Admit that you are a Sinner

If we are to make any progress in the area of positive change in our lives we must be brave enough to admit our short comings.  Failure in this area is what keeps many from salvation.  To obtain salvation we must admit that we need to be saved; we have to admit that we are a sinner.  If I were to tell you that you are a liar, you would likely dispute that hotly and be totally outraged at such a suggestion.  However, if we are honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that we are not truthful 100% of the time.  For me, lying was my most pervasive sin.  Self preservation was my motivation.  I avoid conflict like the plague.  There was no accusation I was willing to face, including the one that I was less than truthful.  Rationalization is another slight-of-hand we use to cover up our sins.  We get very legalistic in our justification.  This was one area God truly convicted me in, since I was the master of manipulation.  Simply because everything I actually say is true, does not make it truth if my intention is to lead someone to a false conclusion.

I am happy, strange as that might seem, to say that I finally admitted to myself that I was a liar.  I was happy beyond words, and the reason was that once I faced my demon, I could work on getting better.  What disease is to the body, sin is to the spirit.  You cannot treat what you do not recognize.  It is true that God hates sin, but He hates it for what it does to us and our relationship with Him.  God is holy.  He says, in Leviticus 20:26, “Be holy, for I am holy.”  We know God is holy and we are not, and that prevents us from coming to Him, but that is not His desire at all.  He desires to cleanse and pardon, not punish.

That’s another trick of the enemy to keep us from God, making us think that we have to get cleaned up before we can come to God.  That’s completely the opposite of the process!  We come to God and He helps us clean up.  “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).  God wrote Book for us to know all things pertaining to life and godliness.  Satan definitely doesn’t want you to read the Bible.  He has done a very good job of persuading us not read it.  There are a million excuses as to why we do not read the Bible, some I used myself for years.  Even now, when I know how critical it is, I make excuses.

The first step on the road to recovery in an area of your life you struggle with it so admit that you have a problem.  If you have wronged someone, be brave enough to say so, and to try and mend whatever is broken.  If you have some sin in your life that is holding back your Christian walk, admit it (to yourself and to God cause He already knows) and prayerfully see the Lord’s guidance.

He is always available and He longs to help you, but to receive help, you have to first ask.  “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:3).  Begin on the road to recovery today.  If you know there is an area you struggle in, ask God to show you how to get victory; if you don’t know what things in your life are not pleasing to God, ask Him to show you.  There is no problem that cannot be solved between you and God if you will give Him the chance to help.