We recently went on vacation for a week. When we got home we unloaded the luggage, groceries, and other items we took with us, or brought back. Even though we removed everything from the car, it was still filthy. It had bird droppings, water spots, mud, dirt, sand, and even trash still inside.
We are the same way. We can stop smoking, drinking, cussing, looking at pornography, talking ugly, being rude and disrespectful, arguing with your spouse or boyfriend, being dishonest and untruthful, but until we confess these wrongs and ask for forgiveness we are still filthy. Yes, we have by all appearances cleaned up our life and made room for some more good qualities, but we are still filthy, we are dirty inside and out. The residue of our travel in this world still weighs heavy on our heart and soul. We are still caked in it, we still smell like it, and we look awful. We may look better, but we are not clean.
Until we remove ourselves from the distractions of this world, enter our prayer closet, and fall before the Most Holy God and confess the errors of our ways, we are unclean and intolerable in His sight. But, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) He alone can clean you up. He alone can remove all traces of filth you have been wallowing in. He alone can and will remove any guilt and shame of your past. He alone will forgive and forget.
He longs for a pure, holy, and intimate fellowship with His creation; His creation that was made in His very own image; His creation that was made to fellowship, worship, and praise the Creator; His creation that was designed to rule over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all the creepy things on the ground. You are His pride and joy, the delight of His heart, and like earthly parents who long to see you succeed in life, He longs for you to be pure and holy.
When earthly parents weep and mourn over the error of your ways, God also weeps and mourns. He made us pure and holy and nothing is more heart breaking than to see His pride and joy falling for the lies and deceits of this world, tossed around by the deception of “the good life,” or carried away by the filthy lustful pleasures this world claims is your right and privilege. O how His heart aches and mourns for His creation. O how He longs for the pure, undefiled fellowship He once had.
O sinner, O believer, come into the Holy and Mighty presence of the Lord God almighty, fall at His feet in anguish and sorrow at the path of life you have wandered down. Lay prostrate at His feet and moan at the wretched state of your heart and mind. Repeat the anguished words of Paul as he cried, “What a wretched man I am. Who can save me from this body of death?” O sinner, O believer, confess your heart, confess your thoughts, confess your speech, your actions, and lay them at His feet.
We are the same way. We can stop smoking, drinking, cussing, looking at pornography, talking ugly, being rude and disrespectful, arguing with your spouse or boyfriend, being dishonest and untruthful, but until we confess these wrongs and ask for forgiveness we are still filthy. Yes, we have by all appearances cleaned up our life and made room for some more good qualities, but we are still filthy, we are dirty inside and out. The residue of our travel in this world still weighs heavy on our heart and soul. We are still caked in it, we still smell like it, and we look awful. We may look better, but we are not clean.
Until we remove ourselves from the distractions of this world, enter our prayer closet, and fall before the Most Holy God and confess the errors of our ways, we are unclean and intolerable in His sight. But, “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) He alone can clean you up. He alone can remove all traces of filth you have been wallowing in. He alone can and will remove any guilt and shame of your past. He alone will forgive and forget.
He longs for a pure, holy, and intimate fellowship with His creation; His creation that was made in His very own image; His creation that was made to fellowship, worship, and praise the Creator; His creation that was designed to rule over the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all the creepy things on the ground. You are His pride and joy, the delight of His heart, and like earthly parents who long to see you succeed in life, He longs for you to be pure and holy.
When earthly parents weep and mourn over the error of your ways, God also weeps and mourns. He made us pure and holy and nothing is more heart breaking than to see His pride and joy falling for the lies and deceits of this world, tossed around by the deception of “the good life,” or carried away by the filthy lustful pleasures this world claims is your right and privilege. O how His heart aches and mourns for His creation. O how He longs for the pure, undefiled fellowship He once had.
O sinner, O believer, come into the Holy and Mighty presence of the Lord God almighty, fall at His feet in anguish and sorrow at the path of life you have wandered down. Lay prostrate at His feet and moan at the wretched state of your heart and mind. Repeat the anguished words of Paul as he cried, “What a wretched man I am. Who can save me from this body of death?” O sinner, O believer, confess your heart, confess your thoughts, confess your speech, your actions, and lay them at His feet.
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