Soon as the word is uttered, "I have sinned," that very moment
flies the seraph. (Isa. 6) God "is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins." When we confess them in the name of Jesus, justice,
having been satisfied by the blood of Christ, is swift to pardon.
God cannot seal a pardon in the soul without confession. (Ps.
32:3-5.)
As we practise confession, so will be our happiness and joy;
for all true confession is followed by the spirit of praise.
If in coming to God we complain against ourselves, let us thank
Him that we have a heart to complain.
The Spirit of God never heals save as He wounds; and if those
seeking Christ have not peace, it is because there is still in
them some remnant of fancied goodness. Tell out the whole heart
to God, and the conscience will be cleansed by confessing sin
over the head of the scapegoat.
There is a counterfeit Confession of Sin; let us beware of this
counterfeit. We may be sure the sorrow is not deep if the sin
be not subdued.
If so be we are ready in the confession of our faults, and have
faith in the blood of sprinkling, those very faults will serve
our growth in grace: they will be like manure to the field or
garden.
God kills to make alive. He smites men's consciences to make
them judge themselves. The first great step when a man desires
to be saved is unqualified self-condemnation. Sin unconfessed
is imputed; but sin confessed is blotted out by God. The sinner,
coming in the name of Jesus, has a _title_ to life: the ground
of that title is the very name and justice of God.
We should confess to God every inward evil as soon as it is discovered
to us: and if we have trespassed against our brother, to Him
also we should speedily make confession. By so doing we shall
keep up the communion of love with God and with each other.
It was the imputation of our sins to Christ that hid from Him
the face of God the Father. It is our unconfessed disobedience
that brings a cloud between Christ and us.
When on entering a house I see a child in disgrace for disobedience,
although I tenderly consider the erring child, I especially feel
with the grieved, sorrowing parent. When we sin, and are chastened
of God, we should rather consider how the heart of our heavenly
Father has by us been grieved, than be taken up with the smart
of our stripes by His rod of correction.
If we practise the true Confession of Sin, and so cease to grieve
the Holy Spirit of God, we shall have the testimony of the Spirit
that the ear, thumb, and toe, are tipped with blood and oil.
Keep no secrets from God. Confession of Sin to Him in all detail
will greatly help us in the subduing it.
The sinful thought of the heart is, in the sight of God, the
act: evils in life always proceed from evils nourished in the
heart.
Do we think that God is pleased with shallow confessions of deep
sins? Compare Job 40:4 with 42:2-6.
After we have been able, by the grace of God, to subdue any besetting
sin, and it seems to be dead, let us still be confessing to God
that it is _within us_. By thus doing we shall show that we are
not living on the victory but on God Himself. Indwelling sin
will be thus regarded by the eye of our Father rather as our
sickness than our fault.
All unconfessed sin has power over us; but all confessed sin
God helps us to subdue: He will never blame us for sins confessed.
The speediest confession is the easiest and the best.