INTRODUCTION

Many people claim to confess their sins; yet, confession not followed by action remains fruitless. Several verses in the word of God indicate the truth of the matter. Consider the next four examples: (1) Confession of sin is connected to forsaking sin (Proverbs 28:13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
See All...); (2) Confession of sin is followed by recompense of the trespass (Numbers 5:7Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
See All...); (3) Solomon connected confessing sin with turning from it (1 Kings 8:35When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
See All...); (4) Confession is followed by doing the Lord’s pleasure (Ezra 10:11Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
See All...). True confession involves much more than simply receiving the Lord’s forgiveness; it involves making wrongs right. True confession is never accomplished by merely opening one's mouth and spouting forth some meaningless words. True confession always produces change in the confessor.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Jesus forgave a woman that had done wrong but also told her to go and “sin no more” (John 8:11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
  See All...). When the children of Israel wanted God to deliver them from the Philistines, Samuel told them they must put away their strange gods, which they willingly did (1 Samuel 7:3-6 [3] And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. [4] Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. [5] And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. [6] And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
  See All...). We too must be willing to give up sin in order to have the right relationship with the Lord.
• (For everyone):  Do you find yourself often apologizing to the Lord for sinning against Him, yet failing to demonstrate any outward signs of the necessary true repentance?
• If true confession is most often followed by action, when is the last time you truly confessed your sins to the Lord? Are you willing to confess them now?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to show you the unconfessed sins in your life.
• Ask the Lord to help you confess and forsake those sins.

HYMN

Eternal Spirit, We Confess

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