Christ, Me and My Sin

Christ, Me and My Sin

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

John 1:9

What shall I do about my sins? Sin is the ugly toad that squats in the living room of the human heart. We may try to ignore it, work around it, or eradicate it, but it flourishes unabated, despite our best efforts. God would not have us have to live with the toads. Our text gives us the God ordained method for dealing with our sins. It is important that we understand what sin is. The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines sin as, “any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”  We fail to do what the law requires on the one hand, and do what it forbids on the other. This is an issue for us as believers. In our personal lives, as Christians, we struggle with sin daily. We, in and of ourselves, have no remedy for it. What do we know about the character of God, and about His behavior with regard to our sin? We know from the text, that He is ‘faithful and just.’ That is, we know that He is ‘reliable’ and will do the right thing regarding our sin. We see that admirably demonstrated in the life and ministry of Christ. Christ was, and is, utterly reliable. He always does the right thing. He consistently does the right thing in forgiving our sin.

What then does He want us to do about our sin? The instruction here is to simply confess our sin, He then is faithful in the rest. It is one thing to do something, It is quite another to take responsibility for what we did. Christ challenges us, by the Word, by His Holy Spirit and by circumstances, to put up our hand about the things we do or do not do which constitute sin. Let us be as responsible as we should be in confessing our sin. If the God to whom we confess is reliable and will do the right thing to forgive us the end will be perfect.

Our God and Father,
We confess our sins to You.
Cleanse us for Jesus’ sake.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice