A younger person once said to me, “It must be a lot easier to be a Christian as you get older.” I nearly laughed out loud. MacArthur has a good answer to that comment: “As you mature in Christ, the frequency of your sinning decreases, but your sensitivity to it increases. That doesn’t mean you are more easily tempted, but that you are more aware of the subtleties of sin and how it dishonors God.”
More aware, more concerned, more feeling helpless partly because of age, but mostly because I feel helpless without total dependence on the Lord. Saying no to sin is only part of it; saying yes to God adds another challenge.
No, it is not easier, but my relationship with Jesus is deeper with more knowledge of Him, richer understanding of His ways and His love for me, greater consistency in prayer and a deeper desire to drop all worldly things to serve Him, even in the helplessness that I feel. There is also a richer understanding of forgiveness; I stand in need of it more often, not because I sin more often, but am more deeply aware of it when I do.
Jesus teaches us to ask Him: “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Forgiveness goes to me and from me. Because Jesus died for me, I am forgiven. Because Jesus died for all, I can forgive as He does.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8–10)
This is not about salvation but an identifier: it tells how to distinguish believers from unbelievers: believers confess their sins; unbelievers don’t. No rationalization. No excuses. No fudging, hedging, or blame-shifting. The sense of grieving the Spirit of God is too great. I want to please Him, not make Him sad. I want my joy back too, for it flies away when I’m aware of my sin. Jesus calls it a debt because I’ve violated God’s holiness and said no to Him in some way. I own Him better than that. This isn’t about losing my salvation, but if I do not repent, God will chasten me.
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:5–8)
Here I must repeat what I consider the most important verse in the NT for continued joy in the Lord, growth to be like Jesus, and the key to a powerful Christian life: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Lord Jesus, You live inside me. When I sin, I could hide that reality and my focus then changes from You to ‘poor me’ — so the need to confess sin is vital. It is a matter of letting You be seen, of glorifying You. Besides that, I can do nothing of value unless I’m abiding in You. That is impossible if I’m harboring sin. All that said, forgiveness is incredible. It makes deep relationships possible, with You and also with others. Convict me quickly for sinful attitudes, words and actions. May I always be quick to confess them to You.
CONSIDER: Psalm 38 describes David’s physical and emotional ramifications because of his sin. Do I feel like that? If not, that lack is also something to confess as it indicates a lax attitude toward the holiness of God.
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