Key scripture -“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10).

After David had sinned by committing adultery, and having the husband of the woman that he had the affair with murdered, he said in Psalm 51:3, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.”

Have you ever had your sin to be “ever” before you? So much so that the deed reverberates through your consciousness unendingly.

Your conscience is an inner judge that God puts in you that accuses or excuses you. It cannot make you do right, but it shows you what is right or what is wrong and when your conscience is right, you have tremendous freedom. A good conscience will do something for you that a sleeping pill could never do.

What is your conscience “telling” you today? Are you right with God? Are you right with others?

First and foremost, you have to go before God and admit your sin, ask for forgiveness, and turn away from that sin forever.

Secondly, is God telling you that even though He has forgiven you of a particular sin you need to go to someone that you sinned against and ask forgiveness or confess openly a sin that you committed that is still hanging out there and make restitution. For example, did you cheat on your taxes, lie on a job application or lie about a report that you prepared for work, lie to a family member about something, tell lies about someone, spread gossip, commit a crime and you never got caught, or are you holding a grudge against someone and withholding forgiving them, if so, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to do and if He tells you to go apologize and make things right, then do it.

A good example of this in the Bible is Zachaeus. He was as corrupt as they come; he was a chief tax collector and people looked on him as a sinner above sinners, but when he met Jesus his conscience was awakened and his heart was changed. After Jesus became his Lord, Zachaeus was forgiven of his sins, and he announced that he would pay back four times the amount of the money that he had stolen from people.

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10).

Zacchaeus knew that he had not gotten all that he had honestly and fairly, instead some of it was by unlawful means, and what he had gotten unlawfully he promised to repay times four.

True children of God who express sorrow for their sins want to make it right with the people that they have hurt. We see that with Zaccheaus, he was not forced to pay the people back that he had ripped off, he did not say, “If I get sued, I will do it”, instead, he volunteered to do it.

Like Zacchaeus, when we know we have done wrong we show our sincerity by making restitution when the Holy Spirit prompts us to do it.

All that you have to do is go to that person and tell them what you did was wrong and it was a sin against God and a sin against them. Tell them God has already forgiven you, and that you are apologizing to them for what you did and that you are so sorry. If what you did involved taking something from them, then repay them for it. When you do it, you will be amazed at the freedom you feel. The truth will truly set you free.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, give me the strength to lay aside my pride and humble myself before You in complete obedience. I know that all things work together for my good and Your glory, and this will too. I need to walk in faith and to trust You by following and doing what the Holy Spirit tells me to do about the sins in my past that I have committed against other people. I know that You have forgiven me and You remember my sins no more, but every once in awhile some sins do cross my mind and that is what Satan is using to hold me hostage so that I do not feel worthy enough to talk to others about You. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 3:15). Father, I draw near to You and I ask that my conscience be cleansed. I pray that the Holy Spirit show me who I need to go to to make things right. “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22). I know that You want me to be free indeed and not let shame and guilt have any type of a hold on me and that is why You want me to apologize and make right what I did in my past against others. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.