A Faithful and Just God
One of the central aspects of the gospel message is that every human has fallen short of God’s moral standard. We have all sinned, or missed the mark of living rightly. We’ve all messed up, made mistakes, and acted in a way that goes against God’s way of living.
Sin separates us from being in a right relationship with God. But while we were separated from God, Jesus made a way for us to return back to God through His death and resurrection.
Now, we can be in a relationship with God again. But even though we’ve been forgiven for our sins, it doesn’t always feel that way. We frequently carry around the guilt and shame from our sinful actions even though we’ve been forgiven by Christ.
That’s why 1 John 1:9 is a great reminder: when we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive us. Our forgiveness is not based on our own faithfulness— it’s based on God’s faithfulness. Since we know God is faithful and cannot lie, we can trust that He will forgive us and purify us from everything that keeps us from Him.
This means that we don’t need to live under the weight of our own guilt. We have truly been freed in Christ. Forgiveness should empower us to continue to live righteous and faithful lives with God.
Take a moment and thank God for forgiving your sins through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thank Him that you are now a child of God, free from the guilt of the past. Ask Him to strengthen you as you walk in that truth.
God Never Changes
Between the year 640 to 608 BC, the prophet Zephaniah spoke to the people of Israel. He warned them of God’s judgment, but he also reminded them of God’s promise for their future.
“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
We aren’t the people of Israel in 640 BC hearing this, but, as students of God’s Word, we can also find comfort in Zephaniah’s words.
We know that God came into our midst through Jesus and that He gave us His Spirit when we believed (John 1:14; Galatians 4:6). We also know that we are deeply loved by God (1 John 4:16). Paul teaches that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus when we pray to Him (Philippians 4:6-7).
So although we are not Zephaniah’s original audience, we can find comfort in knowing that God is the same throughout all generations. He is still in our...