Purified From Sin

Scripture: 1 John 1:8-10 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway) 8 If we boast that we have no sin, we’re only fooling ourselves and are strangers to the truth. 9 But if we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim that we’re not guilty of sin when God uncovers it with his light, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10 TPT) Key words in today’s reading: Sin, truth, light, faithful, forgive, cleanse. So here’s us, friends! We’ve got the light of God’s Spirit (pure-light) inside us through faith in Jesus Christ. That light does what light does, it shines! And it shines into the dark, darker, darkest corners of our hearts and exposes sin! I remember hearing a well-meaning but wrong teacher once insisting that because God is holy and pure, God can’t stand sin and can’t be anywhere that sin and impurity exists. The poor guy and the folks he was misleading were fast becoming strangers to the truth! Because the truth is, there’s sin in our hearts and there’s only one way to get rid of it. God uncovers, exposes, our sin for one purpose only! He does it so we can get rid of it! If, when God’s pure-light Spirit uncovers sin in you and me, we try to deny it, to excuse it, to minimize it, or to blame it on someone or something else (The devil made me do it!?), we frustrate God’s forgiving, cleansing, redeeming plan. The right and redemptive response to the exposing of sin in my heart is confession and repentance. Confession is taking ownership and responsibility for the sin. It’s my sin. Repentance is the decision, emotional or not, to turn from the sin, to ask God to root it out of me, to receive his complete and utter forgiveness for that sin, and to determine not to do it, entertain it, harbor it, or flirt with it anymore. If we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This is how it works, friends! It’s clear and uncomplicated. It’s simple but not easy. It’s how God progressively cleanses us from all unrighteousness! Let’s just do it! Prayer: Gracious Father, Please shine the light and cleanse my heart. In Jesus’ Name!