What is the hardest word that man finds it difficult to say? It is these words, “ I am wrong”.

-For those who are proud it is hard to admit their wrong and they cannot believe they have sin.

-Mt 4:17 “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” The beginning of Christianity is to first to repent that is admitting and acknowledging that we have sinned and recognize our weaknesses and therefore need salvation.

-In this society that we live today, there is few who will willingly admit and acknowledge their mistakes. Eg would a teacher, father, spouse, boss admit willingly their wrongs and mistakes.

• Even in church, a member, preacher, elder, deacon to admit their mistake or wrong in public is also not easy.

-However there are members, ministers who are humble and are readily to acknowledge their mistakes but the number may be few. So it is important to recognize this and we will study from the bible some of the bible incidents and characters.

2) Another circumstance is “ I did not do any wrong” but blame others instead. -Gen 3:12 -13 Adam and Eve were pushing their responsibility. Adam blamed on his wife and God. Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate”. He did not even called the woman Eve and to push the responsibility to God who created the woman for him.

• It is difficult for men to admit their wrong but blame the church, God and others but himself.

3) It is not my wrong but God

-Gen 4:4-5 Cain was very angry as he felt he has done what he should have done and did no wrong. God should have accepted his offering and should not treated him differently from his younger brother, Abel.

-He did not self examined but blame God.

-Gen 4:7 God told him, “if you do well will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you but you must rule over it.

-Sometimes, would we as Christians instead of examing ourselves blame God and feel that God has done wrong?

4)Another phrase, “ I admit I am wrong, but I am forced to do this”. -Seemed that Aaron is not wrong but was “forced” into the circumstance. Ex 32:21-25 Aaron blamed the people for the people forced to Make an idol for the Israelites. Aaron was the leader and when Moses looked for who was wrong. Aaron blamed the people that said these people were evil. He was afraid of the people, he does not want to offend them and was afraid that he will be killed. However he was the leader and should have rebuked the people for such suggestion. He instead pushed all his responsibility to the people. He said many things but he did not admit “ I am wrong”. So he pushed his responsibility to the others and to God.

4) Another person. Even though I die I will not admit my wrong. Jonah 4:9 Jonah said, “ Yes I do well to be angry angry enough to die.” To Jonah, even if he died he did no wrong.

-In the presence of God, we cannot be proud and refuse to admit wrong.

-To Jonah he refused to acknowledge his wrong.

5) The Pharisees is another group that they would not admit their sins but instead like to criticize, judge others. Lk 18 The parable of Jesus, one a sinner who were full of remorse and was repentful of his sins. Another was a Pharisee who was proud, self righteous and prayed aloud boasting what good he has done and compared his righteousness with a sinner. God will instead hear the prayer of the sinner who is humble and repentful.

-The parable of Jesus is to bring the importance of being repentful and admitting sins. The first step of repentance is to acknowledge and admit the wrongs and sins. Even though acknowledging your wrongs will mean that they will need to repent. To correct the wrongs that you have done. So after admitting your mistake you need to correct your evil ways.

-Do not just admit your wrongs, but you need to change.

-The prodigal son was repentul, he said he has sin against God and his father. He felt that he was not even worthy to be a son and servant. Once he repented he also changed before the father.

If someone can admit their mistake easily and request forgiveness may not be sincere. This may not be true repentance.

-1 Samuel 15:24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned for I have transgressed the commandment of the lord and your words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice”. Initially King Saul did not admit his mistake and gave a lot of excuses until prophet Samuel asked him to stop.

-1 Sam 15:16 “Stop I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.

-1 Sam 15:30 This is the second time King Saul that he has sinned with ulterior motive. He asked Samuel to honour him before the elders of the people and before Israel that he may bow before the Lord of Samuel’s God.

-1 Sam 24:16-17 this is the first time King Saul admitted his wrong yet King Saul continued to pursue and wanted to kill David.

-1 Sam 26:21 For second time King Saul said he has sinned and asked David to return and he promise no more do harm to David.

-1 Sam 27:1 David no longer trusted King Saul and ran away to the Philistine which is the enemy of the Israelites.

-I have sinned and need the salvation of God.

-To a humble person, a person who truly repents before God, it can sincerely spoken to admit and acknowledge their wrong.