Reading for March 28-April 1
Acts 22:30-23:1-11
Monday
No Condemnation + Confession = Clear Conscience
Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!” Acts 23:1
Ro 8:1 + 1 John 1:9 = Acts 23:1
Pastor’s Reflection
“There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus” Romans8:1
"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."
1 John 1:8-10 (NLT)
Notice the order of the above scriptures. First, you have been forgiven on the cross 2,000 years ago. D-O-N-E.
This is Christianity, what Christ has D-O-N-E for you. Every other religion in the world is what you must do for God D-O.
However you must ACCEPT what God has DONE for you. How? ADMIT you need forgiveness to God. Ask for forgiveness and if you do and believe (not easy I know, but believe anyway) cleansing comes. God provides the forgiveness in advance. I must appropriate it.
If you just can’t forgive yourself, well no wonder. You can’t! Only God can. Go to Him!
If we can live before God with a clear conscience, then it really doesn't matter what the world thinks of us!
ReplyDeleteThe thing that struck my heart and has helped me the most in this regard is remembering that not only are we given the wonderful gift of forgiveness, but our sins are forgotten, they are remembered 'no more' (Hebrews 8:12).
ReplyDeleteI once heard a teaching on this and it underscored that if our sins are forgotten by God, so should we forget them.
In fact, remembering them and feeling the guilt of them over and over is not from our Lord, but from the enemy. He keeps us stuck this way, in a perverted sense of shame that distorts our well being and makes us unable to feel valued and loved. Guilt can become a prison.
There may be times when we may have to make a conscious reply of "Forgiven and now Forgotten" when a past deed comes to mind and then put it out of our minds for if confessed, we are cleansed -thoroughly.
I think that in this sense, we are expressing to ourselves the forgiveness that God so graciously promises us. His mercies are new every morning!
In fact, to not move forward with faith in this promise is in all actuality 'choosing' to abide in an unforgiven state. Remorse is a part of repentance but only as it brings us to God, not after we've met with him.
"Freely, freely you have received, freely, freely give..."
Thank you, Jesus.