Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

 February 18– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Father, I have sinned.” 

—Luke 15:18

It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in his precious blood no longer need to make a confession of sin as culprits or criminals before God the Judge. Christ has forever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they are no longer condemned, but are once and for all accepted in the Beloved.

But, having become children, and offending as children, shouldn’t we go before our heavenly Father every day and confess our sin and acknowledge our wrongdoings as his children? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly Father. We daily offend and should not rest without receiving daily pardon. If I don’t take my trespasses against my Father to him at once to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what happens? I will feel at a distance from him; I will doubt his love to me; I will tremble at him; I will be afraid to pray to him; I will become like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was distant from his father.

But if, with a child’s sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a Parent, I go to him and tell him all, and don’t rest until I realize that I am forgiven, then I will feel a holy love for my Father and will go through my Christian life, not only as “saved,” but as one enjoying present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a criminal and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s chest is the place for a child’s penitent confession. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God. [M&E]