Have you ever considered the influence others have had on you, especially as it relates to knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior?

Before I committed my life to Christ, we had family members who professed Jesus as Lord and Savior. However, they committed the same sins as mine. They failed to exemplify a Christian lifestyle.

Once I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus, God, through His Holy Spirit, began to convict me of my sin. I sought to be cleansed of all unrighteousness. 

God is always faithful to cleanse us of unrighteousness when we confess our sins. It is promised in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” The condition in this promise is that we confess our sins. That means that we must accept the responsibility for our sins. We then need to be honest with God as we confess to Him our guilt. His Holy Spirit will relieve our hearts of the burden that sin cast because Jesus bore the burden. All praise and glory to our great God.

When we confess our sins to God that may be the only action necessary. However, if our sin impacted someone in such a manner that we need to make the situation right with someone, we must ask the person’s forgiveness. This action goes a long way in exhibiting what faith in Jesus looks like.

When God’s people take responsibility for their sins, it goes a long way for others to experience how great our God is to us. Isn’t that what we want others to understand? We want others to come to the knowledge of how great our God is, how forgiving He is, because we all need His forgiveness. 

When God’s people have wronged someone and fail to apologize and ask forgiveness that can cast doubt on Jesus. As God’s people we represent Him. It is our responsibility to represent Him well.

Consider God’s words to the Israelites, given to His prophet Ezekiel to deliver:

Ezekiel 36:16-21: “Again the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, when the people of Israel were living in their own land, they defiled it by their conduct and their actions. Their conduct was like a woman’s monthly uncleanness in my sight. So I poured out my wrath on them because they had shed blood in the land and because they had defiled it with their idols. I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered through the countries; I judged them according to their conduct and their actions. And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’ I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone.”

Do you see how God’s people had cast doubt on the character and person of God in these verses from Ezekiel? Do you see how God held them accountable for that behavior? What steps might you and I take so that we walk humbly with our God, rather than profaning His name in any way?

As a follower of Jesus Christ it is my privilege to have an intimate relationship with Him. As a result, I don’t want to cast any doubt about Jesus’ love, forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion, power, wisdom, knowledge, and so much more. 

When I fail to exalt Him, I confess my sin to Him, and because of Jesus’ cleansing blood I am able to continue without condemnation. Romans 8:1 assures me of this truth: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

If you are living under condemnation, you can be released through a relationship with Jesus. Do you want to live in true freedom? Freedom only comes through Jesus. Freedom will never be found in amassing worldly wealth, obtaining a worldly position, or in having people as friends who are esteemed by the world. 

Please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com if you would like to talk about a living relationship with the Lord.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.