Aim for Perfection pt 5
1 John 1:9 promised that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. How does God purify us from unrighteousness?
We already know that we have been purified legally – we are no longer guilty of our crimes against God – and we have been purified relationally – sin is no longer a barrier between God and us. The purification (cleansing) referred to in this verse is the final step in the process: effectual purification. This is the work that God does in getting sin out of our lives completely. It is the process of refinement that He is undertaking in every Christian in order to present us as a pure Bride (see Ephesians 5:25-27).
Remember we are purified legally once for all as believers in Jesus. We are purified relationally as soon as we confess our sin to God. We are purified effectually as we allow God through His Spirit to change us from the inside out.
In Psalm 51 we hear David’s confession to God for his sins of adultery and murder. It’s a great example of confession that I have personally found useful to use as my own prayer to God. In verse 10-13 he says: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.”
We don’t become more holy by our own efforts, but by allowing God to make us holy. He is the One who creates a clean heart (desires & attitudes) within us through His indwelling Spirit. As Paul writes in Romans 7&8, our own efforts are never enough. It is the Spirit who frees us from condemnation and transforms us to be more like Jesus.
Confession of our sin restores our relationship with God and puts us in a position where He can cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Posts
