Confession

 Though our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for Your name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You

Jeremiah 14:7 ESV

On the face of it, this verse seems genuine. Taken in isolation, it's as though God's people were sincerely repentant. In the context however, they were being disingenuous.

They say all the right things. They're not even asking for their own sakes. They ask for God's sake.

God's people admitted they had persistently backslidden. They knew their iniquities weren't just a flash in the pan. They acknowledged that it was ultimately against the LORD they had sinned.

We can't just get away with our falling short of God's standards. He is holy; He can't simply turn a blind eye. We need to confess our sins, but also to renounce them.

'O LORD, we don't just ask for forgiveness. We plead with You to transform us, for we ask in the name of Jesus, amen'.

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