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Show CONFESSION OF SIN "And they stood in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and God one worshipped the Lord their God." (Nehemiah 9: 3) There is a strange connection between the book of Nehemiah and the New Testament book of First John. This text example of one passage with direct connections. Notice how verse 3 of is an chapter nine the of Nehemiah is same as verse chapter one essentially eight and nine of of First John. First John sins, he is forgive us our sins, says, "If we confess faithful and just to and to cleanse us our from all 1 unrighteousness." The book of Nehemiah chapter 9 says, if we read the Word of God we sinners and will will come Confession is a see that we are to confess our sins. strong word meaning agree with God's Word and do not offer excuses or attempt to rationalize that we wrong behavior and actions. Furthermore, confession is an act of our praising God, acknowledging his intrinsic value, giving due recognition to Him in an worship. act of thankfulness and It is our way of accepting the fact that God and God alone is able to forgive our transgressions and cleanse us of our iniquities. We pray tribute to His divine personality and recognition to the majesty of His being as He alone 2 removes the guilt of everyone of our sins. psalmist declares his intention to open himself fully before God in Psalm 32: 5: "I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity 1 did not hide. 1 said, 1 will confess my transgressions tot he Lord, that you forgive me the guilt and iniquity of my sin." Ezra finishes his The confession of sin in Ezra 10: 1 : "Now prayed and made confession weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there gathered to him a very great assembly ". Daniel stood boldly in the presence of God naked in Daniel 9: 4 and 20: "And 1 prayed tot he while Ezra ... ... Lord my God and made confession While 1 was ... praying, speaking and confession my sin and the sin of 3 my people IsraeL." Romans 1 0: 9 reminds us of the results of confession: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, be saved." Titus 1: 16 shows you will one pressing to know God: "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." Notice first that the people stood where they were suppose to stand and read the Word of God for 114 ofa day. Can you imagine reading the Word of +knzQ. God for SIX hours a day? They were not in a hurry. It does not say how much they read but how long they read. Maybe they read short passages but maybe they read long passages. Which ever is the - - - 4 case, they read for six out of 24 hours. Then for another 114 of the people day, the fell before God in confession of their sin. I know something F or sometimes when I have about this. sinned, I have.felt empty and powerless. When I called on God I felt as if He was not listening. I had to keep of calling and calling. I had to fall on my face before Him and yield myself to Him. Like David, I cried: "Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to Your steadfast love: according to the multitude of Your loving-kindness blot our my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly tender mercy and pure from my sin! For I 5 am conscious transgression and I acknowledge them: my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, of my have I sinned and done that which is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and faultless in Your judgment. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, .. wash me snow. and I shall be whiter than Make gladness me to hear joy and satisfied; let the bones which You have broken rejoice. and be Hide Your face form my sins and blot out all my guilt and iniquities. Create in a me a clean heart, 0 God, and right, preserving, within me. Cast renew and steadfast me spirit not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me 6 the joy of Your salvation and uphold willing spirit.." Then the people worship the Lord their God. N one but the righteous shall see God. You cannot worship God with an unclean heart. Worship Him in Spirit me with a and in Truth. He will bless you will soul saving revival. When we walk down our dirty the mind, the eyes, the ears, the feet and the hands, Jesus is sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. When we acknowledge that we have fallen short of God's glory, His word sill wash worldly streets that . us and make us whole. Noah started a one" man revival. It,.; .. r o {"'t#( \} u.I Elij ah took on evil and turned the world upside down. Peter confessed and 3000 souls responded to his sermon. t"d • \ 1V\c:t itl vJJ -IItJA_ S(f.LtM' '1 tJ.wta, h-4U,.. +,.. M u ,.. ,r lie (J ".F( ....... eo" i1r 7+I'df, t-f'7'6;!) 7 |
