How
many of you have ever had a spotlight shined directly on you? Was it a
comfortable experience? In 1 John 1:5-10 God is described as light, and
sometimes that light is very uncomfortable when it’s shined on us. God is
infinitely holy, utterly righteous and morally pure. He shines his light on our
sinful, human nature. Darkness, especially the darkness of our sinful, human
nature, is the absence of light. When people stray from obedience to God and
step into the darkness, they begin to act in ways that are not consistent with
God’s character. They start to avoid light in every way possible.
When
confronted with the truth, true believers will turn away from darkness to walk
in the light. They walk back toward the truth of who God is, and into restored
fellowship with him. That process is called repentance, and it is the process
by which God forgives and cleanses through Christ’s blood.
In
John’s day, as it is today, some people falsely thought that when a person
becomes a Christian that person’s sinful nature is erased and he/she could
achieve sinless perfection. This idea is false. To have no sin is to have no
Saviour, which makes Christ’s birth, ministry, death, resurrection and
ascension unnecessary. Because everyone sins, those who say that they have no
sin reveal either their ignorance or pride, demonstrating that they belong to Christ.
Knowing the gospel is not enough. People must also confess their sins and walk
in the light.
Christians
who do not regularly confess their sins weaken their relationship with God. It
becomes distant and strained. These Christians do not admit their sin or their
need of Jesus’ cleansing. If we want to have a relationship with God, we must
stand before God in openness and light. This light shines on our own
inadequacies and weaknesses. What the light reveals is too much for us to
handle on our own, but God will help us through Jesus.
Walking
in the light doesn’t mean that we are perfect people. It means that we know
that we are sinners. We are not lost causes. If we are penitent-that is, if we
genuinely repent of our sins-God will forgive us. When we recognize that we are
sinners and that we need forgiveness, we will be restored to fellowship with
God.
Obedience
to God is necessary. Those who habitually disobey God do not know God. The key
to obedience is to have an intimate relationship with Jesus, one in which we
live and move and are with him in every aspect of our lives. Penitence is essential if we want to know God.
God purifies us so we can serve him. Without the Holy Spirit, we can’t do what
God wants us to do.
If
we do not admit that we are sinners, we can’t be saved. All too often we claim
our innocence in spite of obvious evidence to the contrary. Lying to ourselves
is the main reason why our lives are messed up. It causes us to deceive
ourselves, and deception causes us to sin. Sin cripples our ability to follow
Jesus faithfully. It is far better for
us to confess our sins. God wants us to
recognize our sins so that the Holy Spirit can lead us to the Saviour who died
and rose again for our sins. No matter how horrendous our sin is, God will
forgive us when we genuinely repent.
We
live in an age where nobody is guilty and everyone is innocent. On the surface
that would mean that the world is a happy place, but that idea is wrong. Sin is
real, and our hearts are full of sin. We can claim our innocence as long as we
like, but the day will come where “I’m not responsible” won’t be accepted as an
excuse.
It
is often hard for us to forgive ourselves, especially if we are high achievers.
We are like the murderer who was condemned to life in prison. One day the guard
came and opened the jail cell door. “You’re free to go. Someone else is taking
your place,” said the guard. “How can this be? I’m still guilty!” said the
prisoner. “Your debt has been paid. You are free to leave,” the guard said. The
prisoner decided not to leave. “I can’t allow another to pay my debt,” he said.
Because of his pride he chose to remain in bondage. Even though Jesus has taken
their place and paid their sin debt, some people refuse to accept what he has
done for them. They refuse to be penitent and repent of their sins.
Confession
does for the soul what preparing the land does for a field. Before the farmer sows
seeds, he removes rocks and stumps. He knows that seeds grow better when the
land is prepared. Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of
our hearts and clear our hearts of anything that hinders our relationship with
him. Once he has done this, we can come before him with thankful hearts.
Remember that just like a human parent, God doesn’t appreciate children who
grumble and complain, especially since he sacrificed his Son for us.
True
Christianity is like a mirror. We reflect God’s glory to the world, but we also
show the world its marred image, its defects and its attempts to hide the
blemishes. That’s why we must constantly confess our sins to God and to others.
Confession renews our fellowship with Christ and shows the world where our true
identity is. Living repentant lives before others is the greatest witnessing
tools that we as Christians have.
1.
Jeremiah,
David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Nashville,
TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
2.
Palmer,
E.F. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol.
35:1,2&3 John/Revelation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
3.
Stanley,
C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life
Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)
4.
MacArthur,
J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB
(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)
5.
Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
7.
Rick Warren,
“Let Go of Your Self-Defeating Lives.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
8.
Sharon
Jaynes, “Replacing “Trying Harder” with “Loving More”.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com
12. Stephen Davey, “Confession, Cleansing and Conversion.”
Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
I am frequently advised by Christians that in order for me to see the truth about their claim of the supernatural resurrection of Jesus I must read a particular Christian apologist's book. They tell me that if I read the Christian apologist's book with a fair and open mind (praying to the Holy Spirit for "guidance" wouldn't hurt either), I will see that the Resurrection really did happen, just as the Bible says it did.
ReplyDeleteBut, if someone told you that unicorns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a "unicorn expert's" book to know for sure that unicorns do not exist?
If someone told you that leprechauns exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a "leprechaun expert's" book to know for sure that leprechauns do not exist?
If someone told you that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls exist and that you should believe in them, would you need to read a "ghost, goblin, and ghoul expert's" book to know for sure that ghosts, goblins, and ghouls do not exist?
So if someone tells you that a first century dead man was resurrected from the dead and walked out of his grave with a superhero body and that you should believe in him, would you need to read a "resurrected dead superhero expert's" book to know for sure that superheroes do not exist nor do they walk out of their graves?
And if someone then tells you that, your right...dead men do not walk out of their graves with superhero bodies...but ancient, middle-eastern gods can and have walked out of their graves with superhero bodies, would you need to read a "resurrected ancient middle-eastern god expert's" book to know for sure that ancient, middle-eastern gods do not, and have not, walked out of their graves?
Use your brain, folks.
Of the thousands of supernatural claims that have been made in the entire history of mankind, not one supernatural claim has ever been substantiated with solid evidence, only with "faith", which is just another word for...superstition!