Confession & Repentance
Just like the natural laws that exist in our world, God has placed spiritual laws, so what is this spiritual law pertaining to sin?
The wages of sin is death!
David had confessed his sin, but both the consequence and the repentance would take a longer process to work out because of the size of this sin. Now how long did it take God to forgive David? The very second David confessed his sin - God forgave him.
The wages of sin is death!
David had confessed his sin, but both the consequence and the repentance would take a longer process to work out because of the size of this sin. Now how long did it take God to forgive David? The very second David confessed his sin - God forgave him.
*Confession only takes a moment, but Repentance is a process.
Repentance is a process that results in a changed heart. Repentance is evidenced by a changed behavior. How do you know you have been through this process? Look at your behavior regarding that old sin you were in. Has it changed?
We confess and repent for specific sins. We also need to confess and repent for wrong attitudes of the heart that lead us into sinful lifestyles. Have you ever confessed a sin only to do the same sin again and again? You say God - I've repented for this - why is it still there???
Did you repent or did you just confess it?
Confession is vital because
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
God promises to forgive us when we confess our sins. Maybe you've confessed them but have you really repented. Repent means to turn.
- If you stand up you can easily turn around
- A bicycle only requires a few feet to turn around.
- A Car requires maybe 20 - 50 yards.
- A Battleship requires approximately 12 miles
David let his sin grow into a battleship and now repenting would be a longer process for him.
All of David's marriages were within the permissive will of God, but he had fed his sexual appetite so much that it escalated and grew into a huge sinful lifestyle.He was now married to Bathsheba, whom he had impregnated while her husband was still alive, which he had arranged to be killed, they have a baby boy ……this thing has become a battleship!
Again, what stronghold was David dealing with in his life? I believe it was a stronghold called "Sexual sin", and this was the very same one he would pass down onto his son Solomon as a Generational Curse.... and just look how much worse this sin grew Generationally with Solomon.
1st Kings 11:1-3
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
If you find yourself in a Stronghold (Lifestyle) of Sin then you need to take it before God and confess it. You then need to repent for it which may take a process of getting your heart right again before God and exercising discipline to stay away from the sin. You will most likely face the consequences for this sin, but remember too that God is merciful, so cry out to Him!
A verse to remember is 2 Corinthians 10:4 (King James Version):
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
Maybe you simply have unconfessed sin in your life and you need to deal with it. Maybe it's starting to become a pattern and it seems hopeless. Remember, it's never hopeless with Jesus!
Maybe your way deep over your head and you've got 12 miles of turning a battleship sized stronghold around. For this you'll need to understand that you've got a process of repentance ahead of you, but it all starts with confessing it to God. He'll help you along the way to finding freedom from this stronghold of sin.
Or maybe, you are reading this and don't know Jesus as your Lord & Savior. If this is the case I'll tell you now - Life will always be hard, but He'll be with you to see you through it if you let Him. Without Him you are a pawn in Satan's game and he can throw sin after sin at you like rocks and watch it pile up around you. Give Jesus what is left of your life and see what He can do!
