“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1st John 1:9)
The inverse of this stands as truth also, if we do not confess our sins, we will not be forgiven of them, and it stands in as much truth to others as to ourselves. “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:26)
But I speak on a different aspect of these truths today, one that should concern all of us, and I believe is as much a truth as our opening verses. We confess our sins, we are indeed forgiven, but there are still consequences for our actions, for those sins that we committed. If you commit adultery, your spouse and the Lord may both forgive you, but that level of trust that you had before may be difficult, even impossible to ever attain again.
It is trust then that we speak about today, we are forgiven when we repent, and even though the Lord is Omniscient, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” (Isaiah 46:10) the level of responsibility that you had before that sin may not be entrusted to you again, not because the Lord is testing you, but because your witness in the community, the church, even your family has been damaged.
You have dishonored the name of the Lord, but even as David was forgiven in his sin with Bathsheba, the child died. Even as he was forgiven in taking a census of the people, thousands died.
My friends, even when we confess our sins, even after we repent and offer up to the Lord a broken and contrite heart. There are still consequences to be answered for by our actions. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Gal. 5:13)
We come to the throne of God in a different manner when we have sinned, when we finally come to our senses, we humble ourselves greatly, asking as an errant child to be forgiven. And forgive He does, but it may be much time before we feel worthy to come to His throne boldly.
When we are forgiven, we must accept that forgiveness, we must forgive ourselves, but we must also be prepared to suffer the consequences of our actions against Him whom we love above all others. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev. 3:19)
I plead with you to consider these truths before you fall into that next temptation. Do not do so with the knowledge of the truth that you will be forgiven but not allowed to suffer the consequences of your actions.
Recall the servant of the Lord Moses, and how the Lord was going to kill him for his transgression, the consequences of his actions awaited him, as they will you and me.
Will we sin? Of course, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1st John 1:8) Can we be forgiven? Every time. Will there be consequences for that sin? I do not know a time in the Scriptures when there was not.
It is a difficult road we walk, full of pitfalls and hazards, but the path leads to streets of gold.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jer. 29:11)
