Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

them. Therefore, God has planned an escape hatch - for His sinning children. "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our - sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I
Jn. 1:9).
A bumper sticker on cars announces "Christians are not perfect, just forgiven." That
motto needs to be taken from our cars and applied to our hearts.
Does confession mean we constantly walk around confessing our sins to God? A
conscientious student at college had an overriding guilt complex. He constantly confessed his
inadequacies. Every time he handed in a paper to the teacher, he went and apologized for not
doing a better job. When talking with friends, he apologized for standing in their way, talking
too long or not talking at all. His friends began to shun him. He didn't understand the New
Testament word confession. It means more than just to say, "I'm sorry!" In the original language,
it means to "say the same thing." To confess is to call the sin the same thing that God calls it.
God did not deal with sin by words but with action. He gave His Son to die a vicarious
death for sinners. We must deal with sin just as severely as God.
First we must recognize sin for what it is; it condemns us. When Achan disobeyed God,
he was stoned. When Moses' sister became jealous, God sent leprosy upon her. When Ananias
and Sapphira lied, God struck them dead. You should hate sin just as much as God does. So a
light confession is not enough.
Second, God applied the blood to sin. There was no other way to cleanse the spot. Since
the blood was applied at one moment in history when Christ died, you must do the same. Don't
think about your sin or feel guilty about its consequences. Do something. Immediately apply the
cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. "Father, forgive me for my sin and cleanse me by the blood."
Third, keep short accounts with God. Since sin breaks fellowship, get back on speaking
terms with God quickly by confessing your sin. "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper"
(Prov. 28:13). A little boy stole watermelons from his father's patch and went down to the creek
to eat them. He always buried the rind and seeds in the swamp dirt.
"Someone's been stealing my watermelons," the father said to the son. He asked the boy
if he knew anything about it. The boy said no. Later the father and son went fishing by the creek
where they saw watermelon vines growing out of the soft dirt.
"How did these watermelon vines get here?" the father asked. Conviction struck the son's
heart and he confessed. The Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:23).
The fourth step calls for public action. Sometimes private confession of sin is not
enough. The Bible commands that we 'confess our sins, but it doesn't say to whom. Sometimes,
but not always, we must confess to others. "Confess your faults one to another" (James 5:16).
Some Christians have taken this verse out of context and ruined their lives. A pastor confessed
desires of homosexuality, even though he hadn't committed the act. His confession ultimately
led to a church split. Five years later, the spiritual scars were not healed in that town.
Indiscriminate confession can destroy a person’s testimony, get him fired or cause others to lose