Every Room

“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. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.”
1 John 1:9-10 (ESV)

In one of the most unusual stories I’ve ever heard, a man by the name of Nate Roman comes home to Marlboro, Massachusetts, to find his house has been broken into, but nothing is missing. Every room is spotless, floors scrubbed and beds made, with rose-shaped folds of toilet paper waiting in the bathroom. Whoever did it left no note and no name. The mystery remains to this day.

Strange story, I know. But it gives us a glimpse of what Jesus does on the inside when the door opens. It’s a cleansing you could not earn, could not explain, and did not do yourself.

In today’s verse, John describes a process that works in a similar way. "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, NIV). The word "confess" literally means "to say the same thing," calling what God calls sin exactly what He calls it.

Confession means calling an affair adultery, not a mistake. It means calling an exaggeration a lie, not an error. Mistakes need to be corrected, but sins need to be forgiven. Being specific matters because confession is not asking for sympathy. It is agreeing with a holy God about what happened in your heart and in your life.

When you do your part and confess, God does His part and forgives. That is not a possibility. It is a certainty because He is faithful and just. 

You do not have to hope you will be forgiven. You can know it. Jesus will never break into your heart. But if you open the door, He will clean every room.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that calling sin “sin” is humbling, and sometimes I want to avoid that. Today I'm calling it what You call it, and I'm trusting that You are faithful and just to do exactly what You promised. Clean every room, I pray, in Jesus' Name, Amen.