Finding Hope

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some men count slackness:
but is longsuffering to usward,
not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance" (2Peter 3:9).

Hope of eternal life begins with Repentance. To repent is to alter one's way of looking at life, and this alters one's behavior. We therefore take God's point of view instead of our own. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19).

Let us listen to this song "At the Cross I Bow My Knees."

It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of your understanding concerning confession and believing. Let us examine what the Holy Scriptures have to say about this matter.

Romans 10:9-10 says: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." I John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

When we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with Him that what we did, said or thought was wrong. When we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are in agreement with Him that we need a Savior and that we cannot handle things on our own.

Believe means to trust in, rely upon and adhere (obey) to what the Word of God says. The Lord wants us to put ALL of our trust in Him, to rely upon Him for EVERYTHING and to obey what He tells us. This is for our benefit because when we do these things, He will bless us for His glory.

A Prayer from Psalm 51.

51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Now, thank the Lord, who gives you joy, because the heavy burden of sin, guilt and shame has been lifted.