Welcome to this week's posting of the sermon. I hope that everyone has had a very good week, and I hope that everyone is in good health.
Today, we will continue with sermons that are taken from some of my favorite verses and passages in the Bible. I just want to remind everyone that starting on October 1 and going each day through October 31, I will be posting 31 Days in Proverbs. After that we will have a few more favorite verses sermons before the Advent season is upon us.
The verse that I would like us to focus our attention on today is I John 1:9 that states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
I don't know about you, but I am far from perfect. I try my best to live according to the commandments and teachings of Jesus, but there are times when I fail to do the things that I am called to do by the Lord Jesus. Sometimes I say something hurtful to someone, or I get angry. At times, I believe all of us fall into some type of sin. It should be our aim and goal to become more and more like Jesus each day, but it is a difficult process.
Just because we have received Jesus as Savior and Lord doesn't mean that we have arrived at spiritual perfection. Growing in grace is a process.
When Jesus comes into our lives when we receive Him initially, He forgives us of our sins and we receive the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. The Bible says that our sins are removed from us as far as the east is from the west.
After becoming a Christian, we can fall into sin and fall out of a proper relationship with the Lord. We still belong to Him, but our relationship with Him is hindered. It is not all that it is supposed to be.
I John 1:9 lets me know that even when I commit a sin after becoming a Christian, I can receive the ongoing forgiveness of the Lord. This verse tells me that I need to confess whatever sin that I have committed to the Lord. I believe that it is important for us to confess our sins to the Lord as soon as we are made aware of them by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When we know that we have done something that is not pleasing to the Lord, we need to confess that sin. We need to ask forgiveness, and we need to ask the Lord to empower us by His Spirit so that we might walk in the path of righteousness and holiness.
This verse tells us that when we truly confess our sins, the Lord forgives us, and He cleanses us. He doesn't withhold His love and forgiveness. We are cleansed, and we are restored to fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
I believe that it is important for churches to have a time of confession of sin during the service. This is a chance to remind people to come to terms with what is wrong in their walk with the Lord and put it right. I John 1:9 is often used as an assurance of pardon after the public prayer of confession so that people know that they have been forgiven, and the Lord still loves us and wants to be in fellowship with us.
If some sin in your life is hindering your fellowship with the Lord and your spiritual growth, confess your sin to the Lord and allow Him to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Pray that vaccines with reach those who want to take them. Pray for those who are sick that they may recover.
Continue to pray for Afghanistan during the difficult time that the people are facing in that nation.
Pray for peace. Let us focus our prayers for peace this week on Syria and Chad.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those who live in Sudan and Turkey. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue in our current series with the sermon. I will post the verses on Monday. I hope to have a book review midweek. May God bless you all.
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