Confession and Restitution
There are two important actions to take when we realize we are guilty of a sin. We must confess the sin to God very specifically and sincerely, as well as making restitution to anyone we have hurt by that sin.(Numbers 5:6,7) Both are essential to cleansing and restoration.
I John 1:9 is very clear about confession of sins and the cleansing that follows. The word confession means to "say the same thing." That means we say to God what He would say about the sin to show how sincere we are in our desire to turn from it and to be cleansed. Anything less is not true confession.
Then, restitution reminds us that most sins affect other people. That means we must restore what was taken and even add one-fifth to it. Of course, sometimes we have not taken anything material from another person, but we have still hurt them. We must seek to restore the relationship which has been broken by being willing to go the extra mile to show the other person our repentance. Our purpose should be to have a better relationship than before we sinned against them.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 6-9.
I John 1:9 is very clear about confession of sins and the cleansing that follows. The word confession means to "say the same thing." That means we say to God what He would say about the sin to show how sincere we are in our desire to turn from it and to be cleansed. Anything less is not true confession.
Then, restitution reminds us that most sins affect other people. That means we must restore what was taken and even add one-fifth to it. Of course, sometimes we have not taken anything material from another person, but we have still hurt them. We must seek to restore the relationship which has been broken by being willing to go the extra mile to show the other person our repentance. Our purpose should be to have a better relationship than before we sinned against them.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 6-9.