If We Confess Our Sins. Part [9] 09/30/2024 (Morning thought)

Exodus 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

This brings us to our case study in which pharaoh is documented as having confessed his sins, which he did. As we study the references we will discover that pharaoh said all the right words, including the direct acknowledgement of his sins, and yet, for all of this, the end product doing God’s will was absent. In his confessions, he admits that God is righteous, and that pharaoh is wicked, and he goes so far as to call sin by its right name.

But some way, somehow, he simply refuses to do God’s revealed will by letting the people go. This is a critically important point, for God is not so interested in correct words, as He is in a heart that is willing to obey Him. If confessing one’s sin doesn’t result in doing God’s will with a willing heart, then it is false, regardless of if the confession contained all the correct words.

Not only did pharaoh confess his sin, he also asked for forgiveness, and in this some may say that he did better than Judas, for at least, he saw his dire need of pardon. But yet, it did not pan out because it came from an insincere heart. In fact, when you dig a little deeper, you will discover the real reason for his confessions. It was sorrow for the result of his sin, not sorrow for rebelling against God.

Exodus 9:27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

If We Confess Our Sins. Part [8] 09/30/2024 (Evening thought)

John 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

A critically important point to note in this episode is that Peter’s confession was never solicited in front of the general public, before whom the denials took place. Christians should be very careful not to wash their dirty laundry in public, for this just adds salt to the wounds already made. If no hurt, damage, or injustice was done to persons in the public domain, confessions are best left to be handled amongst our brethren, for God desires that the least amount of publicity be given to the errors, and sins of His people, wherever warranted.

This is the reason why you’ll never read in the Bible of any specific sins that Daniel did, although he too had sins to confess. His record in the public square was beyond reproach, and therefore his specific sins remain sealed between himself, and God, for they are not anyone else’s business. Again, when folks acknowledge sins, that is just one step in the right direction, which ultimately should lead us to choose to do God’s will. Acknowledgment in and of itself doesn’t necessarily constitute a godly confession. It’s a first step, but not the end product.

Daniel 9: 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. 20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God….

Jeremiah 3:13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!