Take Out the Trash

Driving through the neighborhood one evening, I found home after home with trash cans in front of them. The next morning was trash day when all the trash would be picked up and removed. This is a weekly occurrence. People gather up all the trash in their homes and take it to the curb. City employees come with large vehicles that empty the trash cans and take all the trash away to where it will no longer be seen.
If we take an inventory, we may find some trash in our lives. Sinful habits, negative attitudes, doubt, unbelief and unforgiveness all fit into the category of spiritual trash. We must remove it regularly. God desires to always take the garbage of sin far from us. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12 AMP)

All we have to do to take out this spiritual trash is confess our sins. “If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].”  (John 1:9 AMP) We admit that we have done wrong and put it all before the Lord. He will take it away.

It would be rather silly for someone to say, “I've taken the trash out before so I don't need to do it again.” With this attitude trash would accumulate inside the home. If it continually builds up it can become difficult to even navigate pathways through the rooms of the house. Other problems can eventually occur, such as bug and rodent infestation. The end result is never good.
It would likewise be silly for a Christian to say, “I have confessed that sin before. God has promised forgiveness so I'm good.” We are too examine our lives and bring all of our shortcomings to Jesus. This was addressed in Scripture in relation to the observance of the Lord’s Supper. “Let a man [thoroughly] examine himself, and [only when he has done] so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”  (1 Corinthians 11:28 AMP)  When we have looked honestly at our lives, we must simply admit that we have done wrong and ask God, who is ever ready, to forgive us.

Allowing sin to build up will also have detrimental effects. It can break our friendship with God and will cause our relations with others to suffer. It will also make it difficult for us to navigate our walk and find the path that God has planned for His obedient servant. “Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].” (Ephesians 4:18 AMP) Sin causes an inability to see and understand truth.

King David experienced the detrimental effects of unconfessed sin. ^“When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (Psalm 32:3-4 AMP) He goes on to attest to the benefits and freedom that confession brings. “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!” (Psalm 32:5 AMP)

The solution to trash build up is simple. Clean up the trash from the house and take it out to the curb. Likewise admit to and clean the sin out of your heart and confess it to our Heavenly Father. He will forgive and cleanse and make all things new. Like David, we will receive total forgiveness.

Confess your sins to the Lord regularly and enjoy the blessings that accompany His forgiveness.