Welcome to Hank’s Place —
Many Christians camp out on 1 John 1:9. You know, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Why are they camping there? Likely they have been listening to words of condemnation – such as, ‘you haven’t done enough,’ ‘you should have said blah blah,’ ‘you gave a poor Christian witness,’ and so on. So they keep on confessing and confessing. And confessing. Maybe that’s you?
Listen! God does not forgive us because we are good, and got things ‘right,’ but because HE is good. HE is the faithful and righteous One who loved us WHILE we were sinners and sent His Son to save us. Forgiveness is not something we earn through confession — but a gift to receive — and in Christ we have that forgiveness.
In Him, we are completely and eternally forgiven according to the riches of His grace. The popular theological concept of ‘being positionally forgiven but needing relational forgiveness’ for we broke fellowship with God thru sin is to me simply man’s graceless thinking that is missing the incredible love of God.
Listen! God does not withdraw fellowship, relationship, from us if we sin. Believers are in Christ Jesus eternally. Just look at the very first sin for insight. When Adam and Eve sinned, what happened? God went walking in the cool of the evening, calling to Adam, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9. Far from separating from Adam and Eve, God went looking for them! Think about it.
And what of Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12–13. The good shepherd WENT LOOKING for the wandering sheep! Think about it.
Then examine the context in which 1 John 1:9 is found. John opens his letter speaking of the wonderful relationship, fellowship, with the Father and Risen Christ. He says he is writing, quote, “so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” Sounds like the opening is to unbelievers.
John is writing to a church, and like all churches, believers, unbelievers, pretend believers, believer wanna be’s and so on are present.
So John explains, God is light, so if we claim to experience a shared life with Him (being born again) but walk in darkness, we are liars. If such people claim they are free from sin, or have never sinned, they are fooling themselves. They need to confess, to agree with God, that they have sinned, and receive God’s forgiveness!
If a believer should sin, the Holy Spirit will let them know. If it’s us, we can humbly thank God that we have His forgiveness through Jesus’ blood and not receive the devil’s condemnation.
Yes, dear friend it’s time to silence those demonic accusations. Stop listening to those ‘measuring up’ voices — and COME ALIVE!
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