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Proverbs 28:13
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
Although many people try to deny their sin and to suppress their guilt feelings, no one can totally escape the weight of transgression. We cannot finally escape the truth that we have broken God’s law and stand under His just condemnation (Rom. 1:18–3:20). We have missed the standard that our Creator has established for us and have incurred a debt to Him that we cannot possibly repay (Matt. 18:21–35; James 4:17). Sin and guilt are real, and the only hope we have is to find the real answer to our fundamental problem of estrangement from God. Happily, Scripture gives us a real answer to our problem—namely, real forgiveness.
Humanly speaking, we see how sin weighs on others and know how it can burden our own consciences. The ramifications of sins committed years ago can last into the present. Parents feel remorse for their failures. As people approach death, they frequently seek reconciliation with those whom they have offended in decades gone by. We still feel shame and guilt for the ways that we hurt others as children and teenagers. In every case, people are looking for forgiveness from those whom they have offended and mistreated.
Authentic forgiveness certainly counts as one of the most powerful things we see in this world. When people extend true pardon to those who have sinned against them, friends and families can be reconciled and reunited. Those who forgive are able to let go of the bitterness that they have been harboring toward others. Scripture gives us many powerful illustrations of forgiveness and reconciliation, such as the story of Joseph, who forgave much even though he was sinned against greatly (Gen. 37–50).
If forgiveness between people is powerful, God’s forgiveness of us is even more so. The heaviest burden that we will ever bear is the objective guilt for having broken God’s law. In our most honest moments, we realize how far we have fallen and that we cannot atone for our own sin. Only when we receive God’s forgiveness can we escape the guilt and uncleanness that we experience for our sin.
God offers real forgiveness to those who confess and forsake their sin, trusting only in Christ for salvation (Prov. 28:13; Rom. 3:21–26). All our sins are fully covered by the blood of Jesus. When we sin after conversion, we do not go back under God’s wrath, but our fellowship with Him is disrupted, and the joy of that fellowship is restored when we confess our sins and ask for pardon (1 John 1:8–9).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
When it comes to our relationship with God, the world tells us that we can atone for our own sins, that we can make up for our transgressions against His infinite holiness. Yet that is impossible. The only way to escape our guilt and be reconciled to Him is to confess our sins and come to Him through Jesus Christ, asking for His pardon. He offers true forgiveness to all those who do that. Let us repent of our sins this day.
for further study
- 2 Chronicles 7:14
- Isaiah 30:18
- 2 Corinthians 7:10
- Hebrews 4:14–16
the bible in a year
- 1 Samuel 22–23
- Luke 16:1–13