Recognizing sin
This week's verses are 1 John 1:5-10:
These are another set of verses that are simple and rich. They're about humility and grace. If we go around denying that we have sinned, and refusing to let God's light touch the dark areas of our lives, we're believing lies and calling God a liar. We're actors trying to pretend we're like the other Christians while keeping our lives unchanged.
Light reveals. Is there an area of our lives we don't want others to see? Is there something we believe about ourselves that we don't want proven wrong or right? If we guard ourselves against being seen, or against seeing ourselves, we keep God out of our lives. The Pharisees tried so hard to be righteous, but they refused to consider that they could make mistakes themselves. A lot of what Jesus shared with mankind was lost for them because they wanted to live in the dark illusion of their own self-made perfection.
We think to ourselves, "I'm basically a good person, right?" We don't want to hear "no." Replace "good person" with "pretty," "a good singer," "smart," "responsible with my money," "able to handle my drug problem," "good at what I do," or any number of other claims and you have an idea of how people fall into some of the traps they fall into, wanting to not be proven wrong, or trying in vain to be proven right. God is light, and he can help us to see who we really are, if we're brave enough to accept it. Part of that revelation is that his sacrifice covers all of our imperfections, and we're forgiven and loved.
It's hard to accept a gift if you don't know what it is or who it is for. If we don't recognize our sin, we don't really have the means to accept forgiveness. "Forgiveness for what," right? The Pharisees were outraged that Jesus said he could forgive people's sins. That's exactly what you would say if you thought the greatest gift in history was only for other people. If we're walking in the light, fully aware of the reality of who we are, grace is the most precious thing ever. Grace gives us the ability to move forward, to have fellowship with God himself, in the sense of being clean and pure, without tracking our own mud into the relationship.
John says that if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us. If we hadn't sinned, what was the point of Jesus being crucified? What would the point be of becoming a Christian? Why be persecuted and discriminated against and held to a higher standard if you're perfect enough to exist on your own? His word is that our sin is forgiven. If we don't believe that or live as though that were true, how can his word be in us? We reject it implicitly by denying our need.
John's one paragraph description of the gospel is perfect. We have all sinned to some extent or another and need the damage to be neutralised. Jesus died in saving us. If we spot a problem, we only need to bring it to him and he will make us right. If we refuse to see that, we are not helping anyone, especially ourselves. God sees everything and knows everything and can do everything, so he's the best and only place to go when we know what's wrong.
It's something to think about for the Christmas season, when we're reminded of Jesus' birth and being thankful for him. A knowledge of our need for grace gives us a reason to celebrate.
Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
These are another set of verses that are simple and rich. They're about humility and grace. If we go around denying that we have sinned, and refusing to let God's light touch the dark areas of our lives, we're believing lies and calling God a liar. We're actors trying to pretend we're like the other Christians while keeping our lives unchanged.
Light reveals. Is there an area of our lives we don't want others to see? Is there something we believe about ourselves that we don't want proven wrong or right? If we guard ourselves against being seen, or against seeing ourselves, we keep God out of our lives. The Pharisees tried so hard to be righteous, but they refused to consider that they could make mistakes themselves. A lot of what Jesus shared with mankind was lost for them because they wanted to live in the dark illusion of their own self-made perfection.
We think to ourselves, "I'm basically a good person, right?" We don't want to hear "no." Replace "good person" with "pretty," "a good singer," "smart," "responsible with my money," "able to handle my drug problem," "good at what I do," or any number of other claims and you have an idea of how people fall into some of the traps they fall into, wanting to not be proven wrong, or trying in vain to be proven right. God is light, and he can help us to see who we really are, if we're brave enough to accept it. Part of that revelation is that his sacrifice covers all of our imperfections, and we're forgiven and loved.
It's hard to accept a gift if you don't know what it is or who it is for. If we don't recognize our sin, we don't really have the means to accept forgiveness. "Forgiveness for what," right? The Pharisees were outraged that Jesus said he could forgive people's sins. That's exactly what you would say if you thought the greatest gift in history was only for other people. If we're walking in the light, fully aware of the reality of who we are, grace is the most precious thing ever. Grace gives us the ability to move forward, to have fellowship with God himself, in the sense of being clean and pure, without tracking our own mud into the relationship.
John says that if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us. If we hadn't sinned, what was the point of Jesus being crucified? What would the point be of becoming a Christian? Why be persecuted and discriminated against and held to a higher standard if you're perfect enough to exist on your own? His word is that our sin is forgiven. If we don't believe that or live as though that were true, how can his word be in us? We reject it implicitly by denying our need.
John's one paragraph description of the gospel is perfect. We have all sinned to some extent or another and need the damage to be neutralised. Jesus died in saving us. If we spot a problem, we only need to bring it to him and he will make us right. If we refuse to see that, we are not helping anyone, especially ourselves. God sees everything and knows everything and can do everything, so he's the best and only place to go when we know what's wrong.
It's something to think about for the Christmas season, when we're reminded of Jesus' birth and being thankful for him. A knowledge of our need for grace gives us a reason to celebrate.
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