Spurgeon: February PM
* 02/18/PM
"Father, I have sinned."
--Luke 15:18
It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His
precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or
criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has for ever taken
away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer
stand where they can be condemned, but are once for all accepted
in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as
children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly
Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in
that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring
children to make a 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 ought
not to rest without daily pardon. For, supposing that my
trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to Him to be
washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what will
be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been
washed from these offences against my Father, I shall feel at a
distance from Him; I shall doubt His love to me; I shall tremble
at Him; I shall be afraid to pray to Him: I shall grow like the
prodigal, who, although still a child, was yet far off 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 rest not
till I realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love
to my Father, and shall go through my Christian career, 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 culprit , and confessing sin as a child . The
Father's bosom is the place for penitent confessions. 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.