"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 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)
Beloved,
One of the signs of genuine repentance before God is an ever growing sensitivity toward sin. That is, the child of God who has been shown their self-centered rebellion before a holy God will continue to grow in their awareness of sin resulting in the process of confession and a true turning away from that sin. However, one must admit that they indeed have sinned; that is, they have indeed offended God with their behavior and have impugned His name and gracious nature. As obvious as this seems, it is in fact the stumbling block for most people, believer and unbeliever alike. While most of us will admit that we are not perfect, we tend to look at our attitudes and behaviors as somehow being “graded on the curve.” That is, we compare our actions to the actions of others who are generally picked for comparison because their actions are clearly “worse” than ours and then we claim a sort of self-righteousness because we are better than they. Although we would never admit it, what we are implying is that we are excused for what we have done because we are not as bad as other people. In other words, my sin of gossip is ok because I did not commit murder like other people have. Fortunately, God’s word exposes this deception for what it really is and goes on to tell us that if we will simply admit that we are guilty before God, then God is faithful and righteous to forgive us of this sinful behavior. However, God’s word also warns us that if we are unwilling to admit our guilt and carry on looking at other people instead of looking to God Himself, we are thoroughly deceived and we have no part with God. In short, we are not one of His children. There is a more excellent way! When we look at ourselves as God does, we will see our sinfulness for what it really is. Then, and only then, can we respond to the conviction that God’s Spirit brings, repent of that sinful behavior and allow God to purify us as one of His adopted children. That is the life of abundance that Jesus promised to those have been enlightened from the enemy’s deception concerning their sin.
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