One of the reasons many Christians dont share their faith is because the enemy has them convinced that they could never be useful to God since they have so many issues of their own. How can they confront a world of sinners when they have so much sin in their own lives? Seriously, this is one of the most effective areas Satan will attack you if you purpose to become a witness for Christ. He will tell you that you are a hypocrite and thus you are not fit for the task. He will point out any sin he can find in your life and accuse you of being a false Christian. He will try to paralyze you through condemnation. But you must remember, Satan always brings condemnation. the Holy Spirit brings conviction. Satan wants you to grovel and feel sorry for yourself. The Holy Spirit wants you to confess and be cleansed.
So, this is how I deal with the situation. (I am a sinner. It comes up often.) When Satan reminds me of my sin and tries to condemn me, I remember this simple illustration.
Have you ever had to carry something really heavy? Or have you carried something for a long distance? Then you know how your body can get tired and fatigued as you strain ahead. You can’t wait until the moment when you can lay that burden down. You also know the incredible feeling of release when you relieve yourself of that weight.
We can all relate to that on a physical level, but there is a spiritual burden that many of us carry as well. Many go about needlessly carrying around the burden of guilt over unconfessed sin. See if you can identify with David as he puts it into words in Psalm 32
“When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was turned into the drought of summer.”
David knew what it felt like to be too ashamed to confess his sin. Just like Adam, he and many of us try to hide or cover up our sin. It drains your strength. Conscience won’t let you get away with it. But there is a way out! A way of release from the burden of sin. Look what he says in the next verses…
“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, ‘I will confess my sin to The Lord.’
And you forgave the iniquity if my sin.”
I love 1John 1:9. I go there often to wash. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So that’s where I deal with Satan’s accusations. If the Holy Spirit reminds me of some sin, I go to 1 John to wash. If Satan brings some condemnation, I simply remember his tactics and go to 1 john to wash. Simple!
Whatever you are carrying today, no matter how ashamed you are to admit it, get before God and come clean. Enjoy the release and relief from that burden by finding forgiveness and cleansing in the blood of Jesus Christ. There is peace and rest available for you right now.
Will you trust him? Is he worth believing in? I think YES!
So take a moment to do business with God. Get cleaned up, and go tell others where to wash! In Psalm 51, David’s prayer of repentance after his ‘royal screw-up’ with Bathsheba, he cries out to God for forgiveness. Hear his cry and what he says afterwards, starting in verse 10:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. THEN WILL I TEACH TRANSGRESSORS THY WAYS; AND SINNERS SHALL BE CONVERTED UNTO THEE.”
What would he teach transgressors? Would he rub salt in their wounds? No, he would teach them the same things he just experienced. That even though they are transgressors, God offers them forgiveness if they will repent.
You and I should have the same heart as David. After we experience the love of God, and we are given new hearts, we should have a love for our neighbor that motivates us into action. We should share that love. We should return God’s love and do what he says and reach out to the lost. Are you being faithful to God and to men?
Dont be selfish! Go show others where to wash!