[Gary Petty] We're doing a series of "BT Dailies" on God's promises. Now, God makes promises to us. Sometimes we don't think about that, but He does. And He is faithful, to give us those promises. Our faith, to a great extent, is on how much we believe and trust in God's promises. Many times, we don't receive God's promises because well, we just don't believe what He says, and that He's going to do what He says. 

Here's a promise that God makes. And this is according to the Apostle John. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is faithful. He did not send Jesus Christ here to die for us as a game. It's not something He takes lightly. When we accept that sacrifice, and we give our lives to God in total forgiveness, or total repentance, He gives us total forgiveness. We repent, He forgives. We accept that sacrifice and that sacrifice is applied to us, and He is faithful to do this. 

And here's a problem we have as Christians. How many times are we holding on to some sin from the past that keeps us from fully living like a forgiven person? You know, if you truly understand that you are a forgiven person, you're gonna have freedom to live a righteous life. You're gonna want to avoid sin, you're gonna want to do what God says because why? Because you received the gift of forgiveness. "He is faithful,"John said, "to give us that forgiveness." We repent, and He gives it to us. It's a promise. 

Take God's promises. Go to God and say, "Please apply your promise to me. Please forgive me, and let me live with the freedom of forgiveness, the freedom to obey, the freedom to live life, without sin," as we grow as Christians. It also means that when we do slip and fall, God doesn't give up on us. It's a promise He is faithful. Every time we go back and we claim that sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. That's a promise from God. That's a promise you need to grab hold of. 

This is a series of programs of BT Dailies we're doing on Promises of God. Join us next time for another promise.