Daily writing prompt

Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?

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Whether intentionally or unintentionally it’s easy to break the law. I’ve done both. God’s laws are especially easy for us humans to disobey. That’s called sin.

When the body of Christ gathers, confession of sin should be common. “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) In a Christian assembly someone could ask, “Who needs to openly confess a sin today? Then the believers could gather around and pray for each person who confesses.

When Christians confess their sins to fellow Christians and they speak Spirit-led prayers over one another; inner and even physical healing occurs in their midst. Humble, heart-felt confession of sins prepares the way for the Lord (Matthew 3:3) to shine His light in and through both an individual’s heart (2 Corinthians 4:6) and an assembled Christian community. (Hebrews 10:25) However, without sincere confession of sin we walk in darkness (1 John 1:5-6) no matter how religious we are.

If we walk in the light, we have intimate heart-to-heart connection with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sin. (1 John 1:7) If we claim to have no sin, we embrace self-deception and abandon the truth. However, if we confess our sins, God will not only forgive us, but He will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)

We live in a fallen world that abounds with widespread temptation that is constantly clamoring for our attention. We also live in a human body full of desires that distract us and strive to lure us away from the will of God. (Galatians 5:17-25) Thus it’s easy to fall into sin and even to live in sin while we’re convincing ourselves that we aren’t sinners.

Therefore, we need ongoing correction. Always allow God the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin. (John 16:8) Let the Bible be a mirror that shows you your sin. (James 1:23-25) Humbly ask and allow your Christian brothers and sisters to correct you when they see a sin in your life. They can often see our sins that we don’t see. (Galatians 6:1)

Make every effort to live a godly life. Quickly confess your sins so that God can forgive you and keep you blameless before Him. Then you can continually grow in grace and in the conscious awareness of the presence and power of the risen Jesus. (2 Peter 3:14-18)