Daily reconciliation
JOHN 1:9 and 2:2b: “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The apostle John admonishes us throughout his epistles to be mindful of the truth that once we become “born again” we are no longer habitual sinners. He tells us that should we sin, through our daily communion and fellowship with God, confess our sin, receive forgiveness and continue in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
One writer puts it very clearly by saying that the forgiveness we receive at our new birth is a judicial act of God, making us members of His family in good standing. But the forgiveness we receive on a daily basis is a relational act. Therefore, a lot depends on our daily relationship and communion with God which allows us to reconcile our accounts with God and receive His grace and forgiveness.
We know that when we are diligent in reconciling our own financial accounts in a timely manner, there is very little chance for errors, and if an error is detected it can be corrected before it becomes chronic and difficult to reconcile. Similarly, if we neglect our daily reconciliation with our Heavenly Father, we may just slide into habitual sin and forfeit our forgiveness and our opportunity for reconciliation and restoration. So then we are well advised to keep “short accounts” with God through our daily communing with our Father, confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness and grace. By so doing there is no danger of us becoming “habitual sinners”.
Eternal Father, we need You every hour of the day and every minute of the hour. We pray that as a nation we will sincerely desire to remain reconciled to You through our Saviour Jesus Christ. We thank You for giving us the ministry of reconciliation so that we may enjoy fellowship with You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
