2 Aug 2012
I John 1:8-9
I John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
This is the point exactly. There are sins in our life; we battle against the flesh, and as Paul said we must die daily. However, if we confess our sins then the Lord will forgive us and “cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. What we must not do is pretend that everything is fine and that we have no sin at all. God wants us to confess it and repent, for repentance leads to forgiveness and cleansing.
What we often do not realize is that God is the one who will cleanse us from our sins. It is not our efforts that will change our heart, but His grace and mercy – and this grace is obtained through repentance and confession. “Ask, and ye shall receive.”
Christianity is not a do-it-yourself religion. God saves us; God forgives us; God changes our heart; God brings us home to Heaven; God raises us from the dead. These things do not happen by our trying really hard to be good people; they happen as we come to the Lord and seek His grace and mercy. They happen as we repent and seek for God’s grace. They happen as we ask God to “cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. What matters are not our efforts but His grace. He and He alone can change our hearts.