Dealing With Sin

Focus verses: I John 1:8-2:11

News flash!! We are not perfect and sinless. Even those who walk very closely with God still sin. The only perfect person who ever walked the earth was Jesus. The rest of us are poor followers of His example.

But God has fixed that. He has given us a way to take care of sin. If we confess it, He forgives it.

John juxtaposes darkness and light with sin and forgiveness. This is not accidental. We see our sins only in the light of His perfection. We recognize our sin when we see it as disobedience to His will. We repent of our sin when we agree with God that it is wrong.

My house was built in 1911, nearly a hundred years ago. It has twelve rooms and a full basement. When I think about cleaning the whole house, I cringe. It would take a crew of ten working a full week to get it all done at once. But if I look at one room at a time, it is a different matter. One room is not overwhelming. The whole house is.

God is gracious with us about cleaning up our lives. He doesn't floodlight all our faults and sins at once. He takes a flashlight to one corner at a time. We confess our sins, one by one, if we are serious about dealing with them. And He forgives each of them, one by one, as we recognize and confess each one.

There's another thing about a clean house. It generally doesn't stay that way. People track dirt, mud, leaves and such in on their feet. We forget to put something back where we got it, or we just lay it down anywhere, thinking to put it away later. Dust filters in through the windows and doors. And soon the house is a mess again.

The world, the flesh and the devil are working hard to keep us from holiness. The world leaves its tracks on our lives. Our flesh grows weary and careless. The devil filters in to take advantage of the slightest opening. And we need to confess, yet again.

There is bad news and good news. The bad news is that this dealing with sin will be a constant in our lives til we get to go home. The good news is that He is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess.

Father, God,

Grant us the light to see the smallest of sins before it grows into a large one. Help us to be watchful for the infiltrations of the enemy, no matter how rational his arguments may sound. Strengthen us for the daily battle against sin.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.