8. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Denial
8. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
We try to justify ourselves. We pretend it isn't so bad. We play down sin and its seriousness. We make excuses. We blame others. We do everything but the right thing - just admit and throw yourself at the mercy of the court.
Verse 10 - He has declared us all sinners. If we deny his charges against us, we accuse God of lying about us. God is truth, He cannot lie. His judgment is true. We are guilty.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Denial of our guilt is the very worst thing we can do, because deep down inside we know our guilt. Our heart tells us we are wrong.
Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Romans 1:19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
And further, we see that we know right from wrong in our hearts.
Romans 2:15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.
Confess
If we will honesty face it, God will help us to get over it.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Our society today would have us think that we are victims - "the devil made me do it". The fact is, nobody can make you do anything. The only hope is to take responsibility and face it squarely. Once we do that, God can come in and fix everything.
God simply says, "Admit it, and I'll help you." If we won't admit it, He can't help us.
I'll give you an example to help you understand what I'm talking about. A man and his wife are on vacation. He's gotten off the Interstate to find a restaurant. After driving around country roads for � and hour, she says, "Pull over here and let's get directions." And he says, "No. I know exactly where I am." An hour later, she says, "Pull over and let's get directions." And he says, "It's not much farther now." An hour later, he pulls into a station and gets directions. Five minutes later, they're eating.
I think you get the picture.
What God wants is for us to get it out in the open so He can fix it.
The Advocate
2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defence--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2:2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Now, here is the good news. These things - the Bible - are written to help us stay away from sin. We have commandments to tell us what is wrong. We have illustrations to show us where others have failed or succeeded. We have advice on how to avoid falling.
But, just in case we mess up, which we do so well, we have an advocate - a defending attorney - one who will plead our case. Jesus will stand up for us - IF we have placed our lives in His hands. We must repent of sin, accept and confess Him as Savior, and receive His grace by faith in order to receive His defense.
We have to give Him a defense argument. The only one that will work is this - "Father, I died for this one. He/she has confessed my name and been born again. His/her sin is covered by my blood."
Any other argument is irrelevant. No other defense will do. You cannot claim enough good deeds or merit. You cannot claim any other means of salvation other than the one the Father has provided.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. His blood has purchased our salvation.
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Isn't it good to know that your big brother is going to fight for you?
Isn't it good to know that, even though you are guilty, your sin has been paid for?
Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
He will take the burden of sin off our shoulders and give us peace. He offers us amnesty - pardon from our sin.
Please remember, He says, "God and sin no more," but He offers us another chance. He removes our sin and sets us free to live.
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