role those times of
- 23:14corporate confession in church followed by the assurance of a
- 23:17pardon read from scripture. Those trainers collectively in
- 23:19this gospel rhythm reminds us we're not alone in this.
- 23:23Also preparing for the Lord's Supper.
- 23:25That should involve self examination, confession, seeking
- 23:27reconciliation if needed. We come to the table trusting
- 23:30Christ. Blood cleanses our conscience,
- 23:32allowing us to draw near confidently based on his work,
- 23:35not our week's performance. It all comes back to relying on
- 23:39Christ's efficiency and God's secure character, doesn't it?
- 23:42Not our feelings or efforts. We come humbly because we send,
- 23:46but boldly because His justice is now for us in Christ.
- 23:50So wrapping up today's deep dive, we've seen this incredible
- 23:53security that belongs to every believer, the certainty of our
- 23:56daily pardon, our daily cleansing.
- 23:58It doesn't rest on us at all. It rests entirely on Christ's
- 24:01finished work and on God's unchanging character.
- 24:04He is faithful to His promise. He is just because of the cross.
- 24:07The world constantly pushes us towards hiding, managing our
- 24:09image, controlling the narrative.
- 24:10It's exhausting, but the Gospel offers this amazing freedom.
- 24:14Step into the light. Agree with God about your sin,
- 24:16and trust. Trust that the blood of Jesus
- 24:18paid for it all, granting you full forgiveness and real,
- 24:21effective cleansing. That's it.
- 24:23This discipline of confession rooted in God's faithful justice
- 24:26isn't a burden. It's the daily means God gives
- 24:29us as justified sinners to enjoy restored fellowship with him and
- 24:33to actually receive power against sins, pollution.
- 24:35It's the path to ongoing communion.
- 24:38And maybe here's a final thought to reflect on.
- 24:40We live now in this time between our justification and our final
- 24:43glorification. We live between confession and
- 24:46consummation. But a day is coming when
- 24:48confession will cease. The Church, the Bride of Christ,
- 24:51will be finally and fully clean, perfectly holy.
- 24:53Our hearts won't need to confess anymore.
- 24:55They'll just be filled with perfect joy because the promise
- 24:58will be totally fulfilled. Sin will be gone forever.
- 25:00But until that. Day we come.
- 25:02We come again and again, boldly to the throne of grace.
- 25:06He's the judge himself, the faithful, and just one invites
- 25:09us to claim the forgiveness and the cleansing secured for us and
- 25:11his son.