Scripture: “If we say we have no 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 to cleanse up from all unrighteousness.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10
Observation: Three simple statements. Three simple points of the Gospel. Three statements that so many get messed up and twisted.
Analysis: I have thought sometimes that John got these out of order. And then I have wondered what order would I have put them in?
Looking at the face in the mirror, I understand that these statements follow the twists and turns of my heart contending with the Gospel.
- How often do I try to convince myself I don’t have sin, or I am not “sinning?” So much so that I don’t even know that I am deceiving myself—just like the Scripture says. I am not dealing with the truth, I am dealing with a lie disguising itself as a ‘truth.”
- If I want to be set free, first step is to confess sin. Easy to write, but if I haven’t come to grips with #1 above, what am I going to confess? I mean, really? I can say I am a sinner, but individual and specific sin? The kind of sin I must argue with myself that it wasn’t as bad as it was?
- Here’s a statement that I have used to deceive myself before: “I have been saved…therefore I cannot sin.” If I have the courage to take a deep breath in the morning and be totally transparent, I know that isn’t EVER true.
So, there are two statements identifying my mental, physical, and spiritual condition:
- If I say I have no sin (noun), I am in deception.
- If I say I have NOT sinned (verb), I make God a liar.
I am lying to myself, saying that I am the truthful one, and telling God He doesn’t know what He is talking about.
Wow.
Yet, that is how man conducts his life. It has been from the Eden Incident.
That is why I am convinced I must get the Gospel straight in me first. Because if it isn’t straight in the empty space between my two ears, how am I to give the straight skinny of the best news in all of Eternity to anybody else?
Prayer: Father, sometimes I think I dwell on Sin an awful lot. I would like to think I dwell and concentrate on the Gospel—but I understand from my wife on how I sound most of the time. I think it is because sin is so deceitful that if I don’t keep at it, it will find me casually accepting the lie of Eden.
Make me have joy, O my Lord; to rejoice in Your Salvation all my days. I liked the worship music Sunday. Truthful. AMEN.