Category Archives: Confession

Bible, Confession, Dwelling, Holiness, Holy, Indwelling, Scripture, Sin

DO YOU HEAR AN ECHO?

ROMANS 7:20

“But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.”

Have you ever gone to a cave or a cavern and yelled in it to hear your echo? Pretty cool, isn’t it? Your voice bounces off the walls of the cave or cavern and comes back to you. Depending on the depth of that cave or cavern, it may take a few seconds for the echoed sound to reach you. I can still remember doing that as a child.

Are we hearing an echo in today’s verse? Didn’t Paul just say this back in verse 17 which reads, “But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.” Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says this about verse 20. “The same conclusion is formed here, as in Romans 7:17, not with any view to excuse himself from blame in sinning, but to trace the lusts of his heart, and the sins of his life, to the source and fountain of them, the corruption of his nature; and to ascribe them to the proper cause of them, which was not the law of God, nor the new man, but sin that dwelt in him.”

APPLICATION

I could just point you back to my devotional blog on verse 17, but I won’t do that. This subject bears more explanation. Let’s look at what Paul is saying here. First of all, he says, “But if I do the very thing I do not want…” Don’t skip past the little word “if.” This little Greek word is ei and means an assumption which is viewed as factual. It should not be translated as “since” because it is an assumption. Paul did not say “since I do” but “if I do.” Doing the undesirable thing is not automatically assumed.

Then look at “no longer.” The Topical Lexicon says this refers to the “Transformation of identity (Romans 7:17, 7:20). Sin is ‘no longer’ the true self; regeneration creates a new person.” The Greek word is ouketi. This word is used in Matthew 19:6 when Jesus was talking about marriage of a man and a woman. “‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh.’” Something changed in the relationship from two individuals to one couple. Our identity changed at salvation. We are “no longer” the same.

And then we have that all too familiar conjunction “but.” The Greek word alla often changes the conversation from a human perception to God’s perspective. It’s the same conjunction used when Jesus said in the wilderness to Satan, “‘It is written: “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.”’” Paul knew that although his life had been transformed, he was still prone to sin because of the sin nature within him. Sin wasn’t a guarantee, but it was probable.

Conclusion: Don’t beat yourself up over sin that you commit. I am not giving you a license to sin by saying that. I mean we are all still living in our fleshly bodies and are susceptible to sin. Sin should never be premeditated by followers of Christ, but when you do sin, be quick to confess that and seek to return to holy living. Amen? Amen!

O Lord, I am so tired of this sinful flesh. Help me shun the things to the evil one and cling to Your sweet Spirit.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Dwelling, Holy Spirit, Indwelling, Responsibilities, Scripture, Sin

BAD ROOMMATES

ROMANS 7:17

“But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.”

From 1989 to May 1997, the sitcom “Family Matters” entertained audiences with the antics of one character on the show, Steve Urkel. When he would do something that caused chaos, he would stop and look around saying, “Did I do that?” His high-pitched nasally voice would bring a smile to most. Usually, in the end, Steve would take responsibility for his actions and try to make things right.

Paul is not speaking as Steve Urkel in today’s voice. He is not saying, “Did I do that?” In fact, he is drawing attention to the culprit behind all his failings. Matthew Poole describes this verse well. “It is not I as spiritual or renewed, it is not my whole self, but it is sin that dwelleth in me,that inhabits in me as a troublesome inmate, that I cannot get rid of, that will not out so long as the house stands; as the fretting leprosy in the walls of a house would not out till the house itself were demolished. It is such an inhabitant as is never from home; it is not in us as a stranger for a season, but it makes its constant abode with us.”

APPLICATION

We see Paul use a Greek word for “dwells” in today’s verse and in verses 18 and 20. The word is oikeó, and it means to occupy a house or reside. Paul is describing how sin can continue to cause issues for us as believers. It has taken up residence in us because of the fallen nature we inherited from Adam. Even though Paul is now a follower of Christ and the Spirit of Christ dwells in him, sin refuses to be evicted.

Compare it to a very bad roommate who refuses to leave. Although you live separately and try to avoid interaction, their presence in your dwelling will cause you issues. Dirty dishes in the sink, smelly rooms and loud music may be just a few of the issues you have to deal with. However, unlike that roommate, we have the power over sin to not just avoid it but to have victory over it.

Let’s continue that illustration a little. What are your options with a bad roommate? You can fight them or you can leave. Leaving may cost you something (lease obligations, furniture, etc) but the peace you get by making that choice is worth it. Listen, turning from sin may cost you something (money, friends) but the peace you get will be far worth it. Don’t let sin dwell among you. Cast it out and live for Him.

O Lord, I do not want sin sharing the same space as Your Spirit.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Evil, Forgiveness, Scripture, Sin

FORGIVEN

ROMANS 4:7

“‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.’”

When I think back to my life before Christ, I am so thankful for His grace and mercy. I was never evil, but my actions and deeds were. I don’t have to enumerate them here. I am sure you had similar deeds in your “Before Christ” days. Am I right? Knowing what is not good and still doing it is just evil. It’s what I used to tell my children was “willful disobedience.” I was willfully disobeying. I deserved punishment, but I got grace. Hallelujah!

In today’s verse and tomorrow’s, Paul quotes from Psalm 32:1-2, which I quoted yesterday in my blog. Most scholars agree that David wrote this Psalm after his sins involving Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. It may have been written right after Nathan confronted him or at a later time while he was reflecting on it. Either way, it is a beautiful psalm of confession and forgiveness. You can use this as your own psalm of praise over your forgiven sins.

APPLICATION

Do you remember the story behind this psalm? David had stayed home from the war (his first mistake) and when he couldn’t sleep one evening, he took a walk on his rooftop. It was there he saw Bathsheba bathing on a nearby rooftop. Let’s be clear – that first glance was not sin. The second glance, however, is where it all began. Lust sprang up in his heart and he began to plot to “take” this woman. Lust let to the sin of adultery and then murder.

Sins have a way of multiplying quickly. I just had a thought pop into my head (dangerous, I know). Do you remember “herman” bread or maybe you called it “friendship” bread? You got a starter blob from someone or started your own. Then you watched that blog grow in the frig due to the yeast expanding. You were supposed to take part and make bread and then give part of the remaining blob away. My mom never gave any away. We had “herman” bread coming out our nose, lol.

That’s how sin spreads. Left unchecked it expands and grows and will eventually lead to death. If you have unconfessed sins today, bring them to Jesus. Maybe you’re reading this, and you are not a believer yet. Make this day your day of salvation. Say with David, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”

Father, I praise You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You for rescuing me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Blood, Confession, Jesus, Scripture, Sin

WE KNOW OUR SINS

ROMANS 3:20

“because by the works of the Law none of mankind will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.”

No one has to tell me about my sins. I am far too aware of them. My late brother-in-law, Dr. Wayne Barber, used to say the older he got and the closer he got to heaven, the more aware he was of his own sin. You see, the closer we get to Jesus, the brighter the light is that exposes our wickedness. I think that may be part of what Paul was hinting at in today’s verse.

Paul has laid out in chapters 2 and 3 of Romans the futility of our efforts in justifying ourselves. Not even keeping the law will do that, if that was even possible. But I really like the last phrase of today’s verse. It is translated “for through the Law comes knowledge of sin.” The Greek literally says, “for through law knowledge of sin.” The law does us a favor by pointing out our sins. The Old Testament points us towards our need for a Savior. That is fulfilled in Jesus through Whom we are justified.

APPLICATION

I am reminded of Galatians 2:21. There, Paul says, “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” The law was important, but it wasn’t God’s Plan A which failed. No! God gave us the law to point out that we cannot keep it. We need someone greater than ourselves to keep it perfectly, to fulfill it. That’ why He sent Jesus.

Do you ever have trouble when you are praying thinking of a sin you have committed that day? Honestly, there have been few times (and I repeat a FEW times) that I have. But when I voice that to God, He is quick to point them out. He knows our secret sins, those things we keep tucked back in the corner of our minds that left unconfessed grow into thoughts which become actions which become sin. And we know where sin leads, don’t we?

I read yesterday about a pastor in another state that was arrested for child exploitation. While denying any physical contact with a child, he used AI to create child pornography. This thought became an action which resulted in sin. The same is true for us all. I am not pointing fingers at this man. You’ve heard it said, “Save but by the grace of God, there go I.” We are all one slippery slope away from spiritual failure. Confess your known sins today and ask the Lord to reveal any unknown sin in your life. He has the solution for your sin – Jesus’ shed blood on Calvary.

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Scripture, Confession, Sin, Condemnation, Justice, Justified, Deserved

DESERVED CONDEMNATION

ROMANS 3:8

“And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), ‘Let’s do evil that good may come of it?’ Their condemnation is deserved.”

Man, these past few verses have been a tough grind. You have to back up and reread verses 1-7 of chapter 3. Context is always key. For instance, in today’s verse, if you just took out the phrase “Let’s do evil that good may come of it” you would totally pervert what Paul is teaching here. You have to look at the whole picture.

Then Paul says that those who pervert the truth he and others have been teaching are worthy of condemnation. The word for “condemnation” is kríma which, according to HELPS Word studies, is “(‘the results of a judgment’) dramatically links cause-to-effect. Indeed, every decision (action) we make carries inevitable eternal results.” We have to remember that. Our choices have consequences – every time. It could be a good one or a bad one.

APPLICATION

Paul goes so far as to say, “their condemnation is deserved.” Endikos is the Greek word translated here as “deserved.” Some translations say “just.” That’s probably a closer definition. It’s only used one other time in the New Testament in Hebrews 2:2 (I’m adding 3b to give a fuller context). “2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

I quote Psalm 51:1-4 most mornings as I pray. Verse 4 carries the same idea Paul is writing here in Romans 3:8. David wrote in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” God has the right to judge our sin because He is the antithesis of sin. He is holy and righteous!

Ask yourself today if there is a sin in your life which you have become comfortable with. I can think of something right now in my life. As I write this, I am confessing it as sin and asking the Lord to cleanse me. I don’t want anything to come between the Lord and myself. I pray the same for you.

Forgive me, Lord, for taking salvation for granted and not continuing to stay “confessed up.”

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, Righteousness, Scripture, Testimony, Unrighteousness

OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 3:5

“But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking from a human viewpoint.)”

We will never fully understand the righteousness of God this side of eternity. How can a God, a righteous God put up with our unrighteousness? Well, He can’t. The question posed by Paul in today’s verse is really meant to show us the folly of this kind of thinking. Paul even admits he is talking from a human viewpoint.

The thought that Paul is throwing out here is this. If our sins give God the opportunity to show His righteousness, how can He punish our sin? That is obviously what Paul was hearing from some. Yea, I sin, but God still loves me and it gives Him the chance to forgive me. How stupid! God can never condone sin, nor can He overlook it. Sin requires confession and repentance. God can only be righteous.

APPLICATION

This is a difficult verse. We know as followers of Christ that our sin has to be confessed. We know that God demands repentance in order to bestow forgiveness. But this verse, taken by itself, might seem to imply that our sins give God more opportunities to show His righteousness. The second question in this verse is one we all would agree to. “The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is he?” Of course, that answer is NO.

 I am thinking of 1 John 1:9-10. “9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” You see His righteous acts toward us follow our confession. Don’t ever be confused by that. Unrighteousness + confession = righteousness.

Our goal should be to not sin. We should not be sinning and excusing our behaviors. We will see Romans 6:1 later, but it fits so well with today’s verse. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Paul goes on in 6:2 to say, “May it never be!” That should be our attitude towards sin. May it never be!

Lord, sometimes difficult verses have simple meanings. Thank You for forgiving our confessed sins.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, God's Will, Judgment, Scripture, Secrets

SECRETS

ROMANS 2:16

“on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus.”

It is said that the true character of a man is revealed by what he does in secret when no one is watching. How true! We read almost every day where some influential leader in the Christian world has his/her hidden life revealed, exposing secret affairs or embezzlement of funds. When will we all learn that there is nothing that will not be revealed sooner or later? It will all come out in the end.

Paul tells us in verse 16 that mankind’s secrets will be judged by God according to their response to Jesus. The Greek word for “secrets” is kruptos which means something that is hidden. It is used @20 times in the New Testament. I bet Paul had seen some secrets of Pharisees when he was one. I am sure he saw how they told the people to do one thing while they were doing another. Secrets may seem protected, but we know God sees all.

APPLICATION

In the parable of the lamp in Luke 8, Jesus says in verse 17, “‘For nothing is concealed that will not become evident, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.’” Hmmm, you would think with those words spoken by Jesus, everybody within hearing distance would have straightened up. But they didn’t. Secrets have a way of holding us captive. The longer we keep them, the deeper we retreat into them. Sooner or later, we have trouble distinguishing what is real and what is not.

We are told in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Every secret deed done that goes against God’s Word will be not only exposed, but it will also be judged by God. What secret things are you hiding right now that you know God does not approve of? Confess those as sin and if need be, expose them to someone you can trust who can walk with you in this.

Paul gives us some more advice on this subject in 1 Corinthians 4:5. “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of human hearts; and then praise will come to each person from God.” Don’t sit in judgment. That’s not your place. That’s God’s. He will expose all one day. Just make sure your secret things are dealt with before then. That way you can face your Savior with nothing that needs confessing. No secrets!

Thank You, Lord, for knowing my heart. I know there is nothing that is not known to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Confession, God's Will, Praise, Prayer, Scripture

CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

PHILIPPIANS 2:11

“and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

They say confession is good for the soul. What do you think? I try to stay “confessed up” about my sins. Every morning as I begin my prayer time I confess any known sins in my life. I confess any wrong words or deeds. I confess any wrong or impure thought. I ask forgiveness for anything I may have done that is not pleasing to the Lord. Only then do I begin my prayers for others. I want the slate clean.

The Greek word used by Paul for “confess” is a compound word. It’s “eksomologéō (from ek, ‘wholly out from,’ intensifying homologéō, ‘say the same thing about’) – properly, fully agree and to acknowledge that agreement openly (whole-heartedly); hence, to confess (“openly declare”), without reservation (no holding back).” (HELPS Word Studies). Did you catch that? It means to FULLY agree with God.

APPLICATION

Interestingly, this word can also be translated as “praise.” It is used that way in Luke 10:21 when Jesus is talking to His Father and says, “‘I praise You, O Father.’” Jesus always agreed fully with His Father. He said as much when He said that He only spoke the words His Father gave Him. John 12:49-50 says, “49 ‘For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.’”

Wouldn’t it be wise for us to do the same? Our sins are known to the Father. He knows all and sees all. So, just agree with Him about your sins and confess them. Agreeing with God is not so hard. It does take humility and recognizing that He is God and you’re not. Right?

The same word is used in James 5:16 where we are told to “confess your sins to one another.” Now, that is hard. Be careful to whom you confess, though. They should be a trusted brother or sister in Christ and have your best interest at heart. Confession to another is an act of accountability and we all need that. So, today get all “confessed up.”

I confess to You today, O Lord, all my sins and transgressions against You and others. Please forgive me.

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Advice, Belief, Bible, Confession, Deliverance, Eternity, Forgiveness, Grace, Justified, Obedience, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

DON’T DO THAT!

GALATIANS 5:2

“Look! I, Paul, tell you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you.”

We often think if we just do this one thing then everything will be fine between us and God. We seem to think we can do things to warrant His grace. Let me tell you that is a hopeless endeavor. There is nothing you can do to gain His favor – nothing that is except coming to Jesus and acknowledging your need for a Savior. Why do we work so hard at something that is free?

As a former Pharisee, Paul is giving the Galatians a warning.  Albert Barnes said Paul was saying this, “if you are circumcised with a view to being justified by that in whole or in part, it amounts to a rejection of the doctrine of justification by Christ, and an entire apostacy from him.” They were thinking if they followed the Mosaic law and agreed to physical circumcision, they would be justified in God’s eyes. Paul says, “No! Stop! Don’t do that! It won’t work!”

APPLICATION

As I said in the opening paragraph, you can’t do one thing to gain justification. It’s all been done for you by Jesus. You just have to accept and believe. Do you remember Paul’s words to the Roman church in Romans 10:9-10? “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

Confession and belief – that’s all that is needed. I hope you understand that it is not up to you. You are hopelessly doomed to an eternal damnation UNLESS you simply confess and believe. No other act is necessary. John tells us in John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,” I didn’t see one mention of circumcision or any other act in that verse. Did you?

In your journey with Christ, lean into Him. Don’t fret about what you must do. Sure, we need to study His Word and pray. We need to spend time with Him. As we do that, we will want to do more things for His kingdom. But none of those things will bring us salvation. Only Jesus will. Amen. I pray today you know the One who came to give you the greatest gift – eternal life.

Father, help me to stop striving and do more resting in You.  

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Admonished, Apologies, Battles, Bible, Confession, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Hurts, Love, Power, Reconciled, Restoration, Scripture

SIN IN THE FAMILY

MALACHI 2:10

“Do we not all have one Father? Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?”

Family dynamics are hard. Some families seem to have no troubles at all from the outside. But if you were able to peer into the real family, you would see hurt feelings and squabbles. Why? Why do families, who share the same blood, fight and not get along. It’s simple – it’s called sin. Period! Exclamation mark!

Look at today’s verse. Malachi points out the failure of the people. When he says, “Do we not all have one Father,” he may be thinking about the Shema Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” They were in the same family – God’s family. God had called them His people. But they were sinning against each other which was in effect sinning against God.

APPLICATION

Isaiah 6:5 says, “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of armies.’” That is why we sin against each other. Isaiah saw it. We are all sinful creatures. In our case, as believers, we have the solution to all this sin – Jesus. He has covered our sins. He has given us the power to stop blaming our sins on someone else.

I believe Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:26 applies here. “And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.” Just as we all cheer for our family member who gets that award or makes the game-winning score, we also all suffer when one family member is fighting with another. This kind of in-fighting can kill a family.

There is only one solution to this – return to the foot of the cross. Forgive one another. Reconcile the family. When we “deal treacherously” with each other, whether it was intentional or accidental, the wounds are real and must be dealt with. Come together to Jesus. He can heal all wounds because He was wounded for us.

Father, forgive our in-fighting as family. Help us show love and compassion to each other daily.

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