Learn from the gem within.

Please read John 4:1-42.

For this Gem, we will focuses on John 4:16-19.

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. … The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?  John 4:16-19, 28-29. KJV.

This true story, told in the scriptures, is a story we all can draw blessings and deep truths from, when we listen to the Words of Christ.

The woman at the well, is a woman that had an extraordinary history. Jesus already knew who she was, and how her life had turned out in time passed. Jesus, as her Saviour, in the Spirit of God, goes about telling the woman about her history. This teaches that he already knew her past. This is the same for all who have ever lived, who is alive today, and who is to come. Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, … Isaiah 46:9-10. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33. There are many times the scriptures declare that Jesus knowest all things. Jesus’ Disciples declare that He did knowest all things, in John 16:30, then Jesus tells His Disciples of things that have not yet come to past, that they would yet do.

Knowing that God and His Son Jesus, know all things, it may bring a question up in one’s mind. Why do we need to confess our sins if God and His Son Jesus, know all things? The answer is our own acknowledgement, which is needed for us to be forgiven of our sins. When we sincerely acknowledge our sins, we realize our need to be forgiven of them. We then acknowledge God by asking Him to forgive us of those sins, in the name of the One that redeemed us from our sins, Jesus Christ our redemptive Lamb. In turn, this draws us closer to God because He has forgiven us of our sins through Jesus Christ. Read Psalms 32:1-11; 73:28; chapter 107; James 4:7-10; Matthew 23:12.

Therefore, when we confess our sins, it’s for our benefit. Read 1 John 1:7-9.

Another lesson to point out is, even though God and His Son Jesus, know all things about us, they still go out of Their way to draw us to them, that we may be with Them forever. This is love. Read John 3:16, 17; 12:32.

When the woman went into the town and call the people to come and see, the Christ. She only tells them that Jesus told her “What she ever did”. She never told the full details, just the simplistic side, and that was, “whatever I did:” Therefore, her dignity in Christ stands; looking forward.

When giving a testimony, instead of telling every detail of our sins to man, we just need to tell the simplistic side; like I have committed some terrible sins, then leave it at that. A Testimony is not confession time, as you have already confessed before God, and God has now forgotten our sins for He remembers them no more. See Isaiah 43:25; 44:22. A testimony is telling of our life at the time Christ called us to Him, and what he had done for us. A testimony could be telling of a wonderful event that happened in our relationship with Him; telling others how God has worked with us in our life, telling a story where it can only be God that did these faithful things for us.

When giving a testimony and we tell all the details of our sins to man, it shames us before man. It keeps us in the past and it only brings us down. This will end up holding us back from going forward. The more we tell people all our details of sin, the more we leave ourselves open for human judgment. As we all know, we humans, tend to remember other people’s sins.

For myself, I really struggle with knowing the things people have done; I wish that I never knew. Why? Because the enemy never lets us forget them. There is nothing wrong with telling someone what we have done if there is a need to help someone in a similar situation to help them rise above, from the down point they are in, to give them hope in Christ, helping them to rise above; just leave out the details.

However, the more we tell the details, the more we stay in that scene. This is the same as thinking about it as well. The more we tell, the more we become suppressed by it, pulling us back where we were. Telling the details is not necessary. If any of us have a mental illness because of sin, or because someone committed a sinful act toward us, or something bad happened in our life; by telling our story over and over, will not help us heal. Yet, one thing is for sure, and that is, giving everything to Christ and looking upon Him, will take us away from the darkness of our past, whatever that may be, and bring us into His healing.

The scriptures tell us, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:1-3. KJV.

Please read the following scriptures, where we will learn that it is a sincere, simplistic confession before God, that is needed, which God has shared with us in the Word that we may know and learn the truth. Note John 8:32.

Luke 15:18, 21; 18:9-14; Psalms 25:11; 32:3-5; 51:3-5; 1 John1:8-10.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

We confess our sins to God. Confess our Faults one to another. And share the very simplistic side of our sin in a testimony.