“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (v.9)
John Steinbeck once observed that failure is often a catalyst for spiritual growth. “If everything is coming your way,” he wrote, “you are probably in the wrong lane. Adversity and defeat are more conducive to spiritual growth, than prosperity and victory.” But what if the defeat we experience, involves more than a setback in our circumstances? What if we have experienced defeat because of our own sin?
The Bible is filled with stories of people whose mistakes and failures, were redeemed by God. Consider Jacob the deceiver, Judah the father of an illegitimate child, David the adulterer, and Rahab the prostitute, which even appear in the lineage of Jesus (Matt. 1:2–5). Peter denied Jesus three times, and Thomas questioned whether Jesus had truly risen from the dead. Paul persecuted the church. And yet, all of these were used by God, despite their past failings.
What restores us, cleanses us, brings us back into fellowship with Him despite our failures? The blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore go boldly before the throne of grace, confess your sin before our God, and He promises to forgive and restore (Romans 8:1-4). We can’t cleanse our own hearts; only God can do that. If we confess our sins to Him, He promises to make us totally clean!
The Truth: “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:2)
