Throw Off And Put On

The only way to be free from guilt is to stop hiding our sins and confess them to God. When we confess our sins, God will forgive us, and our guilt will be gone.

"Finally, I confessed all my sins to you

and stopped trying to hide my guilt.

I said to myself,

'I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.'

And you forgave me!

All my guilt is gone."

Psalm 32:5 (NLT)

When we confess our sins, not only does God forgive us, but He cleanses us from all wickedness.

"But 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 John 1:9 (NLT)

If we hide our sins or attempt to justify them, our guilt remains. But if we confess our sins, we will acquire the peace we desire within. It is through confession, faith, and acceptance that we obtain God's free gift of salvation. But to mature in Christ as we continue to live, we need to promptly confess our sins as the Holy Spirit convicts. Otherwise, unconfessed sins will stump our growth, leaving us as mere infants.

We need to allow the Spirit of God to renew our thoughts and attitudes daily so that we can live before our Father every day truly righteous and holy.

"Throw off your old sinful nature

and your former way of life,

which is corrupted by lust and deception.

Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.

Put on your new nature,

created to be like God —

truly righteous and holy."

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)

A mature Christian is one who is sensitive to the Holy Spirit: one who willingly admits when he/she is wrong, seeks forgiveness, and runs from future temptations to sin by relying on the Spirit of God for the renewal of his/her mind.