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Dear brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus, part of the growing repentance remnant, members of His flock, of which Jesus is the Shepherd (John 10:16), Jesus being the first to preach His gift of repentance (Matthew 4:17), now calling on each of us also to preach repentance (Luke 24:47).
The Lord God Almighty, Adonai, counts the hairs on your head; He knew you in your mother's womb.
We are now in a holy time on this day of atonement, a continual Feast of the Lord, Leviticus 23:26-32, for jews and grafted-in gentiles. This day is a time to "afflict your soul."
And now, once you've repented, chosen Him as Lord, and you're in His Flock, John 10:16, you can now honor Him by afflicting your soul every day of the year, honoring the ongoing loving conviction of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
"Afflict your souls" is a needed, cleansing experience for all of us to become His spotless Bride. Ephesians 5:27. Confessing sin is healthy!
A great model is King David! Having sinned, he then confessed them.
Here is Nathan confronting David, 2 Samuel 12:1-14:
And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him,
“There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor. “The rich man had a very large number of flocks and herds, But the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb Which he had purchased and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It ate his food, drank from his cup, it lay in his arms, And was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler (visitor) came to the rich man, And to avoid taking one from his own flock or herd To prepare [a meal] for the traveler who had come to him, He took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for his guest.” Then David’s anger burned intensely against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die. He shall make restitution for the ewe lamb four times as much [as the lamb was worth], because he did this thing and had no compassion.”
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I spared you from the hand of Saul. I also gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your care and under your protection, and I gave you the house (royal dynasty) of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have given you much more! Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will stir up evil against you from your own household; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass [without further punishment]; you shall not die.Nevertheless, because by this deed you have given [a great] opportunity to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme [Him], the son that is born to you shall certainly die.”
Psalm 51 by David directly covers this: [ powerful when spoken aloud!]
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and guilt
And cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; My sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned And done that which is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak [Your sentence] And faultless in Your judgment.
I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied; Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right and steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted and return to You. Rescue me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will sing joyfully of Your righteousness and Your justice. O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
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