daily java

This article was written for the jail ministry magazine, Real Freedom, at Cooper County Jail in Boonville, MO.

Daily Java:

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 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. (1 John 1:8-9)

Nobody likes to be wrong. Everybody likes to be right. And sometimes you can make somebody really made if you tell him he is wrong.

But sooner or later, everybody is wrong. The key is knowing it and admitting it.

You have done everything you could to do what you thought was right and now here you are in a jail cell wearing black and white stripes. Obviously, something has gone wrong with your life.

Jesus says that he had that which will repair your life, make it new and let you start over again. And not only can you start over again, you can start over again every day. You don’t just get a second chance – you get a continual second chance.

If we let him into our hearts, if we accept his grace, if we confess to him that we have sinned and call on his name, he will make us perfect. Sure, we will still be in jail, but we can know now that in the long run what we have done wrong will not count against us. At least not in his mind.

With him in our lives and in our hearts, we will be perfect, sinless. Again, we still have things we are dealing with, but when God looks at us, he doesn’t see the stupid idiot we can be. He sees one of his children. And he calls us to be better. But he also will help us be better. We don’t have to struggle by ourselves.

In fact, struggling by yourself will get you where you are right now. Giving your heart to God will get you into his presence.

Confessing that he is Lord and that you have sinned, asking him to come into your heart – this is what will save. And it is what will make you children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and children of his love.