Read: Romans 3:9-31
Think: Romans 3:20, 23-24 explains, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. . . . For everyone has sinned; we all for short of God’s glorious standard. Yet, God with underserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.” Most of us tend not to talk about sin. Why? It is uncomfortable to talk about shameful things. It produces guilt. Sin exposes weakness, which most of us prefer to hide! Without acknowledging sin, we remain in a prideful, sinful, self-righteous state of mind. Only God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are righteous. But this fact—that all of us are sinners—should give us great relief! Because what do all sinners need? We need a Savior. Romans 3:26 reminds us of this Good News that God, “…declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus.”
Act: During my travels to 23 college campuses across America in 40 consecutive days, I experienced a phenomenon called “confession sessions.” I never intended to travel to these campuses to take the confession of students (for hours after each meeting), but that is what happened. Instead of becoming a facilitator of 24 hour prayer rooms where Christian students might pray for revival in our nation, I ended up praying for Christian students to receive forgiveness for their hidden, overwhelming, shameful sins. Many, many students were stuck in an addiction to a substance or to an immoral habit that had made them slaves. They were paralyzed and stuck in a “sin” cycle. And they didn’t know how to get out of their pain or shame. I was sent, I believe, to remind them that they could be set free from the penalty of their sin by admitting their sin, confessing their sin and asking God to forgive them, free them, cleanse them, and give them power to turn (run) from it. Most importantly, I reminded them that this “confession session” must be a life-long, daily habit. Does anything come to mind that you must confess to God as sin? Quickly do so.
Pray: Dear Lord, show me any area of my life in which I am stuck in a “sin” cycle. Show me what I need to let go of that is keeping me from fulling surrendering my life to You. Give me to courage to confess any known sin to You (and perhaps another) today so that I might become clean. I love You. Amen.
Be full of faith today!
