A CLEAN SLATE
Pastor Mark Warda
Woodland Church
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
(Luke 18:9-14, NLT) “Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
1. Confession follows humility
(Philippians 2:5-11, ESV) “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Christmas is about Christ’s birth making the way for us to have rebirth
(2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT) “When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new!”
When we confess our sins before God, we are asking for a clean slate
(Psalms 51:7, 10, NLT) “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. … Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
God does not hold our forgiven sins against us
(Isaiah 43:25, ESV) “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
(Hebrews 10:14-17, ESV) “For by a single offering he [that’s Jesus] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
(Romans 8:1-2, NLT) “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
Repeated sin invites divine discipline
(Hebrews 12:7-11, NLT) “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
2. Forgiveness follows confession
(1 John 1:9, NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
We should never grow weary of asking God for forgiveness,
Because He never grows tired of forgiving us when we ask.
Growthwork
1. Keep a humble heart before God and others.
2. Make it a daily habit to ask God to search your heart and reveal any unconfessed sin.
3. In the Lord’s model prayer, we pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive others.” Be sure to hold no unforgiveness toward anyone.
4. Delight in the fact that God considers you His son or daughter worthy of conviction, or if necessary, discipline because of sin.
5. Ask God daily for forgiveness and live in the power of the Holy Spirit to help you resist temptations to sin.
Some tips for goal setting (and attaining) this new year.
1. Be intentional. Being Complacent can be overcome with a Replacement of things that keep you down with those that lift you up. It won’t happen automatically. You have to decide.
2. Make a plan. Goals are great but without a plan to reach those goals, it’s just wishful thinking. I would suggest you write them down.
3. Invite a friend. God did not create us to live in isolation. Our electronic devices cannot and should not replace meaningful time spent with other people. Motivation and encouragement is shared!