Pastor Chris’ Corona Quarantine Epistles to the Flock of AIC Ngong Road, in Dispersion and Isolation. 73rd.
Dear Saints,
In yesterday’s passage, we saw the folly of those who claim to be in Christ, yet they walk in darkness. That is not to say that we are sinless. In fact, today’s passage (1 John 1:8-10) teaches us that it is dishonest for anyone to claim sinlessness. Cheating Self (v. 8). It is pure self-deception, to deny the sinful nature in us. We cannot change what we are through denial. In fact, we now know from Psychology, that denial is a powerful negative force, holding one captive to the very vice, one denies. The support group Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) makes acknowledgment of an alcohol problem its anchor.
A typical AA meeting begins with introductions, which take the form, “Hi, I’m Andrew and I’m an alcoholic.” If you go to their meeting and cannot admit that you are an alcoholic, they know you are not there, yet. When we refuse to acknowledge our sinfulness, we live a lie and only sink deeper into sin. It is liberating to admit one’s sinfulness. That is how we get saved, in the first place.
Confessing Sin (v. 9). To confess means to say the same thing, meaning that we call sin what God calls it – sin. It is easy to rationalize and make excuses for sin. We can call it a natural weakness, a slip of the tongue, a cultural hang-up, or whatever else, it equals denial. But when we agree with God that we have sinned, we discover the faithfulness of God in forgiveness. God forgives every time! He at the same time purifies us so that we are blameless as we stand before him.
Criminalizing the Sovereign (v. 10). When we deny our sins (note here it is our sinful actions. In v. 8 it was our sinful nature), we are simply saying that the word of God is not true that says we are sinners (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23). That amounts to calling God a liar! Back in the 1940s, the East African Revival swept through Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. Many people were transformed and East Africa has never been the same, since. But a faction within the Revival Movement ignored the teaching of this passage. They claimed to have been liberated from all sinful desires. To prove it, they stripped naked in their fellowship meetings, and men and women who were not married slept in the same bed. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to guess what they ended up proving.
In contrast, David confessed his sin (Psalm 51) and experienced the relief and blessedness of forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-5).
Confess, don’t dare call God a liar.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.