Broken BreadDaily Devotions from the Daily Lightby Evan HopkinsJuly 8If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.--I John 1:9This confession is not a mere acknowledgement of sins in general, but points to specific and definite acts. Now if we, being conscious of sins, confess them to God, what is it that we may expect? "He is faithful and just to forgive." How many a sin burdened soul has stumbled at these words! How can God be just to forgive? Is not His justice on the side of our condemnation? If the words had been "He is gracious and merciful to forgive," there would have been no dificulty in understanding them. And yet, when rightly understood, the words as they stand in the Scripture are full of far deeper comfort and encouragement than if God's attributes of grace and mercy had occupied their place. For we have here a Father's revelation of the fact that our pardon rests on infinite justice in carrying out the terms of the covenant which He made with His Son, when that Son undertook to meet all the claims of God's righteous law on our behalf. The Son having completed His side of the eternal covenant, the Father binds Himself to fulfill His.