TODAY’S PROPHETIC WORD

Your forgiveness was complete at the cross. You don’t have to re-earn it after every human failure. Instead, remind yourself that I love you and sacrificed all for you. Remind Me of your love and devotion toward Me, your Savior. 

TRUE CONFESSION

Do you understand what confession is? It is not a ritual of listing your sins to a priest or even to God. Confession is when you verbalize your heart to Him.

What that looks like before you’re saved, is you confess your sins to the Lord and you say, “Lord this is my heart, the good and the bad. I’m giving it to You.” After you’re saved, what you confess over and over again is your love toward the Father and the Father’s love toward you. 

Hear me say this: by continuing in confession to the Lord, you’re not trying to get re-saved over, and over again. You’re building intimacy with Him by being transparent with all of your heart – not just the ugly parts that need forgiving, which He already has – you’re confessing your hopes and dreams too.

Jesus loves transparency. While He walked this earth, He was so transparent with those around Him as well as the Father. Just think about the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His arrest. 

Here, Jesus knows exactly what the next 24 hours will bring. Knowing His purpose for leaving Heaven is to be brutally murdered in our stead He tells the disciples “My heart is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” How’s that for confession?

Then He cries out to the Father and confesses exactly what is in His breaking heart:

 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” – Matthew 36-29

Being fully man, Jesus was confessing His fear. Twice He asked the Father if there was any other way. Then He confessed His love for us by saying He would drink the cup of our suffering because it was the Father’s heart to rescue us. 

Amazing! Jesus just lays His heart out there and confesses what’s in it – no shame or embarrassment, no hidden agenda or manipulation. That’s confession. That’s moving closer not only to the Father but to His brothers on earth.

If you’re still confessing your list of sins like your eternal life depends on it, it doesn’t. Confess your heart – your whole heart to the Only One who is worthy to hear it.

FROM MY SERMON SERIES FIRST THINGS