One attribute of being a follower of Christ is our willingness to agree with God as to what he considers sin. When we sin, we need to acknowledge our sin as sin, and confess it to God. We shouldn’t attempt to cover it up or ignore what we’ve done, as if our sin might somehow go away or go unnoticed. For God to forgive us we have to first acknowledge our guilt; we have to acknowledge our sin. David writes in Psalm 32 verse 5:
"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” - and you forgave the guilt of my sin."
It can be difficult to acknowledge our sin and face the evil that we’ve done. When we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us and shines a light in our heart as to how we have wronged God. As a result, we feel guilty, dirty and shameful; a feeling that no one wants to have. But to be forgiven, we must acknowledge our sin and not try to cover it up. It is only when we confess our transgressions that the Lord will forgive us and remove our guilt. So, if you have sinned I encourage you to acknowledge your sin. Whatever you’ve done, your guilt won’t truly be removed, until you humble yourself and confess your transgression to the Lord. And the bible says that God will forgive the guilt of your sin.
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Have you ever done something so wrong that you just want to forget it or make believe that it never happened? Well, David reminds us that we shouldn’t try to cover up, or ignore, our sins. No matter how minor or severe we believe our sins to be, we need to acknowledge them and confess them to God. The weight of sin and guilt can be emotionally and psychologically heavy. It can affect the way we live, the way we feel, the way we relate to others and especially how we relate to God. Let God lift that weight from your shoulders. He is the only one who can free you. He is the only one who can cleanse you. And he is the only one who can give you rest.