I don’t believe there is any greater gift Jesus could give us than forgiveness. It is as simple as asking Jesus to forgive me. Jesus’ death on the cross was all about paying the price for our sins so we could be forgiven. When we confess our sins to the Lord and trust Jesus we are forgiven, and we are on a path to heaven itself. Just take a minute to meditate on that!
1 John 1:9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.[1] As people we need to keep our physical bodies clean to stay healthy. To keep our spirit clean and healthy we need to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. I like the word cleanse in 1 John 1:9 which is symbolic of a spiritual cleaning.
What if Achan Would have Asked to be Forgiven?
Joshua 7:19 Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don’t hide it from me.” 20 Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 Among the plunder I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper than the rest.” [2]
Although Achan confessed what he did, he never asked to be forgiven and was stoned along with his entire family.
We can Ask Jesus to Forgive Us
1 Peter 2:24 gives us insight into the healing that can take place through confession and forgiveness. Jesus personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. [3]
When Jesus died on the cross all our sins were placed upon Him. Because of what Jesus did we can be forgiven, cleansed, and healed. Is there sin in your life that is dragging you down? Asking Jesus to forgive is the way to begin. Take your sins to the cross of Jesus confessing them and asking Him to forgive you. When we do, we go through a healing process.
Sins are like wounds, but they can be healed as we confess them and receive forgiveness. The next step is really the exiting part. We can begin to live for what is right and that is what spiritual transformation is all about. We can be transformed into a new person that desires and works toward building the Kingdom of God. How wonderful!
To learn more about asking Jesus to forgive, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/seeking-the-lord-changes-my-life-joshua
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.