Next Slide – How Can We Quickly Reestablish Our Fellowship with God After We’ve Sinned?

I was inspired a few weeks ago while teaching my class on chapters 5 and 6 of my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession. These chapters explain the biblical connection between God’s presence and human work, using numerous examples from both Old and New Testaments. As I facilitated a discussion on how to respond when we lose our sense of God’s presence due to our sin through repentance and confession, I was reminded of an attention-getting term I learned from a crusty old sergeant major whom I served with in the Republic of Korea nearly 20 years ago.

This senior leader had a habit of saying something positive immediately following a mentoring session where he provided some constructive criticism or just plain chewed me out. When he was done with his one-way conversation with me, he would say, “Next slide.” What he meant was that he was done with the confrontation and that we were moving on to something else. If I saw him later on that same day, there would be absolutely no mention of our discussion. It would never come up.

During my class, I was able to apply this mentoring tool to how God deals with us after we have confessed our sin to Him, in accordance with what we are taught from 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us for all unrighteousness.” Once we bring our sin to the throne of grace, humbly acknowledge ownership of it, express our desire to turn from it, thank God for the forgiveness that we have through faith in Christ, and ask for strength to resist the temptation in the future, I believe the Bible teaches that God says to us in essence, “Next slide!”

I sense that many Christians do not consistently experience the presence of God in their life due to not knowing how to deal with their own sins. I wrote an article on my blog a while ago on how to reestablish our fellowship with God after we find that we have sinned, which I also included in my book. I also wrote an earlier article on resting on God’s forgiveness and grace. Let’s go a little bit deeper here so that my brothers and sisters in Christ will know for sure how to return to fellowship with God quicker and more frequently as a recurring practice so that they can experience God’s presence daily.

What does God say about His followers?

The starting place for this discussion must be our new identity in Christ. Do you know who you are?

Here are some of the irreversible changes that happen to us when we become Christians:

• The Spirit of God brings them to life in order to see the gospel clearly (Eph. 2:1-5)
• We become His children (John 1:12)
• We are new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17)
• We have eternal security: No one can take us out of His hand (John 10:28-29)
• Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ find complete forgiveness (Acts 2:38)

What does God say about our sin?

For some reason, a lot of Christians do not understand the doctrine of justification. Simply put, forgiveness of our sins is based on Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross where He paid the penalty for all of your sins and my sins, past, present and future. It is not based on what we do or do not do.

In Ps. 103, David tells us what happens when God forgives our iniquities. David exclaims, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:11-12).

The prophet Jeremiah says something similar in a passage describing what will be normative in the New Covenant when the Messiah comes: “I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). This verse is quoted in Heb. 8:12 and 10:17. We are in those days right now!

What is the purpose of confession?

I have written about Psalm 51 in a previous article, but let us take a fresh look at it.

Please read this psalm that was written by David in direct response to his sin with Bathsheba. His confession involved asking God for mercy (Ps. 51:1). He wants to be washed clean (vv. 2, 7, 9, and 10) so that his fellowship with God can be restored (v. 12). He knows that he sinned against God.

In Psalm 32, David reflects on the blessedness of experiencing God’s forgiveness. He states, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Ps. 32:1). He paints a picture of how he felt before and after confessing (either the big one mentioned above or other sins in general, we do not know). “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Ps. 32:3-4). He confessed his sin, God forgave him, and his guilt was gone (Ps. 32:5).

Regarding 1 John 1:9, which we discussed above. It is important that you understand and accept that you don’t receive God’s forgiveness after you confess. You already have it if you are His child through faith in Jesus. What you are doing when you confess is reestablishing your fellowship.

Brother Lawrence understood the value of confession. In a letter he penned, he wrote: “I consider myself as the most wretched of men, full of sores and corruption, and who has committed all sorts of crimes against his King. Touched with a sensible regret, I confess to Him all my wickedness, I ask His forgiveness, I abandon myself in His hands that He may do what He pleases with me. The King, full of mercy and goodness, very far from chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat as His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite. It is thus I consider myself from time to time in His holy presence.”

How can we daily rest in His grace and mercy?

Once a Christ-follower understands who they are in Christ and how God sees their sin, all they have to do from that point forward is continually confess their sin as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts them. After that, all they need to do is to rest in His mercy and grace and acknowledge His presence.

In order for us to remain in a continuous state of rest we must acknowledge that what God’s Word says about sin, about the new creations that we are in Christ, and what forgiveness truly means, regardless of how we feel. We may not feel like we are forgiven, but we are. We may think that God is disappointed in us and will judge us later for our sins, but He is not, and He will not.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is our high priest. As a result, he exhorts us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence” whenever we need to do so (Heb. 4:15-16). There, we will find God’s mercy (not giving us what we deserve) and His grace (giving us more than we deserve).

While I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ as a young college student, I learned about “spiritual breathing”. I was taught that whenever I sinned or a sin was brought to my mind to confess it (exhale) and then ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit (inhale). After practicing this technique for the past 40 years, it has become a habit. Some days I have to confess more than others, but it works.

In closing, I want to encourage those who constantly struggle with guilt, shame, or being hesitant to enter into God’s presence after confessing your sins to practice what we read earlier. You can come confidently, boldly, unashamedly to God’s throne because it is characterized by grace. We don’t deserve forgiveness, but He gives it freely because Jesus already paid the penalty for all your sins.

Understanding that you are forgiven completely whenever you sincerely repent and confess your sins will quite naturally lead you to imagine God saying to you, “What sin?” and then, “Next slide!”

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 41 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence and integrate their Christian faith at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for the past 14 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written nearly 200 articles on faith and work topics. One hundred of these articles have been published on several Christian organization’s websites, including: the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See list of published articles on Linktree.)

The Triune God is a Worker

(Note: Much of the article below was taken from chapter 3 of my book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession. This article was posted on the Coram Deo blog.)

Some preparatory remarks might be appropriate before I describe how each member of the Godhead works. I believe in an orthodox Christian view of the Trinity which is usually articulated as “One in essence; three in persons.” I tend to lean more towards the threeness rather than the oneness, which might differ from those whose Christian experience is lived out by relating to mostly one member.

Work is good because God works

One of the foundational concepts of a Christian theology of work is that work is intrinsically (by nature, fundamentally, or inherently) valuable. This is true mostly because God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are revealed as workers. This is in direct contrast to the common but false belief that work itself is part of the curse. This is an incorrect view because God reveals that He is a worker in Gen. 1:1 and the Fall of man where work is cursed by God is found in Gen. 3.

First, as was mentioned, in Gen. 1:1, God is introduced to us as a worker. He created the heavens and the earth. In this creative process, God specifically did two things that only He can do. He made something out of nothing, and He brought order out of chaos. In Mastering Monday, John Beckett indicates, “God’s nature was, and is, to work. This key aspect of his identity stands in stark contrast to other world religions whose god or gods are passive, abstract, and inactive.” 

In Gen. 2:2-3, we see that the word work is used of God no less than three times. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” It does not say that work was hard for God. It only states plainly that God worked. He was active in the process of creating. He did it all.

Tim Keller, in Every Good Endeavor, reminds us that when God’s work of creation was complete, He found delight in His work: “God finds what he has done beautiful.  He stands back, takes in ‘all that he has made,’ and says, in effect, ‘That’s good!’ Like all good and satisfying work, the worker sees himself in it.” The fact that the creation is good will be important later.

Moreover, God continuously works to sustain His creation. In Acts 14:16-17, Paul preaches, “He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (See also Ps. 65:9-13 and 104:10-31.)

Let me expand on this idea of God being a worker. I will explain how each member of the Trinity functions as a worker, which reinforces this concept that work is intrinsically good.

The work of God the Father

Let us start with God the Father. In Exo. 15:11, we see that there is no one like God, who works wonders for His people. Later, in Exo. 34:10, we read that Yahweh expresses his covenant love and faithfulness to Israel. He will do awesome work for them. And He does.

The book of Psalms has a lot to say in this regard. In Ps. 8:3-6, David declares that God’s work is reflected in His creation. (See also Ps. 19:1 and 102:25.) In light of the wonders of the universe that God made, David marvels at the fact that God created mere humans to rule over His creation, putting all things under their feet. The idea that we are God’s coworkers to rule over and care for creation is found in the first two chapters of Genesis, as we will explain shortly.

In Ps. 111:2-7, God works to show His grace, mercy, providence, power, and faithfulness. David, in Ps. 139:13-16, acknowledges that Yahweh created him, gave him life, and knows what will take place in his lifetime. In Ps. 143:5, David ponders the work God does as Creator and deliverer, which reflects who He is. This gives us hope for the future, causing us to trust in and worship Him.

We read from the prophet Isaiah that “we are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa. 64:8). God sovereignly works in the circumstances and hearts of His people to prepare them to do His work and to mold them as He desires to fulfill His purposes.

Skipping to the New Testament, the beloved apostle John emphasizes that God the Father is a worker. In John 5:17, Jesus said that God is always at work. In the epistles Paul comforts his readers in Rom. 8:28 with this truth: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

In Phil. 1:6, Paul confidently reminds the church in Philippi that God “who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” This is the work of sanctification. Quoting Ps. 102:25, the writer of Hebrews reminds the church that God’s creation of the world is identified as “the work of your hands” (Heb. 1:10). The Bible clearly demonstrates that God the Father is a worker who will continue to work in us, with us, through us, and all around us.

The work of Jesus

Let us now look at Jesus the worker. I want to focus on His work as the Son of God.

Throughout the Gospel accounts, but especially in the synoptics, we see Jesus working primarily as teacher and healer. In Matt. 11:5, Jesus replied to John the Baptist’s disciples, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Even the Pharisees acknowledged that Jesus’s healing ministry was work. They called attention to it when it was done on the Sabbath (Luke 13:14).

John 1:1-3 paints a vivid portrait of Jesus being present prior to and at creation. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (See also Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:2-3.) In John 4:34, Jesus said that His food, that which gave Him nourishment and satisfaction, was to do God’s will and to finish the work that His Father had called Him to do.

In John 5:17, when Jesus healed a lame man at Bethesda, He stated that His Father was always working and that He also was working. Jesus explained in John 5:19 that He does that which He sees the Father doing. Jesus mentioned in John 5:36 that the work He was doing was because God the Father had given it to Him to finish. Later, Jesus said, “It is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14:10). In John 17:4, Jesus stated in His prayer that He completed the work the Father gave Him to do. The work Jesus finished was the work of revelation and redemption.

The work of the Holy Spirit

Next, we need to examine the work of the Holy Spirit. Grudem’s Systematic Theology highlights, “The work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world, and especially in the church. This definition indicates that the Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity whom the Scripture most often represents as being present to do God’s work in the world.” Note once again the connection between work and God’s presence.

In Acts 1:8, we read that the Holy Spirit would work through the church. We see the results of the Spirit’s work in those who heard Peter’s Spirit-filled message, where 3,000 changed lives were added to their number. The apostle Paul writes in Col. 1:28-29 that he proclaims Jesus by admonishing and teaching everyone so that their faith may be complete. Paul acknowledges that he is only able to work hard by the power of the Holy Spirit, who works in him and in those he teaches. In 2 Thes. 2:13-14, we observe that Paul reminds his readers that they have been chosen and were called to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, we have one verse that shows every member of the Godhead working together.

In 1 Thes. 2:13, Paul is thankful that the church in Thessalonica accepted God’s Word, which is described as being at work in those who believe. This living Word of God came from the Father, was revealed by Jesus, and was given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God has always used His Word to transform lives. Its power is still effective in every believer’s heart and mind today.

I trust that these passages will cause you to see the value of the ordinary work you do. Because God is a worker, all legitimate work that we do is good. Additionally, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit continue to work to sustain the creation. God has graciously chosen to use us as His coworkers to rule over, care for, and expand His kingdom on earth. Our work matters as God works through us.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 41 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence and integrate their Christian faith at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math and science teacher and youth minister. He served for 20.5 years on active duty and has worked for the past 14.5 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written nearly 200 articles on faith and work topics. One hundred of these articles have been published on several Christian organization’s websites, including: the Center for Faith & Work at LeTourneau University, Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See list of published articles on Linktree.)