Only God could reconstruct the world and allow for such reversals of fact; but anyone can tinker at it theoretically. Had Hitler, for instance, been a good and gentle man, six million Jews now dead would be living (making allowance for a certain few who would have died in the course of nature); had Stalin been a Christian, several million Russian farmers would be alive who now molder in the earth. And consider the thousands of little children who died of starvation because one man had a revengeful spirit; think of the millions of displaced persons who wander over the earth even today unable to locate mother or father or wife or child because men with hate in their hearts managed to get into places of power; think of the young men of almost every nation, sick with yearning for home and loved ones, who guard the empty wastes and keep watch on frozen hills in the far corners of the earth, all because one ruler is greedy, another ambitious; because one statesman is cowardly and another jealous. To come down from the bloody plains of world events and look nearer home, how many wives will sob themselves to sleep tonight because of their husband's savage temper; how many helpless, bewildered, heartbroken children will cower in their dark bedrooms, sick with shock and terror as their parents curse and shout at each other in the next room. Is their quarrel private" Is it their own business when they fight like animals in the security of their home" No, it is the business of the whole human race. Children to the third and fourth generation in many parts of the world will be injured psychologically if not physically because a man and his wife sinned inside of four walls. No sin can be private. Coming still closer, we Christians should know that our unchristian conduct cannot be kept in our own back yard. The evil birds of sin fly far and influence many to their everlasting loss. The sin committed in the privacy of the home will have its effect in the assembly of the saints. The minister, the deacon, the teacher who yields to temptation in secret becomes a carrier of moral disease whether he knows it or not. The church will be worse because one member sins. The polluted stream flows out and on, growing wider and darker as it affects more and more persons day after day and year after year. But thanks be to God, there is a cure for the plague. There is a balm in Gilead. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

A.W. Tozer's materials are a mainstay in Evangelical churches in our day and he is one of the most quoted authors. He was a prophet in his day and his writings are even more influential in our day. One of his books: The Pursuit of God, has had over 1 million copies sold world-wide.

Morning and Evening with A.W. Tozer

Sin's Cure

. . . suppose that I found an old fellow sitting on a bench and I went and sat down beside him. I noticed by looking at him that he had high blood pressure. I could tell it by the veins that stood out on his forehead. I began to try to tell him, "You have lived long enough on this bench. Get up; there's something better for you," and he began to resist me. Then I would have to preach a whole series of sermons to him to get him to know how sick he is, when just down the street a little way was the cure for what was wrong with him. That is precisely where we are in the church. You have to work on people for weeks to get them to see that they are in a rut. It would be cruel to do if there was not a remedy. But the justice of God is on the side of the confessing sinner. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Because Jesus Christ died, because He was God and because He was man, His atonement was absolutely and fully efficacious. All of the attributes of God are on the side of the person who confesses his or her sin and turns and runs to the feet of Jesus. "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (2:1-2). There is the elixir. There is the cure. That is only one little passage, and of course similar ones are all over the New Testament. The blood is shed for us. God pardons and forgives for Christ"s sake. The Holy Spirit is here to take the things of Christ and make them real to us. There is nothing, not even the devil himself, that can hinder the confessing sinner.

The Cure

It is written that Christ died for our sins, and again it is written that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). These two texts are written of the same company of persons, namely Christians. We dare not compel the first text to invalidate the second. Both are true and one completes the other. The meaning of the two is that since Christ died for our sins if we confess our sins they will be forgiven. To teach otherwise is to attempt to fly on one wing. I have met some who claim that it is wrong to pray for the same thing twice, the reason being that if we truly believe when we pray we have the answer the first time; any second prayer betrays the unbelief of the first; ergo, let there be no second prayer. There are three things wrong with this teaching. One is that it ignores a large body of Scripture; the second is that it rarely works in practice, even for the saintliest soul; and the third is that, if persisted in, it robs the praying man of two of his mightiest weapons in his warfare with the flesh and the devil, viz., intercession and petition. For let it be said without qualification that the effective intercessor is never a one-prayer man, neither does the successful petitioner win his mighty victories in his first attempt. Had David subscribed to the one-prayer creed he could have reduced his psalms to about one-third their present length. Elijah would not have prayed seven times for rain (and incidentally, there would have been no rain, either), our Lord would not have prayed the third time saying the same words, nor would Paul have "besought the Lord thrice" (2 Corinthians 12:8) for the removal of his thorn. In fact, if this teaching were true, much wonderful Biblical narrative would have to be rewritten, for the Bible has much to say about continued and persistent prayer.

Prevailing Prayer

For Reading and Meditation:      Romans 16:1-16A word which the gospel associates with salvation is the word "conversion." Salvation is the offer of divine forgiveness and the gift of eternal life; conversion is the way we enter into that experience and receive the gift. The word "conversion" means to turn about or change one's direction. Though other religions talk about spiritual conversion, the experience they speak of bears no relation whatsoever to the thought in the mind of Jesus when He said: "Except ye be converted ... ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3 KJV). We divide people into races, classes, sexes, nationalities, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, but Jesus divided men and women into just two classes - the converted and the unconverted. Apparently, to Him no other distinctions mattered. If you are converted, you are in the kingdom; and if you are not converted, you are not in the kingdom. There are no exceptions. Listen to the words once again: "Except ye be converted ... ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." I think it sad that the NIV translation of the Bible doesn't use the words "except" or "converted" in Matthew 18:3. It simply says: "unless you change and become like little children." The truth is still there, but in my opinion the words used are not as picturesque or as powerful. Conversion can be explained like this: it is the change, gradual or sudden, by which one passes from the kingdom of self to the kingdom of God. And if there is no change, there is no conversion. O God, I am thankful that amidst all the awakenings and new experiences I can enter into in this life, You are eager to give me the supreme awakening - spiritual conversion. May multitudes enter into it today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.<div class="tl-lightgrey mt20 pt20 flexbox-row-wrap jc-around"><div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">AdditionalVerses</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>Isaiah 43:25</li><li>Isaiah 55:7</li><li>Micah 7:18</li><li>1 John 1:1-9</li></ul></div>

<div><div class="fs-17 fg-mustard bold center-it">Questions to Consider</div><ul style="margin-top:0px"><li>What does God display toward the unconverted?</li><li>What is the consequence of conversion?</li></ul></div></div>

Let a little light into your soul every day with this wonderful devotional from English pastor Selwyn Hughes.

Every Day Light with Selwyn Hughes

"Greet ... Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia." (v. 5) 

Without the assurance of this verse, it would be practically impossible to go on in the Christian life. As we grow in grace, we have a deepening awareness of our utter sinfulness. We must have some provision for instant cleansing for sins, otherwise we are doomed to perpetual guilt and defeat.John tells us that, for believers, provision is made through confession. The unbeliever receives judicial forgiveness from the penalty of sins through faith in the Lord Jesus. The believer receives parental forgiveness from the defilement of sins through confession.Sin breaks fellowship in the life of the child of God, and that fellowship remains broken till the sin is confessed and forsaken. When we confess, God is faithful to His Word; He has promised to forgive. He is just in forgiving because the work of Christ at the Cross has provided a righteous basis on which He may do so.What this verse means, then, is that when we confess our sins, we can know that the record is clear, that we have been completely cleansed, that the happy family spirit has been restored. As soon as we are conscious of sin in our lives, we can go into the presence of God, call that sin by its name, repudiate it, and know with certainty that it has been put away.But how do we know for certain? Do we feel forgiven? It is not at all a question of feelings. We know that we have been forgiven because God says so in His Word. Feelings are undependable at best. God's Word is sure.But suppose someone says, "I know that God has forgiven me but I can't forgive myself"? This might sound very pious but actually it is dishonoring to God. If God has forgiven me, then He wants me to appropriate that forgiveness by faith, to rejoice in it, and to go out and serve Him as a cleansed vessel.

With reverence, humor and skill, William MacDonald wove a daily devotional tapestry that challenges the reader to think deeply and Biblically, and apply God's Word to their lives.

Truths to Live By - One Day at a Time

"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)

Faithful people are an endangered species; they are rapidly vanishing from the human race. If David mourned their demise in his day, we often wonder how he would feel if he lived today.When we speak of a faithful person, we mean one who is trustworthy, reliable, dependable. If he makes a promise, he keeps it. If he has a responsibility, he fulfills it. If he has honorable allegiances, he is staunchly loyal to them.The unfaithful man makes an appointment, then either fails to keep it or is inexcusably late. He agrees to teach a Sunday School class, yet fails to arrange for a replacement when he cannot be present. You can never depend on him. His word means nothing. No wonder Solomon said, "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint" (Proverbs 25:19).God is looking for faithful men and women. He wants stewards who are faithful in caring for His interests (1 Corinthians 4:2). He wants teachers who are faithful in passing on the great truths of the Christian faith (2 Timothy 2:2). He wants believers who are faithful to the Lord Jesus, sharing His rejection and bearing the cross. He wants people who are uncompromisingly loyal to His inspired, inerrant, infallible Word. He wants Christians who are loyal to the local assembly, instead of wandering from church to church like religious gypsies. God wants saints who are faithful to other believers and faithful to the unsaved as well.As in all other virtues, the Lord Jesus is our glorious example. He is the faithful and true Witness (Revelation 3:14), a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God (Hebrews 2:17), faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). His words are true, His promises are unfailing and His ways are utterly dependable.Although men might not put a high premium on faithfulness, God does. The Lord Jesus commended the faithfulness of His disciples with the words, "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me" (Lu. 22:28, 29). And the ultimate reward for faithfulness will be to hear His accolade, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant:… enter thou into the joy of thy Lord" (Matthew 25:21).

"Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men." (Psalms 12:1)

Confession implies compunction. The mere statement of one's fault is not confession. The fault may be aggravated by a heartless mention of it. Some men are very tenacious of their imaginary rectitude; but others think it a pretty accomplishment to be able to speak of themselves as graceless characters. Into the idea of true confession humiliation enters. Confession should be particular. Individual sins must be seen in their hatefulness before the word of forgiveness can come in between them and our conscience. And be not surprised If I add that forgiveness is particular. It is both 'general and particular. " Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" does not relieve the conscience from the necessity of afterwards looking at particular sins forgiven, appreciating their special features of ugliness, and finding relief in the details of divine forgiveness. This shows us how much occasion there is for commerce with God. Confession, prayer, gratitude, these three duties give the soul an amount of business at the throne of grace which it can never overtake. God in his overflowing graciousness does not make us wait for a pretext to come to him; he does not suffer us to find any pretext for ever absenting our selves from him. There can be no true confession of sin without the contemplation of Christ crucified. For, an appreciation of sin is necessary to adequate confession, and this is not obtained save at the cross. If a man has taken from you a thousand pounds, and says, " Forgive me for having purloined a handful of silver from you;" or if he struck your child so that he died, and says, " Forgive me for the injury I did your child;" such confession will not suffice. He must first see his own deed aright. And it is utterly impossible that any sin should be seen in its proper flagrancy, until the Lamb of God is seen to have been slain for it. Confession, forgiveness, purity, these three things stand in indubitable connection in the history of a saved soul. It is a pity to quit this text, having only skimmed it. What does the apostle mean, dear reader, by the words "faithful and just?" Understand this, and you will be an Elijah, a Daniel, a Moses.

A daily devotional written by a Baptist Missionary to India, Reverend George Bowen (1816-1888) over 150 years ago.

Bowen's Daily Meditations

"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. 

The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. § Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. To will is present with me, but how to preform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not do, that I practice. § We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. The Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. § God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Daily Light on the Daily Path or Daily Light is a Christian daily devotional scripture reading published by Bagster & Sons about 1875. It has been reprinted continually since then. It consists of brief groupings of scripture passages which speak to prominent Biblical themes—two themes (morning and evening) for each day of the year. It appends no commentary, but simply allows scripture to speak for itself.

Morning Daily Light

 Who can say, “I have made my heart clean …”? 

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. § Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. § I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I made haste, and did not delay to keep Your commandments. § Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. § We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins. § Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord. 

I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. § I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, and like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. § Your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. § God in Christ forgave you. § That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean. § They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.

 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly. § If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head; therefore my heart fails me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me! So you, by the help of your God, return; observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— these, O God, You will not despise. § He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. § He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

 Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted. 

I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil. § “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” In Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace. It pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself … having made peace through the blood of His cross. § Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness … over the sins that were previously committed … that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. § If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Trust in the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.

 Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me. 

I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. § Who can forgive sins but God alone? I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. § Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity. § Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity? God in Christ forgave you. § The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. § Sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace … Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

 Your sins are forgiven you. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins<cr>1</cr> and purify us from all unrighteousness.<cr>2</cr>

1 John 1:9

If we claim we have not sinned,<cr>1</cr> we make him out to be a liar<cr>2</cr> and his word is not in us.<cr>3</cr>

1 John 1:10

 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins   and purify us from all unrighteousness.   10 If we claim we have not sinned,   we make him out to be a liar   and his word is not in us.  

From Wikipedia: 

The New International Version (NIV) is an English translation of the Bible first published in 1978 by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). The NIV was published to meet the need for a modern translation done by Bible scholars using the earliest, highest quality manuscripts available. Of equal importance was that the Bible be expressed in broadly understood modern English.

The NIV is published by Zondervan in the United States and Hodder & Stoughton in the UK. The NIV was updated in 1984 and 2011 and has become one of the most popular and best-selling modern translations.

OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; additional sources;
NT: UBS Greek New Testament; Novum Testamentum Graece; additional sources;

New International Version

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

1 John 1:9-10

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins   and purify us from all unrighteousness.   If we claim we have not sinned,   we make him out to be a liar   and his word is not in us.  

Bible Verse of the Day

January 27, 2017

1 John 1:9-10 NIV

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