Max Lucado is an excellent author with a fresh insight in many areas. I'm reading his daily devotional this year, "God Is With You Every Day" (Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition). Here are his thoughts from January 20.
The Final Word
“The Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.”
Mark 2:10
If you are in Christ, your sin is gone.
It was last seen on the back of your Sin Bearer as he headed out to Death Valley.
When Jesus cried on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46 NIV), he entered the wilderness on your behalf.
He carried your sin away.
He has the final word on your life. And his word is grace.
Jesus did his part. Now do yours.
Give God your guilt.
Tell Jesus what you did. Hold nothing back. Be abundant in your confession, and . . .
Be concrete in your confession.
Go into as much detail as you can. Healing happens when the wound is exposed to the atmosphere of grace.
Exactly what is it that you need forgiveness for?
For being a bad person? That is too general.
For losing your patience and calling your coworker a creep?
There, you can confess that.
Confession, you see, is not a punishment for sin; it is an isolation of sin so it can be exposed and extracted.
Be firm in this prayer.
Satan traffics in guilt. So tell his guilt where to get off.
Speak to it in the name of Jesus. "I left you at the foot of the cross, you evil spirit. Stay there!"
And, for heaven's sake, stop tormenting yourself.
Jesus is strong enough to carry your sin. Did he not say he would do so?
Believe him! He has the final word.
(Before Amen)