ADMIT YOUR SINS

WISDOM FOR LIVING DEVOTIONAL

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

TOPIC: ADMIT YOUR SINS

BY T. O. BANSO

“When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (Psalm 32:3-4 New Living Translation).

It is easier for human beings to lie to others than to admit our sins. It is more convenient for us to deny than confess our sins. Some will even engage others to defend them rather than own up. Sometimes, people succeed with these lies and propaganda, but this is dangerous. It gives them the impression that they can always get away with anything. Therefore, the devil deceives them to continue in their sinful ways just to set up for a great humiliation, punishment and destruction.

Your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23); if not now, but surely later. Hardly is there anyone who has not lied to cover up a sin in the past, either before or after salvation. Abraham lied when he was Abram (Genesis 12:10-13, 19) and after his name has been changed to Abraham (Genesis 20:2).

Lying is part of the desires of the sinful nature, and should be part of the old things that are passed away when anyone becomes a child of God (2 Corinthians 5:17). All liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone (Revelations 21:8).

God knows the truth about every sin you commit. It is useless trying to make excuses or completely deny. Human beings may not know; we may deceive them. As long as you continue that, you’re keeping secret with the devil, and he will not only blackmail you with it, he will help you not to repent and confess.

David says in Psalm 32:3-4 “When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (New Living Translation).This is what happens when you don’t admit your sins.

But see what David did: “Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” (verse 5 New Living Translation).

All God is asking for from the sinner is genuine repentance and faith in His son, Jesus Christ. Sinners will go to hell fire not because of their sins but because of their failure to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ. God told the Israelites in Jeremiah 3:12-13 to acknowledge their sins. Forgiveness and healing always follow confession of sins (2 Chronicles 7:14-15). Admit your sins.

Saul did not immediately admit his sin. On the two occasions that he flagrantly disobeyed the LORD, he never asked for His forgiveness. In the second instance, he even reduced it to a personal issue between himself and Samuel, and begged Samuel to forgive him (1 Samuel 15:24-25). He asked for Samuel’s pardon, but what of the LORD’s forgiveness?

Saul promoted sacrifice above genuine repentance. “Then he said, ‘I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.’ So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:30-31 New King James Version).  That was not genuine repentance. He was only interested in looking good before men.

Initially, he lied to Samuel that he had obeyed the LORD (1 Samuel 15:13). It was after Samuel asked him about the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen he was hearing (verse 14) that he admitted that he had not obeyed God completely.  He didn’t admit his sin unlike David when the prophet Nathan confronted him with his sin with regard to Bathsheba and Uriah.

David said he had sinned before the LORD and the prophet Nathan immediately said the LORD also had put away his sin  and he would not die (2 Samuel 12:13). That was genuine repentance – no lie. In Saul’s case, Samuel didn’t say the LORD had forgiven him, apparently because he hadn’t repented genuinely. He only wanted to worship the LORD. Imagine! Worship God that he had disobeyed. David said in Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise” (New Living Translation).

In 1 Kings 21:27-29, after Ahab had heard the judgment of God over him and his house, the Bible says he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, lay in sackcloth and went about mourning, which touched the heart of God and he exempted him from the promised disaster (verses 28-29).  The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18). Admit your sins.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (New King James Version). Don’t keep your sins secret. Bible in Basic English renders Proverbs 28:13 thus: “He who keeps his sins secret will not do well; but one who is open about them, and gives them up, will get mercy.”

If you’ve covered your sin before as a child of God, you’ll notice that you lost your peace and joy but when you confessed it, your joy was restored though each time you remember the incident you still feel bad. Godly sorrow works repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Do not trivialize sin. Don’t cover up your sin – confess to men where necessary.  Covering your sin is one sure way to give the devil an inroad into your life and torment you with guilt and loss of peace and joy. Confess and put the devil to shame!  Admit your sins.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.

PRAYER POINTS:  Father, I repent and confess my sins before to You. I shall not cover my sins.  I receive the grace to confess to men where necessary. No more concealment or denial of my sins again in Jesus’ name. By the power in the blood of Jesus, I have victory over sin. I am no longer a slave to sin. Sin shall not have dominion over me.

(For over 300 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org