The apostle John wrote that confessing sin to God results in forgiveness and cleansing.
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (NIV)
When John F. Kennedy was president, LIFE magazine did a photo-shoot of a day in the Oval Office. One of the pictures was of the president’s son, John Jr., playing on the floor. John Jr. wasn’t a member of the president’s cabinet or a member of Congress — but he had access to his father’s presence because he was the president’s son. As a Christ-follower you have access into God’s presence! Today’s verse is all about maintaining our relationship with the Heavenly Father.
Confession of sin is harder than it sounds! Sometimes you wait until you’re sorry for what you’ve done and that can delay restoration of fellowship with God. The idea of confession is not feeling sorry for what you’ve done — although that’s usually part of repentance — but rather choosing to agree with God that what you’ve done was wrong. Keeping short accounts is vital to maintaining a close relationship with God.
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™