In biblical days, in order to approach God, you had to do it by way of a priest. This priest would then offer a sacrifice to God on your behalf. As I thought about that, this morning, I became exceedingly glad for the sacrifice of Jesus. It was His death, on the cross, that tore the temple into two; forever removing the divide between man and God. It is because of His sacrifice, we can now go to God ourselves. Due to all Jesus had to endure, we can now ask for forgiveness and receive it. Just think for a minute on how your life would be if the only option you had for forgiveness was confessing to a priest, who would then have to go to God on your behalf. Baby, most of us would be the raggedy mess we attempt to hide on a daily basis. We’d be the scars, our makeup and clothes try to cover. Our outer appearance will be the inward mess of addictions, abuse, bitterness and anger we tend to hide. Our lives would be the jacked up mess, it should be, if it wasn’t for the ability to confess our own transgressions and then be forgiven.
This should make you, as a believer, thankful for the ability to ask for forgiveness of your sins in private. Chile, if we had to go to the church for forgiveness, most of us would not go. Some of us are still hung up on whether the pastor is a male or female and not if they can get a prayer through. And, if I shall tell the truth, most of us wouldn’t go because this would mean folk will find out about your secret fetishes. Folk will know about your hidden addictions. Folk will find out you’re really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Folk will know you aren’t really as saved as you portray. Folk will know you still lie, a lot. Folk will find out about the lusting you do while in worship and folk will know you aren’t, really, all that. In other words, folk would see the real you. Yes, we all have skeletons but it is one thing to have them and an entirely different thing to reveal them. Yet, thanks be to God and the sacrifice of His son, Jesus, we can, as David says in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Confess your faults while they can still be forgiven.
Lakisha, the Author 