Sins’ reality and remedy

I John 1:8–10
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One problem with dishonesty is that just keeping a record of our lies and pretenses is a full-time job! Abraham Lincoln often said, “If a man is going to be a liar, he had better have a good memory!” Telling one lie often leads to having to tell more lies in order to … More

Dishonesty
This is one of the most important sections of Scripture in the Bible for Christians. It deals with how we tend to try and cover up our sins. The first step in dishonesty is that we want our friends to think we are “spiritual” so we lie to others about our lives and try to make a favorable impression on them. We may blame our sins on our heredity, on our environment, on our temperament, or on our physical condition. It is characteristic of us all that we try to get out of the responsibility for our sin. In fact some people do not really believe that they have sinned and resent being called sinners. Once a person begins to lie to others it usually is not long before he begins to lie to himself (vv. 8-9).  It is very easy for a believer to live in sin and convince himself that everything is ok in his relationships with God. In any event the man who says that he has not sinned is in effect doing nothing less that calling God a liar, for God has said that all have sinned (Rom. 3:23).

 

The next step our dishonesty is trying to lie to God (v. 10). We contradict His Word which says that “all have sinned” and we try to say that we are exceptions to the rule. We apply God’s Word to others but refuse to put it’s search light on ourselves. We sit through Church services and are not touched by the messages. A Christian who has reached this point will usually be highly critical of other Christians but will strongly resist applying the Word to their own lives. We must be honest with ourselves, honest with others and honest with God. The key word is confess (v. 9). This requires an honest appraisal of practices in our lives that are contrary to His standard.  God warns that “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). The essence of the Christian life is first to realize our sin; and then to go to God for that forgiveness which can wipe out the past and for that cleansing which can make the future new.

Application

It is so easy to be dishonest with ourselves, with others and with God. Not to admit my sin, is to call God a liar (Rom 3:23). The hardest words to say are the words I’m sorry.”

I John 1:8-10 (English Standard Version)


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