From Richard

MIDWEEK BRIDGE

1 JOHN 1:1 – 2:2

THE BURDEN OF SIN; THE RELIEF OF FORGIVENESS

Good morning everyone. Hope you are ok – let’s turn together to our Bibles as we start our new Mid Week Bridge series in 1 John. Our passage today is 1 John 1: 1 through to 1 John 2 verse 2.

Read it now and then we can go from there…

Imagine one day you are accused of a crime and you go to court. The jury reach their conclusion and the judge sentences you. Let’s say you have to go to jail for one year.

Question: has that crime been wiped away? Is it still there? Yes – the time in jail has been done but the fact that this crime has been committed is a matter of fact. It is recorded. No amount of prison time can wipe it away.

Now most of us haven’t been convicted of a crime and sentenced to jail. But what about all those things that are wrong that are done every day? All those things we said or thought (that we shouldn’t have said or thought) – all those things we have done (and shouldn’t have done). And those things we should have thought and said and done.

How can they (these sins) be wiped away?

Of course we could say that we haven’t sinned. But look what John says in verse 8:

 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Maybe that is how you think: “I’m not really a sinner in that sense. There’s worse people than me.” Don’t deceive yourself says John. He then goes onto say in verse 9:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

Notice the order here: in order to receive forgiveness – we need to confess our sins. Do you do that? It can be difficult because we don’t like to think we are in the wrong or maybe we don’t like the idea that we have let the Lord down. But he knows anyway! And what John says here is that the Lord is willing to forgive us; he wants to forgive us. Not only that he will purify us so we are not burdened by it all. But it starts with confession.

It’s worth noting that confession is precise. It’s not a general feeling of guilt that we are seeking forgiveness for. But we identify that behaviour that requires forgiveness and confess. It might be that you simply ask the Lord (if you are unsure) of anything that you need to confess. And one of the reasons for this is that we want to get that relationship right.

Of course, what we might do is to reclassify sin. So what was thought of as sin – we no longer consider sinful and therefore we claim we have not sinned. But look at what John says in verse 10:

 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it.

One of the most wonderful things about being a Christian is that our sins can be forgiven and that we are no longer burdened by it all – whether knowingly or unknowingly. We no longer have to carry around that guilt – because Jesus is willing and able to forgive us and take it (the sin, the shame, the guilt, the suffering) away.

Recently I wondered about all my sin I had ever committed and I put this sin in a hessian bag which I put over my shoulder weighing me down. Then everyone else at St Christopher’s did the same. Then everyone in Bournemouth – then Dorset. Then the UK. Then the whole world. Then every sin that had ever been committed by every person.

Imagine the sheer weight of guilt and shame. Imagine people just destined to walk around their whole lives with all this hanging over them. Never free from it; always adding more and more.

What would you pay to be rid of this? To be free – to be cleansed – to be put right once more?

Read these lovely verses from 1 John 2: 1-2

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus can wipe it all away! So let’s not fool around and try and be clever. Let’s go to him and be washed clean. He is willing and able to forgive.

Let’s come to Jesus today to be forgiven and cleansed and enjoy the beauty of being released from the burden of it all.


Category: The Bridge , Verse of the day