Dear Child of God, Come Out of Hiding - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 9
Dear Child of God, Come Out of Hiding
By: Emily Rose Massey
Bible Reading:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV).
A few months ago, my eyes were opened to the stark reality that I was struggling with an area of my past…
…the pain of rejection.
This continues to be a battle for me, yet I realize that healing from the pain of rejection is a partnership with the Lord and, most definitely, a process as we learn to surrender to God. Thankfully, I am not alone in this fight in healing from my past and old ways of thinking. One thing is for sure: the Lord fights for me, and the Holy Spirit guides me into all truth, illuminating and exposing the lies I was believing that are rooted in rejection.
Rejection had overwhelmed so much of my life that I wasn’t being fully honest with people in my life. The lie I believed was that I would be rejected if my sin or wrongdoing was discovered. Therefore, I chose to either keep silent or tell a lie to keep my secret hidden so that I wouldn’t be a disappointment. That lifestyle was keeping me from being fully transparent and honest with my husband and, most importantly, with God. I believe this is why 1 John 1 reminds us of the importance of confessing our sin:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV).
Intersecting Faith & Life:
Hiding our sin causes us to hide from God, very similarly to Adam and Eve when the first sin entered the world- they felt ashamed, and shame made them feel rejected. Because of Jesus and the finished work of the cross, we are forever made righteous in our position as we stand before the Father and are forever forgiven, yet when we sin, it causes our fellowship with God to be hindered, and then we can very easily distance ourselves from Him and stray from His ways. God’s love toward me never changes when I sin, yet I may still experience consequences and correction for my disobedience. Repentance, as a believer, is for our benefit to keep fellowship with our Heavenly Father open and unhindered. Sin can often make our hearts grow callous, and we may become less sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
The enemy wants you either in pride, thinking you are better off doing life your own way, or in isolation, bound in a pit of depression, unable to receive love or give out love, feeling like no one loves you or cares about you, especially God. But God’s love is unconditional and perfect, and nothing can stop His pursuit of you. He wants us to be honest with Him so that we can see real transformation happen in our lives, as He conforms us into the image of His Son.
Like I said above, positionally, in Christ, you stand before God forgiven and righteous, but experientially, sanctification is a process because our flesh is weak. Although as born-again believers, we continue to sin against God because we are constantly at war with our flesh in this life, the good news is that we have a great advocate, Jesus Christ, who is forever our righteousness. To be sure, our position in Him as declared righteous before God will never change, yet we are still called to confess our sin, which purifies our conscience before the Lord.
Is there a particular sin that you have been struggling with? Pause and take some time to write it/them down and repent before the Lord, laying it all down at His feet. 1 John 1:9 says Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Dear child of God, let us remember to come out of hiding and rejoice in the truth that Jesus is forever our righteousness despite our shortcomings!
Further Reading:
Romans 8:31-39
How did today’s devotional speak to you? Share your thoughts in the Crosswalk Devotional discussion.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Yana Iskayeva
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
Finding Peace in Anxious Thoughts
I don't know what intrusive thoughts, anxious thoughts, or what war is going on in your mind today, but I want you to know that the peace of God is possible in your life! In this episode, Jennifer Slattery and I discuss how to navigate an anxious mind and find true peace of mind. We explore strategies for dealing with overthinking and stress and anxiety, reminding you that finding peace is within reach! Like what you hear? follow Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
