"But Christ gave Himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time, and then sat down at the place of highest honor at God's right hand, waiting for His enemies to be laid under His feet. For by that one offering He made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom He is making Holy" (Hebrews 10:12-14).
All the sins you and I have ever committed or ever shall commit - past, present and future - are forgiven the moment we receive Christ, according to God's Word. Think of it and rejoice!
Then you may rightly ask, "If all of my sins - past, present and future - are forgiven, why do I need to confess my sins?"
According to God's Word, confession is an act of obedience and an expression or demonstration of faith that makes real in our experience what is already true concerning us from God's point of view.
Through the sacrifice of Christ, He sees us as righteous and perfect. The rest of our lives on earth are spent maturing and becoming in our experience what we already are in God's sight.
This maturing process is accelerated through the faithful study of God's Word, prayer, witnessing for Christ, and spiritual breathing - exhaling through confessing our sins and inhaling by appropriating the fullness of God's Holy Spirit by faith.
If you retake the throne, the control center, of your life through sin (a deliberate act of disobedience) breath spiritually. First, exhale by confession. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, KJV).
Next, inhale by appropriating the fullness of God's Spirit by faith. Trust Him now to control and empower you by faith according to His command to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
Today's Action Point
Today I will study God's Word, pray and invite the Holy Spirit to lead me to someone whose heart He has prepared to receive Christ. Also, I will practice spiritual breathing whenever any attitude, action, motive or desire that is contrary to God's will short-circuits God's power in my life. I will confess it and by faith inhale by appropriating the fullness and power of God's Holy Spirit.
