Break Free With Honesty

The Prussian king, Frederick the Great, once toured a Berlin prison. As was customary when the king came through, the prisoners fell on their knees before him to proclaim their innocence—except for one man, who remained silent. Frederick called to him, "Why are you here?" "Armed robbery, Your Majesty," was the reply. "And are you guilty?" "Yes, indeed, Your Majesty, I deserve my punishment." Frederick then summoned the jailer and ordered him, "Release this guilty wretch at once. I will not have him kept in this prison where he will corrupt all the fine innocent people who occupy it."

It is impossible to break the chains of sin and shame without honesty. The Scriptures make clear that the only person you are fooling is yourself when you attempt to maintain your innocence wrongly.

First John 1:5-8 says, "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, "We have fellowship with him," and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Speaking from a firsthand account, the beloved Apostle John teaches that fellowship with God requires honesty. Without it, God's blessings of peace, hope, joy, and wisdom will become elusive. Instead, frustration, fear, and emotional fatigue will present themselves. Therefore, trying to perpetuate the narrative that you're blameless indicates that you're further away from God than you realize. Rather than trying to conceal your transgressions, the Bible says to confess them. First John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

As you release sin with a sincere confession, God faithfully extends the comfort of His divine forgiveness. Whenever you offer honest admission and repentance, God provides more cleansing power. With this in mind, don't spend another moment masking your mistakes and sins. Come clean with God by being honest and wait for your King, Jesus Christ, to set you free.