6-29-22 Today in the Word

An Authentic Relationship Wednesday, June 29 | 1 John 1:8–2:1 On the Go? Listen to Today's Devotional Most of us have a small circle of people who we consider our closest friends, people we can be completely honest with, people we trust. The apostle John was one of Jesus’ closest friends. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle, and their relationship was special. John wanted all Christians to experience a similar, close-knit relationship with Jesus. John’s letter was written to reassure believers in the face of some popular and misleading false teachings. One idea that had crept into the church proposed that sin does not break one’s fellowship with God. To combat this false notion, John declared that if we claim to be without sin, we are being deceived. People who deny sin in their lives are either oblivious to their sin or simply lying to themselves. Instead, John urged believers to confess their sins (v. 9). At times it is appropriate to confess sins amongst a group of trusted believers, and it is always appropriate to confess our sins to God. Some may ask, “I thought when I said the sinner’s prayer that all my sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven. Why do I need to constantly confess and ask for forgiveness?” John wants his readers to know that sin after our conversion, while covered once and for all by Christ’s sacrifice, hinders our relationship with the Lord. Any relationship full of secrets and lies is bound to be unhealthy. The type of confession he explains in verse nine removes the barriers toward an authentic relationship. John also reassures his readers that Jesus is our “advocate” for the forgiveness of sin (2:1). He not only pleads our case to God the Father but also takes our deserved punishment. Why? So that we may have another chance at a closer fellowship with Him. >> Is there a sin that is hindering your relationship with God? Confess it today and receive another opportunity to grow in your fellowship with Him. Pray with Us Lord God, today we confess the sin that we have clung to, to the contradiction of our faith in You. Forgive us and help us repent and leave the sin behind. We crave Your all-sufficient holiness.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more