The Little Letters - Day 4

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

These are tough words. But the way that it starts is the heart of the whole pericope. We cannot claim to be sinless, even after we have been saved and forgiven. This truth is something that some people might take issue with. You see, sin no longer defines us, but we are still sinners. We have been forgiven, absolutely, but we are not sinless. Only Christ can claim that position. 

However, we are saved from our sins by acknowledging them, confessing them, and accepting God’s forgiveness. Once this has happened, we have changed directions and are walking toward the light of Jesus. 

But some people in John’s churches claimed to be without sin. Therefore, John found himself reminding them that none of them were without sin. And that is something that we seem to still need reminding. We have never been without sin, only Jesus can do that. Because of this, Jesus becomes and remains a daily reality in our lives. As soon as we believe we can handle our sin, we cease to feel the need for Jesus. 

It seems pretty tragic to live our lives knowing that we will still be sinners. There are some that think this is not something that Jesus would want for us, it is too depressing, and we should be able to move on from our sins. And I don’t disagree with these statements. However, all of this is done in the light of who Jesus is and what he did for us. Without the constant need for Jesus in our lives, we tend to fall back into the way things were before we had him with us and for us. I become very uncomfortable with a theology that says we no longer require the forgiveness of Jesus, and we shouldn’t even ask for it anymore. 

Of course, we have been told to go before the throne of grace boldly, but that does not mean we go before the throne of grace on our own merits. Rather, we go before God’s throne in the grace and love of Jesus, and that is what gives us our boldness, and humility. 

1. Have you ever heard someone say that they were sinless? 
2. How did it make you feel? 
3. Do you think we can get to that state? 
4. What good is the grace of Jesus in our lives?