Freedom from the power of sin

" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John1:9

"for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. " Romans 10:10

"Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working."

I may have read I John 1:9 hundreds of times. but each time my heart was drawn to the forgiveness of sin promised. This is the Verse of the Day on the Bible app today, and this time my heart was drawn to the second promise: He will cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Well, that is quite a promise. What does it mean? 

The key, I believe, is in understanding what "confess" means. Yes, it does mean verbally stating the sin, in the presence of a brother or sister, but it is much deeper than that. For God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, our hearts must be CONVICTED of sin, and have the same hatred for it that God does. According to 2 Tim 2:25, the hatred of sin and the desire for repentance is a gift of God. Perhaps this is the most precious gift of all, for a repentant heart is one that is ready to enter into the Life of God. 

A dark time is approaching, saints. The world desperately needs saints who will "shine as the brightness of the firmament and turn many to righteousness" (Daniel 12:3). We cannot afford to allow sin to "dwell in our mortal bodies" (Romans 6:2). Let us therefore  "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews12:1). May the Holy Spirit grant us this, saints!