Accentuate the Negative - December 6 Readings: Ezekiel 40–41, 1 John 1, Psalm 137, Proverbs 30:1

Links to December 6 Readings: Ezekiel 40–41, 1 John 1, Psalm 137, Proverbs 30:1

"Too many Christians are known by what they are against than by what they are for."
"Christians are too negative and judgmental. They need to be more positive and not focus so much on sin and condemnation."
"Let's think about love and joy and peace, not sin and darkness."

We are told so often, even by Christians, that a focus on sin is unhealthy, that we need to always be positive and encouraging and never call people to account for sin. This is the kind of thing Paul was talking about when he told us that false teachers would come in the last days to tickle people's ears with false doctrine that their itching ears want to hear (2 Timothy 4).

In fact, in the Word of God, dealing with sin is of the utmost importance. Jesus didn't die as some kind of heroic act, but to pay for our sins. The whole Bible is about sin. God created us. We sinned. He gave the law. We broke it. Christ came and didn't sin. He died for our sin. He rose again and those who believe in him have their sins forgiven.

A sin-free Bible is as true as Babe the Blue Ox or Harry Potter. The apostle John makes this clear in 1 John 1:5-10.

Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. ⁶ If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 John says several things in this passage. 

• Darkness cannot dwell in the presence of the God of light. If we wish to be in God's presence, our sin must be dealt with. (5)
• Those who claim to love God and "have a relationship with him" but continue to walk in the darkness of sin are kidding themselves and lying to everyone else. (6)
• Those who are cleansed by Christ will give evidence of that by walking in the light that is Christ. (7)
• It is both folly and deceit to claim to be sinless. Every one of us is a sinner. There is no hope in denying our sin, but in dealing with it. (8)
• The way we deal with sin is through confession - through fully admitting the heinous nature of our sin and repenting of it. When we do that, we are completely cleansed from that sin. (9)
• Again, those who claim they have no sin make God a liar, since the entire Biblical story is about God's gracious work in overcoming our sin. (10)

Of course sinners like us would rather not hear about our sin. No one wants to hear that they have cancer. But if you have cancer, you better get diagnosed and treated. The Bible diagnoses you and I - we are sinners, guilty before God and without hope in ourselves. But Jesus died to save us and rose again to offer us life. 

When I repent and trust him, my sins are forgiven and my place in heaven in secured. Daily, I seek cleansing from sin because it continues to plague my heart and draw me away from God. But as the blood of Christ cleansed me eternally from sin, it also cleanses me daily, when I confess. 

Here's the irony. When we avoid talking about and confronting sin, we condemn ourselves to live in its grasp. But when we face it, when we accentuate the negative and deal with it, we are forgiven and we find the freedom of Christ!  

Father, I thank you for the salvation and forgiveness that only comes through you. My sin, as deep, and dark, and terrible as it is cannot stand against the cleansing force of your Son's blood. I am cleansed because of him. I praise your name.