August 2026
If We Confess Our Sins…
First Baptist, here is another question I have been asked frequently over the years:
“My life seems so full of sin. I do and say things that aren’t right, and I can’t seem to break the pattern.
How can God ever forgive me for all the sins that I have committed?”
Do you ever feel that way?
It is a common question, and an important one.
The Bible gives us this promise in:
1 st John 1:9 – ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’
We read similar words in Psalm 32:5 – ‘I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the guilt of my sin.’
When we sin against God, we have His promise that if we confess those sins before Him, they will be forgiven. We can be restored to a state of purity and cleanliness before a righteous God.
I have sinned many times in my life and will do so again. That is all part of the human condition, as we all live in a fallen state. Having said that, I don’t have to remain in guilt or sadness that God will not
forgive me for my sins. I can stand on the promise of God.
To receive this promise, I must first confess my sins to Him. That doesn’t mean just merely saying words, but being truly repentant, and sincerely sorry for the sins I have committed.
That is the beginning of receiving His forgiveness.
A wonderful example for us to look at and learn from is Psalm 51. There, David pours out his heart to God as he confesses his sins before the Lord. Notice that David stands on God’s promises of forgiveness (verses 1,9). David also knows the sins he has committed (verse 3) and pleads for restoration (verses 10,14,15).
First Baptist, let me encourage you to read all of Psalm 51 slowly, and reflect on what David is saying.
You will find it a great blessing and a reassurance that we serve a God who forgives sin and restores us
to a place of humble repentance before Him.
I pray that God will give each of you the assurance that your sins can and will be forgiven. August 2026 vol. 2026-8 “...became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!”
Pastor Thomas
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July 2026
Are We Walking In The Way Of The Lord?
We read in 2nd Kings 21:19-22 – ‘Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done, for he walked in all the way that his father had walked and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. So he forsook the Lord God of his fathers and did not walk in the way of
the Lord.’
We read these words, and similar words, over and over again in the Bible.
Truth be told, an identical thing is happening today. How many simply turn their backs on God and
walk in their own ways? How many are not content or willing to do things God’s way; to obey His
commandments, to follow Jesus Christ?
Amon repeated the same sins as his father Manassah and walked in the identical way. He served his
father’s idols and even worshiped them! What was wrong with that picture? If you and I are not walking in the way of the Lord, then where and how are we walking? How many people do you know in this condition? They have heard the gospel. They have been raised in a Christian home. They have faithfully attended church, Bible studies, and prayer meetings, and they
still do not walk in the way of the Lord.
How often do you and I do the identical thing?
We profess Christ and tell others that we are Christians. But then we go off and live as we desire, not as
God directs us to do. We say that we know better, but then our sinful nature takes over. It is our rebellious spirits that cause us to dismiss God’s ways and choose our own. We sin and often do not even seek repentance from the Lord. We know His commandments yet freely choose to disobey them.
We would be wise to heed the words of Galatians 5:16 – ‘But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.’ A lesson Amon should have heeded. The same goes for us. So how are you and I walking today? In the way of the Lord or on our own?
Pastor Thomas