Today’s message is on a topic that is not a very popular one to discuss, whether among each other, and certainly not from most pulpits. That topic is sin. Most people don’t like to hear about sin, especially their own sins. Many pastors are loath to talk about sin from the pulpits in their sermon messages. They are afraid to step on anyone’s toes, offend them, or lose their interest, so that they stop attending. However, that is a message that needs to be told, and it is my topic today. With the Scripture selection today, there is much good news, so this is not a completely negative topic or message. Let’s look into God’s Word.
As mentioned, sin is not a favorite topic. Many people are resistant, and opposed to admitting that they are sinners. They will say that since they never murdered anyone, or robbed a bank, they aren’t sinners. And it has become popular today in some groups and with progressive thinkers to say that there is no black and white with regards to sin. Everything is various shades of gray. What one person calls a sin, another may say that they don’t consider it a sin, so it is not a sin to them. Let’s be clear, what the Bible, God’s Word, calls a sin, what it says is wrong, then it is a sin and it’s wrong. And God has said that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23). If we are honest with ourselves, we will readily admit that we all have sinned. Those who say otherwise are deceiving themselves, trying to deceive others, and are not being truthful (vs. 8). They are also calling God a liar (vs. 10), as His Word very clearly says that all have sinned, not just some.
All people are sinners by nature and by practice. The first step in order to be saved is to admit that one is a sinner. If someone never admits to being a sinner, salvation cannot result. Do not be deceived. We all are sinners who need to be saved by grace. Even after we get saved we still sin and need to confess. Every day we sin and do things that offend God. We need to confess them to Him, and receive His forgiveness. Yes, sin is bad news, it is depressing, and people don’t want to hear it. However, we have some good news in verse 9, very good news. God promises us in His Word that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us, and cleanse us from the sin-stains. We can come to Him every time we do something wrong, every time we mess up, and He has promised to forgive us. It is best to keep a clean record, and not let unconfessed sins pile up. Confess and forsake them, and God will cleanse us. Doing so removes the barrier to fellowship that our sins put up between us and God (Psalm 66:18-19).
When we do something wrong, we have to face the consequences and take the punishment. Sometimes we might even need to hire an attorney to represent us in court. When we stand before the Lord God, guilty of all sorts of sins, we have the best possible Attorney, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 1). Jesus is our Advocate, our Defense Attorney. Satan continually prosecutes believers before the Father, due to our sin. However, Jesus’ High Priestly ministry guarantees our acquittal (Hebrews 4:14-16).
After becoming a Christian we still retain our sin nature. We do not have “sinless perfection”. The person who makes such claims makes God a liar because God’s Word says otherwise. Nor does confessing sin and receiving forgiveness give us a license to continue to sin casually and indiscriminately. Our sinful tendencies should be conquered through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As the Apostle John continues, he says that Jesus is the “propitiation” for our sins (vs 2). That is a big word, one not generally in our vocabulary every day, or usually ever. It means “appeasement” or “satisfaction”. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross satisfied the demands of God’s holiness for the punishment of sin. Jesus died for everyone in general, but each person must individually accept Him for themselves. If they don’t, they are not saved, and will not see heaven.
In closing, there are many churches today that want to put less, or even no emphasis on sin and other “negative” aspects of Christianity. They say that God loves us all, and that Jesus accepts everyone just the way they are. They tell us not to judge, and don’t make anyone feel bad by pointing out sin. Jesus did accept people the way they were, but He didn’t leave them that way. He told sinners, after He forgave them, to “go and sin no more”. The good news here is that Jesus is our Defense Attorney. His death satisfied God’s justice. When we confess our sins, He promises to forgive. This isn’t bad news, it is good news!
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