CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

You must set your will to have a pure, undivided heart.
You must set your will to have a right attitude toward every person, including the Lord God.
You can confess your sins for hours on end before God, but confession is not complete unless it is coupled with forgiveness.

So you see, one is not complete without the other.

After confession and forgiveness, you must go one step further and receive the provisions God has granted you through His Word, such as healing, peace and prosperity.
Many people confess and forgive, but they make the mistake of not receiving God's special promises because they feel unworthy.

This is a false concept.
God's promises are a special gift to you.

1. Learn to be a good receiver.
Receiving means to acquire or take something offered or given.
Receiving requires action on your part.

2. Quote God's promises aloud and accept them by faith, not relying on your feelings or emotions.
Through this process of confession and forgiveness you are restored to fellowship.

3. Praise the Lord for His blood which ransoms you and pays your debt.
Now let's discuss both confession and forgiveness separately:

CONFESSION

Isaiah 59:1, 2
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear.
But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear."

Did you notice that iniquities can cause your prayers to go unheard?

Confession must take place before you enter into intercession or petition so that your prayers are pleasing to God's ears.
You cannot be purified in your own power and strength.
But God provides the Holy Spirit to shine on your sins so you can confess them.

During your prayer time, pause and ask the Holy Spirit if there is any matter that needs to be confessed.
Then respond to Him with your answer.

Psalm 26:2, 3
"Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my mind and my heart.
For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth."

Once an area of darkness has been brought to the light of God's Word and repented of, don't look back.
When a sin has been dealt with, know that the power of Jesus' blood covers it and the Lord refuses to remember it.
Don't try to bring up past sins that have already been covered by the blood.
The Lord has buried them in the depths of the sea and they are forgotten.

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Galatians 5:1
"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."

1 John 1:6, 7
"If we say that we fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

Micah 7:19
"He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot.
Yes, Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

Be aware of Satan's tactics to bring you into condemnation or guilt by reminding you of past sins.
Through introspection, he desires that you keep your mind centered on yourself and away from praying, praising and pulling down his strongholds.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6
"For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete."

We must choose to let God's peace guard our hearts and minds daily through Jesus Christ to prevent this struggle.
If our hearts condemn us, then we cannot ask in faith.
We are double minded and cannot pray in confidence.

James 1:6
"But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing.
For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed."

Philippians 4:6, 7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When confessing your sins, know that you need not have an emotional experience to be forgiven.

First ask; then accept by faith in God's Word that He will do exactly as He says...that He is "faithful and just" to forgive you.

FORGIVENESS

Unforgiveness breaks your full communication with the Lord.
It desensitizes you to spiritual things.

When you ask forgiveness for yourself and those who have sinned against you, you will be set free and able to walk in right relationship with God and man.
Forgiveness also frees the other person, or changes the circumstances that are causing the problem.
It allows the Holy Spirit to do His job, which is to bring conviction about the sin so righteousness can be restored.

If you are having a problem forgiving someone, determine to obey God's Word and refuse to be guided by your feelings.
Do not let pride keep you from having a right relationship with God.
Lay down your hurts, self-righteous attitude and hostilities.
Forgive the person who has wronged you, no matter how unjust the offense may be.
You will then experience a release in your spirit, and your feelings will begin to follow.
Your fellowship with the Lord will then be restored.

Matthew 6:14, 15
"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

I have discovered that most people find it fairly easy to forgive others, very difficult to forgive God, and almost impossible to forgive themselves.

Total forgiveness, however, is essential to your effective praying!

Make a decision every morning that you will walk in forgiveness throughout the day.
Do not wait until you get into a confrontation and then try to forgive the person who has wronged you.

Choose to forgive others as God has forgiven you, and do it at the time of the offense, just as Jesus did.

Luke 23:34
"And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And parting His clothing, they cast lots."

Forgiveness in itself is not enough; you must also repent.
To repent is to feel such regret or remorse that you turn away from your thoughts or actions and release others from any bondage you or they hold.
Unless this is done, you will never be free.
Forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand.

Proverbs 28:13
"He who covers his sins shall not be blessed; but whoever confesses and leaves them shall have mercy."

When we say that we have forgiven, but we are still holding on to wrong attitudes, we rebel against God.

Often the cause of a person's physical or emotional weakness can be traced to unforgiveness and un-repentance.
This does not mean all suffering from ailments is because of unforgiveness.
But forgiveness and repentance can release the healing power of God in you and in others.

Forgiveness, like confession, does not have to be an emotional experience.
It is simply an "act of your will," responding to the Word of God by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Once you have forgiven others or God or yourself, know that the Lord is faithful and righteous to forgive you of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do not depend on your own understanding; trust the Lord, for His Word is true.

If your mind's attention is repeatedly drawn in a negative way to a person you have chosen to forgive, take authority over your thoughts.
Command your mind, in Jesus' name, to dwell on thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8, 9
"Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.
Do those things which you have also learned and received and heard and seen in me. And the God of peace shall be with you."

1. Order the enemy to be silent, and cut off the power to your old memory circuits by refusing to listen to the devil's voice.
2. Change direction by believing what God's Word says.
3. It is helpful to quote Scripture verses aloud until you have the victory.
4. You can also begin to thank the Lord for the positive qualities He has placed in that person and in the situation.

Pray God's blessing upon these positive areas.


  Dale Boehs

11.15.2008