Confessing My Sin
I did something wrong many years ago, and I need to make a confession.
As we go through life, all of us do all sorts of things.
Often, we are not paying attention to what we are doing.
Some have harmed others because of their inattention or negligence.
Some have killed others because of thoughtless or selfish actions.
Eventually, after something bad happens, as we reflect on our lives, our heart is touched and guilt sets in.
So it is with me.

What Did I Do?
When I am honest with myself, I have to realize that I was very selfish,
and I must add foolish.
I was living “my way” the way I wanted to live and nothing else mattered.
I drove crazy as a young driver.
Zipping in and out of traffic and driving faster than was safe.
I put myself in lots of dangerous situations.
Dangerous for me and those around me.
When I think about it, it is a marvel that I have survived to this point.
I was like many of my peers.
Most of them got away with doing stupid things,
Others got caught and needed to be punished.
I always thought: ‘that was their problem’.
I refused to acknowledge that I was the one with a problem, and thus I ignored my responsibility and did foolish things.

This incident I must confess happened many years ago.
Some thought that a severe punishment was appropriate for the crime I committed.
Some people think I should have been punished more severely than I was.
I can be thankful that someone must have seen something in me, and instead of a harsh punishment, I was given a second chance.
This allowed me to get my life right and become a benefit to society.

I share this with you, hoping that you will learn something from my story.
When we are selfish, we do not think about others or how our actions affect them.
We just want what we want and do not consider or even care about others.
As a result, some people are hurt, injured, or even worse.
“Selfish” means I do what I want without regard to my duty or what would help others.

Why Am I Telling This?
They say that confession is good for the soul.
That is very true.
While some might not care, it has bothered my conscience for a long time, and I cannot hold it in.
I thought my sharing my convictions and deepest thoughts would encourage others to do the same.

This is what I did all those years ago:
I killed an innocent person much younger than myself.
The Bible tells us that if we will confess our sins, that He will forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9).
James 5:16 tells us to confess our faults to one another so that we can pray for each other.
Sometimes we do this because we cannot forgive ourselves.
At the time I did this, I did not really know this person I killed.
I had heard about Him, but never got to know Him.
I never took the time, because I was too busy living my own life, that someone else’s life really did not matter to me.

THE PERSON I KILLED WAS JESUS
I may not have arrested Him, but I betrayed Him.
I may not have lied to get Him in trouble, but I most certainly have lied often.
I may not have denied Him back then, but I have denied Him many times since.
I may have not beat Him with rods or whips with rocks and shards of glass, but He still felt the pain.
I may not have nailed His hands and feet with the spikes and hammer.
But it was my hand that held the giant nails while others pounded them into the wood.
I did not lift Him up on the cross, but I am the reason He was.
He was without sin, but I was not.
So, Jesus died for me.
And it really does not seem fair, does it?

This was destined to be:
You see, many years ago, God told mankind that breaking His laws and commandments was punishable with death (Romans 6:23: James 1:15).
That is what I deserved, and I was given that sentence.
But Jesus stepped in and offered to die for me.
After He spared me and made the offer to die in my place, I decided to understand just who this Jesus is.

Jesus Is God’s Plan For Mankind
I learned that from before the earth was formed and the foundations laid that God already had this plan in His mind (Ephesians 1:3-6).
God knew that man would sin because when people are given choices they usually take them.
Often they try both choices to see which one they prefer.
I learned that my choices were often the wrong choices and that there would be consequences.
I have learned that the reason God allowed this to happen is that He loved me, and not me only.
God really loves everyone and wants them to be saved (John 3:16).
God is not willing that any perish and be lost (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9).
God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11).
God has provided everything we need to acquire salvation (2 Peter 1:3).

Conclusion
Hopefully I had you going for a while.
Yet this whole story has to be the story for each of us.
If His death does not touch your heart, you have no hope for salvation.
So, please, learn what Jesus did for you and share that with others.
He offers a pardon and forgiveness.
Take Him up on His offer.
Your soul depends upon your choice.

By Carey Scott

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