Gleanings – Just Kidding, Myself That Is!
1 John 1:1-10
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
A dear woman once remarked in Bible study, “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I sin all that much.” She was an iconic figure of the human condition. The Apostle Paul would say she thought more highly of herself than she ought.
At the end of each day most of us can tick off the Big Ten and find ourselves innocent. Even there in my heart of hearts I know the first and/or the last trip me up on a regular basis. What I covet are my other gods. But that is a story for another day.
Most sin, however, is not overt. It is more subtle and reigns supreme in things like lust, gossip, slander, half-truths and what we fail to do. And if you listen to Jesus long enough, you find the biggest sin is one of omission. We haven’t loved as well as we could have. Certainly we have not loved as He loves us, without condition or expectation of anything in return.
Do we have the humility to acknowledge our sin? Some don’t to be sure. Some don’t have the requisite humility to follow Jesus because they can’t follow anyone. They are stuck in thinking more highly of themselves than they ought. Sad. Because God is faithful and just and will forgive what we confess! He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
But forgiveness follows confession. And we can’t confess what we don’t’ have. But if we say we do not have sin, who are we kidding other than ourselves?