Proverbs 28:13 NKJV
13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
John 8:11 NKJV
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
John 20:27 NKJV
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
In the old covenant, we have to confess and forsake our sin to receive God’s forgiveness.
But in the new covenant, Christ Jesus paid for our sin on the cross, gives us the gift of no condemnation to set us free from the bondage of self-righteousness, and gives us His mercy, then tells us to confess and forsake our sin.
What does it mean to “confess our sin”? It can be as simple as just saying “sorry” for what you did. And if it’s a breach of policy against your company or nation, you should probably report it to the authorities. Or what about the times you had a quarrel and the Lord told you to apologise to your spouse or even your child? We might apologise to God because we know that we cannot escape him. But can we apologise to who we deem lesser than us?
Anyway, do you know what’s the receipt for your redemption? It’s Jesus’ nail-scarred hands.
Merry Christmas and have a blessed new year ahead!