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Written by Vivian Arcila, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada
Listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! (Ne 1:6 NLT)
The book of Nehemiah not only sequentially details the biblical way to resolve conflicts and crises but also highlights the importance of confessing sin as an essential part of restoring our relationship with God.
It is interesting that when Nehemiah learns of the situation in Jerusalem and its captives, the first thing he mentions in his prayer is confession, not only of his personal sin but also of his family and his nation. He knew that the disobedience of the people of Israel had resulted in their destruction, and he felt responsible as well. Since ancient times, we have noticed that sin that is not corrected and is practiced deliberately can affect not only the person who commits it but also their family and even an entire nation.
Psalm 14:3 says, "But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!" As a God-fearing man, Nehemiah was aware that, although his works were pleasing to God, the human being is a sinner by nature. Nehemiah may have felt that he could have done more for his people before things got worse, but the truth is that confession is an essential part of our Christian lives.
Our walk in Christ begins with acknowledging that we have sinned before Him, repenting of our sins, and confessing Jesus as our Lord and Savior, which is confirmed with baptism and perseverance. Romans 10:9 says, "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The doors of spiritual blessings begin to open with confession.
However, confession does not get stuck at the moment when we give our lives to Jesus. It should be a daily act to recognize Christ's lordship and discover our faults. In the face of every difficult situation, we must examine ourselves and confess our offenses to our Creator. In that moment of reflection, think about how much our personal sin has affected the family and, in some way, the community or society, and confess before God our participation in it, either directly or indirectly. It is not only sin to do evil to our fellow men, but also to fail to do good as James 4:17 says, "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."
Am I studying the Bible, praying, examining myself, and confessing my sins frequently? That helps me connect to God and cultivate a meek character that my family, church brothers and sisters, neighbors, drivers, people at the grocery store, and coworkers will notice. Not having good communion with God affects us personally because we lose peace, which is reflected in the treatment of our relatives and neighbors, causing a domino effect on the individual, family, church, society, and the whole world.
Let's try to make an effort daily in our relationship with God because it impacts, in one way or another, the life of our family and the lives of the people around us. Before we met Jesus, we were like a city with walls destroyed by sin. Now, we are being built on the rock that is Christ.
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Written by Beliza Kocev, Iron Rose Sister Ministries Brazil Coordinator
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Mt 22:36-40 NIV)
Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:36-37 show us which of the commandments is the most important of all: Love God, without reservation, totally, with everything we are and everything we have. But what is this love like? How do we demonstrate this love?
When we love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind we make Him more important than anything else in our life. More important than our spouse, our kids, our parents, our social position, career, reputation, dreams, desires, emotions, and even more important than our life itself. Pleasing Him becomes our prime objective and purpose. And even though it may hurt, we renounce everything that distances us from that purpose.
Love seems difficult to define. And if we look it up, we will find various meanings and descriptions, as well as differing opinions.
Unfortunately, we live in a time in which the word “love” has become simply a feeling. To love someone is often confused with “feeling good with them”. But “feeling good” with someone doesn’t constitute love in biblical terms. In biblical terms, love is intimately linked to doing, and specifically, loving God and doing what He wants— that is, obeying His commandments, His will. Jesus made this very clear when He said, “If you love me, keep my commands” (Jn 14:15).
To love God is to obey Him. The greatest command is to love God and the way we do that is by obeying what He tells us to do. To love God and to keep His commands, the Word of God, are inseparable from each other. First John 5:3 says, “In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.”
Loving God with all our hearts is the greatest command. But loving God is not a state of mind where we “feel good” about God. Loving God is the same as doing His will. We cannot say that we love God and at the same time be disobedient to Him. Faith is not a state of mind. Faith in God and His Word is the same as being obedient. Let us not believe in the lies that try to separate one from the other. Also, the love of God and His favor comes back to those who love Him— that is, those who please Him and do His will. Furthermore, we also see that it is better to go ahead and do God's will even when we don't feel like doing it, than to disobey Him. This does not make us robots without feelings. We can (should) always talk to the Lord, express how we feel, and share how difficult the situation is for us. If there is another way, He will provide it for us. He is the most wonderful Master and Father of all, gracious and good to all His children. Jesus did this:
…My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death… My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will… My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. (Mt 26:38-42)
May we have courage, faith, and especially love for God to obey Him every day of our lives. And when it is difficult, may we ask God for the strength to do His will.