November 8
“If we say that 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 us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us,” 1 John 1:8-10.
What is the driving force that would move a person to think or say that he or she has no sin or does not sin? The driving force behind such a thought is sinful pride and self-righteousness. Such a thought flies in the face of the clear Word of God, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23. The psalmist wrote, “They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one,” Psalm 14:3. The author of the Book of Ecclesiastes wrote, “There is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin,” Ecclesiastes 7:20. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “We are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags,” Isaiah 64:6.
When we deny our sinfulness and deny that we are sinners, we are liars. Lying to others is one thing. To lie to yourself is another thing. But when you believe your own lies, you have fallen into the deepest depth of dishonesty. You are deceiving yourself, and the truth is not in you! Spiritually, such a person sees no need for a Savior, and is without hope. When we deny our sinfulness, not only are we lying to ourselves, but we are also calling God a liar! What ungodly arrogance on the part of a sinner!
However, when we see and feel our sinfulness and our conscience accuses us, we turn to our gracious and merciful God. John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we confess our sins, our faithful God assures us that, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7. God is faithful to His promises. After Adam and Eve had sinned, God promised to send a Savior who would destroy the devil’s power. He repeated and elaborated on that promise throughout the Old Testament times.
Then, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons,” Galatians 4:4-5. Jesus suffered and died on Calvary’s cross to take away our sins. Jesus did not die to save perfect people. He died to save sinners. To the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” Romans 5:8. To the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees, who asked the disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus gave the answer, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick . . . I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance,” Matthew 9:11-13.
Our heavenly Father has declared us forgiven for Jesus’ sake. “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation . . . (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21.
“O Thou that hear’st when sinners cry,
Tho’ all my crimes before Thee lie,
Behold them not with angry look,
But blot their mem’ry from Thy book.
A broken heart, my God, my King,
Is all the sacrifice I bring.
Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
And save the soul condemned to die.” Amen.