Cleaning it Up!

One of the things I enjoy watching is rug cleaning videos. I love how the one cleaning it takes a muddy and very nasty looking rug, applies soap, scrubs and rinses it until it looks new again.
Every time I watch one, I think of how God washes us clean from all sin, only it doesn't take Him hours to do so, and He doesn't need a pressure washer or soap and water! He does it through His blood shed on the cross and in a simple moment, when we place our faith in Him as our Savior.
Sin affects our relationship with God.
Before salvation, we cannot have fellowship with God because of our sin, since God is holy.
Even after we are saved, we will sin, because we still have the old nature living inside of us who wants us to do wrong. 
As a child, I heard someone say when the Christian sins they need to apply the Christian's washing machine verse, which is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” To confess means to agree with God that we did wrong against Him and His commands.
Harboring sin has negative effects on us and others.
~ Sin affects our prayers.
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Iniquity means that we make a conscious choice to sin instead of choosing to do right even though we had the opportunity to do what was right. We must not have known sin in our lives! If there is a sin or sins that God has shown you in your life, delay no longer to confess it to Him, so that His peace can flood your heart and you can have sweet fellowship with Him!
~ Sin affects our health and robs us of joy.
Psalm 38:3-8 says, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.
I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.”
~ Sin hurts others.
Sometimes we think that sin only hurts us, but this is simply not true. Paul says in Romans 14:7 “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” People, especially children, are always watching our lives and learning from us. What we do can have a profound impact on how people live their lives. 
A bitter person will often be a critical person that will gossip or always seems to have something negative to say. An angry person will always find something to be angry about. An unkind person will find ways to hurt people. 
May you and I not be these kinds of people, but rather people who are right with God, joyful and kind in all we do and say, because God commands us in 1 Timothy 4:12 “...be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation [our lifestyle], in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
When we are a poor example of what it means to act like a Christian, we hinder the unsaved from coming to know the Lord and we make sin look okay to others, giving people the impression of “if they can do it, so can I.”
Sin never just affects us, and it always has consequences!
The Attitude of Confession
In Psalm 51 King David shows us the steps and heart of confession to God for forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba.
First, in verses 1 and 2 with a humble and broken heart, he asks “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Second, in verses 3-5 he fully acknowledges his sin and the evil that he did against God. 
Third, in verses 6-19 he desires to walk in truth and have the joy of salvation and forgiveness restored to him so that he can teach others of God's righteousness and praise Him with a pure heart.
What helps us not to sin?
First, the Word of God helps us not to sin. The psalmist said in Psalm 119:11 “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Jesus also quoted Scripture when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness.
Second, Prayer helps us not to sin. Jesus commanded us in Luke 22:40 “And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”
Third, the Holy Spirit helps us to not sin. In John 14:26 Jesus tells us that the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, teaches us what is right and brings the Word of God to our mind. Also, in Romans 8:26 we read that the Holy Spirit prays for us.
Fourth, the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6:10-18 helps us not to sin. We have the belt of truth, that is God's Word, the breastplate of God’s righteousness, the shoes of the peace of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is also God’s Word, and again prayer.
Because God wants us to obey His Word and glorify Him, He has equipped us with all we need to do right. But He is gracious, merciful and forgiving when we do sin and come to Him.
Thank God for His forgiveness and His Word to help us live righteously and victoriously for Him!