1 John 3:6 No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.
Let’s be completely honest: we all are sinners and fall short of what God expects of us. This is why Christ came to Earth in the first place – to honor and obey God by giving His life on the Cross, so that we might be forgiven.
But that forgiveness is not a ‘given.’ We need to repent and confess our sins, otherwise we remain sinful and unforgiven. Without the Cross, there is no way to confess. Without confession, there is no way to God.
Today, some parts of the universal Church are deluded because they’re letting people think that their sins will be forgiven without repentance or confession. It’s what Bonhoeffer referred to as cheap grace – a grace that is grabbed and robbed from God, rather than a grace that is humbly received because we know it is completely undeserved. The act of confession causes us to be humble before God and to shamefully admit our mistakes; if we brazenly set aside repentance and attempt to steal what is not ours, then we continue to separate ourselves from God and will end up in a hell of our own making.
John the Apostle stated it best long ago: “No one who lives in God keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him.” This is a Gospel Truth that many in our present society do not wish to accept. But the reality is this: either we get with God’s program and repent of our sins, or we remain sinful and can forget about ever being saved in Eternity. We can’t have our cake and eat it – we also can’t remain sinful and expect salvation.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, teach us the reality of repentance, the necessity of contrition, and the importance of confession. Keep us from deluding ourselves and our families that everything will be eternally okay just because we wish or want it to be that way. Forgive us for pandering to our pride. Help us to humbly pray and sincerely seek salvation in You alone. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest sunflower creations. It’s called “Sunflower Celebration.” If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, please visit the following link:
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