KEEPING AN HONEST ACCOUNT – Dr.
Neil Anderson
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin,
we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
We deceive ourselves when we
say we have no sin. The Scripture doesn't say that we are sin; it says that it
is possible for us to sin and for sin to reside in our mortal bodies (Romans
6:12). We are not sinless saints; we are saints who sin. It's important to keep
honest account of our failures and pick up our cross daily. When we become
aware of a discrepancy between our identity and our behavior, we must confess
it and deal with it. The person who deceives himself by ignoring these sinful
discrepancies and allowing them to build up is headed for a great fall.
Those of us who live in
earthquake-prone Southern California keep hearing about "the big
one," which is thought by many to be inevitable along the San Andreas
fault. Whenever we experience minor earthquakes (up to about 4.0 on the Richter
scale), we may be frightened by them a bit, but we also see them as a good
sign. These little tremors mean that the plates in the earth's crust beneath us
are shifting. As long as the crust is adjusting this way, it's unlikely that
"the big one" will hit. It's when we don't get any minor earthquakes
for several months or years that the danger of a major, devastating quake
increases.
Similarly, living in the light,
holding ourselves accountable to God, and confessing and dealing with sin on a
daily basis prevents the major spiritual crises from building up in our lives.
If we keep saying, "I don't have any sin," or if we fail to
acknowledge our shortcomings and settle our differences with people as God
convicts us of them, we're in for "the big one." We will eventually
lose our health, our family, our job, or our friendships. Unacknowledged sin is
like a cancer which will grow to consume us.
Prayer: Lord,
I know Your guidance is for my benefit. I refuse to allow stubbornness and
pride to render me insensitive to Your nudges and warnings in my life today.
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