1 John 1:8-10

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives." 1 John 1:8-10

What is it that God desires of us? Does God not desire us to be honest about ourselves and our sin? Yes! He desires genuine honesty about our sin. John writes that if we claim to be without sin, then we are deceiving ourselves. There is not one of us who is perfect. Does God desire us to be perfect? Of course! Jesus is perfect and our goal is to become like Him, but God knows that this is a process. As God's people we still are tempted and fall, and we need to be honest about our sinfulness. We should never be satisfied with our sinfulness, but honest about it. When we do sin, we need to confess to God our sin. John is addressing Christians who have been saved completely by the death and resurrection of Christ, so why is it necessary to confess our sin to God? I believe the Scriptures are clear that salvation is based on faith in Christ alone! We don't earn it nor do we deserve it, but God has rescued us and eternally sealed us; however, when we sin our fellowship with God is broken! We need to humble ourselves before God and confess our sins! When we do that, He forgives us our sin and purifies us from all unrighteousness so that we might have fellowship with Him again. If we claim that we have not sinned, we make God out to be a liar! God convicts us of our sin by His Word and the Holy Spirit, when we ignore that conviction and convince ourselves and others that we have not sinned then we need to do some soul searching. John tells us that God's word has no place in the life of that kind of person. So what is John saying through all of this? I believe he is telling us to be honest with ourselves, others, and God about our sinfulness. We have not arrived, so don't pretend to have! But we do have a Savior who restores us when we have fallen and leads us to become more like Him. I often say that God doesn't expect us to be sinless but to sin less. Its a process that we need to be honest and broken about, allowing God to lead you to become more like Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Navigating a Culture of "Pride" as a Christian

 June has been known as Pride Month ever since President Bill Clinton announced it back in 1999, and it has gained more and more steam since, particularly in the last 5 years.  It has made its way into small towns, into schools, and into the faith community as well.  In many ways it has become the loudest voice of the culture we live in, especially in the month of June.  It is a topic all over social media, the film industry, and media itself.  The agenda to normalize issues such as homosexuality and gender identity is pervasive.  You can hardly watch a series on main stream television, much less cable tv, without being confronted with these issues.  Some of the most prominent influences and influencers are now targeting children as their primary audience.  All of this has quickly shaped our culture, and anyone who thinks that the bombardment of these influences do not really have an effect on people, I would challenge them to learn about marketing.  The developments in the past 10 yea
Read more

Humanism in Christian Clothing

 I find myself more and more baffled by some of the things that I see posted on social media and how it seems to connect with so many.  I saw a post that quoted a pastor that said, "When your spirituality denies someone's humanity, it isn't spirituality, it's hatred wrapped up in religiosity."  The post attributes this to Mark Sandlin.  I don't know this pastor, if he really said it, or what the context was surrounding the quote.  However, it would seem reasonable to assume that the individual posting the quote was implying that if your spirituality leads you to conclude that homosexuality, transgenderism, or any other LGTBQ+ issue is sin, and you don't think it is the public schools job to normalize this, then you are denying someone's humanity, thus your spirituality is really not spirituality... it is hatred wrapped in religiosity.  This is a really odd statement for several reasons. 1.  What makes something spiritual?  Who defines what this is?  Is
Read more

Why Israel Still Matters in God's Plan

When someone professes faith in Christ and becomes a Christian, they enter in what the Scriptures calls the New Covenant.  This New Covenant is considered a greater covenant than the Old Covenant or Mosaic Covenant.  The Jewish people related to God through the Old Covenant for thousands of years.  Ultimately, this covenant pointed out one very important truth about life... Mankind naturally turns away from the living God and proves incapable of keeping the righteous demands of a Holy God.  As Biblical history unfolds, we find that Israel quickly abandon God and worshiped the gods of the surrounding nations.  They would have momentary bright spots, but even in those bright spots, the rebellious heart of man was on full display (King David anyone?).  The Law itself pointed out man's inability to keep the law and draws people to see that they need God's mercy.  Summary - Mankind needs a Savior because he sure can't save himself.   This is where Jesus comes in as a mediator of
Read more