Facing the Truth

In review of 1 John 1:8 this morning, it says  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (NIV)

All, including myself, are sinners by nature and by practice. When I accepted Christ and God's free gift of salvation, all of my sins; past, present, and future were forgiven. Yet I still sin and still need to confess. This kind of confession is not offered to gain God's acceptance but to remove the barrier to fellowship that my sin has put between myself and God. It is difficult to admit my faults and shortcomings. It takes humility and honesty to recognize my weakness, especially when I'd rather pretend that I am strong. But, as I'm learning, I do not need to fear revealing my sins to God, he already knows them. He will not push me away, no matter what I've done. Instead, he will draw me closer to himself.

Sin always involves self-deception. At the moment I’m sinning, I’m deceiving myself because I think that what I’m doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told me to do.

To stop defeating myself, I must stop deceiving myself. I need to take an honest look at my life, face the truth, and deal with the issues. What in my life am I pretending isn’t a problem or I’m not addicted to? What am I saying “It’s no big deal” about?

I will not get healing until I first acknowledge the root of my problem. I don’t have to hit rock bottom before I really change. I don’t have to go the way of destruction. I can admit the root of the issue and then deal with it.

When asked, “What’s the biggest problem you encounter?” church counselors will say over and over, “People wait too long before they ask for help. Then it’s almost impossible to turn around.” Most are in denial about the problem, wait until it’s too late, and then go through unnecessary pain.

The Bible says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NIV).

What are the hard questions I need to be asking about the sin in my life? What are the warning signs I’ve been ignoring?

If I want healing, I need to acknowledge the root of my problem and face the truth about myself. This is never the easy choice, but it’s always the right one.

God is working for me. With his power, I can overcome anything.

In summary if I claim to be without sin, I'm only deceiving myself and the truth is not in me. I am a sinner by nature and practice. When I accepted Christ into my life, all of my sins, past, present and future were forgiven. Yet I still sin and still need to confess. It's a confession offered not to gain God's acceptance but rather to remove the barrier to fellowship that my sin puts between us. It's difficult to admit my faults and shortcomings. It takes humility and honesty to recognize my weakness, especially when I'd rather pretend that I'm strong. There should be no fear on my part to reveal my sins to God, he already knows. Sin will always involve self-deception. I'm deceiving myself because I think that what I'm doing will actually produce better results than what God has already told me to do. To stop defeating myself, I need to stop deceiving myself and take an honest look, face the truth and deal with the issues. Healing will not come until I first acknowledge the root of my problem. With his power, I can overcome anything.

Father, this morning you have brought to mind several things. First I do sin and need to confess it to you to keep any barriers from having a full relationship with you. Secondly I’m not always humble about my weaknesses. I do like to pretend that I like to think that I am strong and not need anyone's help. Today Father I confess that I deceive myself thinking that what I’m doing will actually produce better results than what you have already told me to do. I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Also help me work with my team to continue to make progress on resolving outstanding vulnerabilities. These things I pray in your Son Jesus name, Amen.