Is unconfessed sin hindering your life in Christ?

Yesterday’s devotional got a lot of feedback which I like. It helps me to know that someone is reading this and that it is in some way useful. Today I want to talk about unconfessed sin and the affects it has on your walk with God and someone’s pray life. If you don’t understand where I am coming from let me start by sharing this scripture Psalm 51:1-5,

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

I know the world does not agree with this but the Bible confirms we are all born sinners. From the day of conception we are born to into a sin life. When we except Jesus as Lord he forgives us of our sins and has created a new person in us. The problem remains that we are just earthen vessels that will fail from time to time. Christians are not perfect we just have someone who is and Jesus was willing to take the punishment (That is death by the way) for sin in our place. Jesus stands in that gap. It was brought to my attention yesterday one of these sins and it was unforgiveness. Mark 11:25, “²⁵ and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Are you holding on to something that was done to you? Does someone or something have power over you? It’s time to let it go. If un-forgiveness is in your heart it is a hindrance to what God has for you. That is just an example of a sin you may be holding on too. I like many of you have read the Bible through and am always amazed to find a verse that did not mean much the first time I read it but the last time you did it was so relevant to you; you just had to stop and reflect. I have found a verse like that 2 Corinthians 13:5, “⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?” A life as a Christian requires that we daily test ourselves. We must examine our hearts and ask the Lord to reveal things that prevent us from serving Him. The standard for the test is the word of God found in you Bible if something in your life is contradictory to the Word than you may need to examine it. I don’t know what you may be struggling with unforgiveness, hatred, anger, pornography, alcoholism the list of possible hidden sins is a varied as the people that might read this. The only thing I can tell you is that to find the true purpose God has for you; you must first confess those sins to him. I will share a personal item here When God convicted me of my addiction to pornography I confessed it first at an altar, than to the men of my Sunday school class than I had to confess it to my wife. (God will give you a release to confess things when his spirit has prepared the way especially when it could have bad consequences like the end of a marriage) I did not have peace about it until then and God has blessed my marriage so much since. I am so grateful that God has taken that desire away. Yes there are days the devil tempts I just know that, “He that is in me is stronger than he that is in the world” May God Bless were ever your shadow falls today and whatever lives you come in contact with.