1 John 1:9 – Verse of the Day 8/30/14

Have you ever noticed how the Bible is full of tensions that point to the mystery of God. God is one God in three persons.  Jesus is both fully God and fully man. God is all powerful and in control of all of history and yet we human beings are still responsible for our actions.

In 1 John, the big mysterious tension relates to sin. John consistently says to us: don’t sin, but when you do sin… On the one hand, John calls us to live holy lives as a result of the work of God in us. The letter is filled with strong statements about being holy in our actions. On the other hand, these invitations to personal holiness are balanced by the reminder that we never cease to sin in this life, and that God’s forgiveness is readily available to us when we repent.

Spend some time in prayer confessing your sins to God. Remember Jesus’s work of salvation for you on the cross, and express your sorrow for the ways in which you have disobeyed God and failed to follow His commands. As you pray, remember that God promises to forgive all your sins and to count Jesus’ perfect righteousness as your own. Praise God for what He has done for you!