Seeking and Claiming God’s Forgiveness

Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.  For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.  –Psalm 25:8-11 

Often times we ask God for forgiveness, but we don’t always claim the forgiveness He offers.  And the sins of the past, which have been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, can easily creep into our minds and cause us all sorts of problems.  We can begin to feel guilty, awful, terrible, and sad about them all over again.  We end up needlessly punishing ourselves for that which God has already forgiven us.   

We see in this Psalm some steps for overcoming the guilt of the past, one of which is confession.  David lifted up his soul to God.  If the soul is filled with sin then it must be cleansed by God in order to find peace of mind.  So like David, we too lift our souls up to God and seek His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  David was lifting up to God all that he was and all that he had – his very soul; the deepest recesses of his heart he was laying bare before Almighty God.  

We may as well confess our sins because rest assured that God knows all that resides there.  By lifting up our souls to God we open to Him the deepest part of our hearts; that part of ourselves known only to us and to God.  It’s been said that confession is good for the soul, and that is true.  We find relief, redemption, and release when we confess our sins to God.  Understand that God has heard it all.  Nothing surprises Him, and there is nothing we could do that the Lord hasn’t seen before. The depths of depravity to which people can sink continue to amaze me.  It shouldn’t, but it does.  But I am reminded that Jesus Christ offers forgiveness to the vilest sinner.   

I John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  That includes me, you, and all who will trust the Lord and receive the forgiveness and salvation He offers.  Do not carry around the weight of guilt any longer.  Come to Jesus and be freed from the burdens you are carrying.  In Jesus there is hope.  In Jesus there is forgiveness and new life. 

Trust in Him today.