If We Confess

Governor Neff, of Texas, visited the penitentiary of that state and spoke to the assembled convicts. When he had finished he said that he would remain behind, and that if any man wanted to speak with him, he would gladly listen. He further announced that he would listen in confidence, and that nothing a man might say would be used against him.

When the meeting was over a large group of men remained, many of them life-termers. One by one they passed by, each telling the governor that there had been a frame-up, an injustice, a judicial blunder, and each asking that he be freed. Finally one man came up and said, "Mr. Governor, I just want to say that I am guilty. I did what they sent me here for. But I believe I have paid for it, and if I were granted the right to go out, I would do everything I could to be a good citizen and prove myself worthy of your mercy."

This, of course, was the man whom the governor pardoned. So must it be with God, who alone can pardon. The one difference is that we cannot say that we have paid for any of it. We can come and say, "O God, I just want to say that I am guilty. I am a sinner, a rebel against Thy power and Thy justice. But I believe that Jesus Christ paid for my sin, and if, in Thy mercy, Thou wilt take me out of darkness into light, I will live as one who is alive from the dead."

This, of course, is the man whom God pardons. Anyone who would attempt to stand before God and make a pica of self-righteousness would hear words of sternest condemnation. One thing that God cannot stand is man's justification of himself, or man's measurement of himself in terms of his relationship with other lost sinners. The greatest insult that a human being can offer God is the thought that human character, human righteousness, or human efforts can fit any man for eternal fellowship with a holy God in a pure Heaven. Such an idea denies both the sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God, and constitutes the surest proof of the depravity and uncomprehending mind of the carnal being who is enmity against the God of righteousness and true holiness. The sinner who comes to God must come as a sinner; only then can he see his God as the Savior, and only then can he see himself as a pardoned sinner. So it is with us; we shall never be anything more than pardoned sinners. Yea, though we claim for ourselves all of the marvelous titles that are rightfully ours as redeemed ones, we shall never be anything else than redeemed ones. Sons of God, heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ, priests and kings, all these things we are; sitting on the throne of Christ with Him in glory, judging the world and judging angels, all of these we shall do. Perfect, holy, righteous; these things we are in position and one day we shall be in actuality. But nevertheless, we shall never be more than pardoned sinners. Our song in heaven will be, "Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins. . . ." Or else we shall sing, "Thou art worthy . . . for Thou has redeemed us . .."

These are the words that will cling to us for eternity. Washed . . . redeemed . . . The detail of the picture shall fade from our memories and we shall not blush with horror as we do now when we look back upon some of the things that we have done, dishonoring God. But we shall always remember that we were sinners.

Lucifer was filled with pride because of his power and beauty. He had no standard of past depths from which he could view the glorious heights of God. The highlights of holiness were not enhanced against the black shadow of a guilty past. So he was lifted up in pride and wanted to usurp the very place of God. None of us will ever fall into that trap when we have passed out of this world into the light of Heaven. Though we shall be like our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall still know that we were sinners, that we are redeemed, and this minor chord, together with the major chords of His eternal victory, shall make up the eternal symphonies of Heaven.

A few years ago I heard of a man who had a gold-plated safety pin attached to one end of his watch chain. As he was frequently seen fingering it, someone asked him the meaning of the symbol. He told how he had run away from a fine home and had gone down to the dregs of sin. He had sold his overcoat for money to buy liquor, and on a cold winter night he had his coat pinned together with that safety pin. He walked into a mission to get warm, and there the Lord Jesus found him and saved him.

Life, after that, brought many successes and a wealthy material position. But the feel of that pin forever robbed him of any thoughts of pride. He knew that all of the merit was in the grace of Christ. He could remember the climax of what he had been able to do in his own strength, and he knew what the redemptive grace of Christ had done. He would not forget.

So, even in Heaven, we shall have the feel of redemption to remind us that we are what we are by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. In spite of the wonder of our high titles and position, we shall always know that we are washed . . . redeemed . . . And His will be all of the glory

1. If we are blinded by our own sinfulness and deceit, how are we able to come to the Father and admit our short-comings and disobedience?
2. What if there are sins that we are unaware of and we therefore are not repentant of them? Will we be forgiven of those to?
3. How is repentance evidence that Christ is making us more like himself?
4. Is repentance a once and done thing? Why or why not?