| A True Believer: Confesses His Sins (I John 1:8 - 10) Introduction |
| It seems John has in mind those who claimed to have no sin. Not only were they "walking in the darkness" they were denying they had sinned. John writes to clear up this false idea the false teachers were teaching. Thus John said, "If we say that we have no sin..." (I John 1:8) Anyone who would make the claim to have no sin, this message is for you. The Right Way to Handle Sin There is a right way to handle sin. John said, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:9) I have known men who were alcoholics but would not admit it. They were in a state of denial. The people John had in mind were in a state of denial. They could not bring themselves to admit that they were sinners. Most people in today's world, including those in the Church, will admit that they are sinners but how many even in the Church will admit or confess specific sins? For example, if you were to ask me what were my sins, I would probably tell you that I need to be more patient. I need to be a better daddy. I need to be more kind. I am willing to deal with my sins in a general way but never too specific. If I am going to deal with sin as the Lord would have me, I must be willing to be honest about the sins in my life. If I have a problem, I should not be afraid to confess it before God. Matter of fact, total honesty before God is the only way to adequately deal with sin. The Good News John said, "If we confess our sins," God will give us just what we need. He will, "forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Look my friend, you cannot hide anything from God. He knows all about you. He knew Adam and Eve had sinned long before they were forced to confess their sin. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him whith whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13) Since He knows all about you, why try to hide your sins from Him? Go ahead and do the right thing, confess your sins to Him. The good news is when you confess, He forgives! How do we know He will forgive? "He is faithful and righteous." He must keep His Word or promises. If He says He will forgive us, He will do it. He cannot deny Himself. His character will not let Him do otherwise. Therefore, John writiing to those who are in a state of denial, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (I John 1:10) It is bad enough to have all kinds of sin in your life and refuse to acknowledge your sins; it is worse to call God a liar! Conclusion What is a characteristic of a true believer? He knows how to properly deal with sin and he does so by confessing his sin. It is an identifying characteristic of a true believer. The one who does not confess his sin or denies he has sin may make the claim to be a true believer but by his actions he has made himself a liar. The background used is by: Backgrounds Etc. |
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