The Power of Forgiveness and Spiritual Growth
As believers, we often struggle to comprehend the depth of God’s forgiveness and its impact on our daily lives. Yet, the Bible clearly states that Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, making us perfect in God’s sight (Hebrews 10:12-14). This means that every sin we’ve committed or will commit is forgiven the moment we receive Christ. What a reason to rejoice!
The Importance of Confession
But why, then, do we need to confess our sins if they’re already forgiven? The answer lies in obedience and faith. Confession is an act of demonstrating our faith and making real in our experience what is already true from God’s perspective. Through Christ’s sacrifice, God sees us as righteous and perfect, and our lives on earth are spent maturing into what we already are in His sight.
The Maturing Process
This maturing process is accelerated through faithful study of God’s Word, prayer, witnessing for Christ, and spiritual breathing. Spiritual breathing involves exhaling through confession and inhaling by appropriating the fullness of God’s Holy Spirit by faith. When we retake control of our lives through sin, we need to breathe spiritually. First, we exhale by confessing our sins, knowing that God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9). Next, we inhale by trusting Him to control and empower us by faith, according to His command to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).
Today’s Action Point
Today, take time to study God’s Word, pray, and invite the Holy Spirit to lead you to someone whose heart is prepared to receive Christ. Practice spiritual breathing whenever you sense attitudes, actions, or desires that are contrary to God’s will. Confess them and, by faith, inhale the fullness and power of God’s Holy Spirit. By doing so, you’ll experience the joy and freedom that comes from living a life perfected in His sight.
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