[8] "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
Going back to the definition of the Sin - the Greek word translated sin is the word Hamartia or Hamartano (in this verse the first) and the word is defined as follows:
1. to be without a share in
2. to miss the mark
3. to err, be mistaken
4. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
5. to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
In my mind, I define sin as anything that misses the mark of God's perfect will for my life. Jesus talks about relationship, obedience and ultimately intimacy in being united with Him and the Father, as the result of being in His will. So in a very real sense, if we take the definition of sin missing the path which leads to intimacy and relationship, then sin causes us to move away from that and brings separation from God.
If I am walking in His perfect will for my life, I am in unity with His mind and heart for me, I am perfectly obeying His commands, and I am experiencing intimate relationship for that is the promise of Jesus - John 14:23 NIV: "Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."
Sin causes us to miss this perfect relationship, walking in God's perfect will, to some degree, for we are all sinners. To think any differently, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth (who is Jesus) is not in us (1 John 1:8). If we confess, agree with the word (Greek - Homologeo), He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and also purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The Greek word, here translated forgive is the word aphiemi, and it is defined as follows:
1) to send away
a) to bid going away or depart
b) to send forth, yield up, to expire
c) to let go, let alone, let be
1. to disregard
2. to leave, not to discuss now, (a topic)
2) of teachers, writers and speakers
1.to omit, neglect
a) to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit
b) to give up, keep no longer
3) to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person
4) to leave, go way from one
Summarizing these, there is an idea that whatever wrong was done, that is it cancelled, no longer called to mind, literally no longer there. If we are speaking about relationship with the Lord, than this would basically mean that He acts as if nothing happened, and He is still in relationship with us, and we are walking in intimacy and His perfect will. It is completely illogical to our human minds, but God is quite clear. If we go back to the Old Testament there a couple of scriptures that help us understand forgiveness from God's perspective.
Isaiah 1:18 NIV:
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Psalm 103:11-12 NIV:
[11] "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; [12] as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
There is a sense of complete cleansing (Isaiah 1) and separation from the sin (Psalms 103). When God forgives us, He washes our sins away with His own blood, which is what purchased forgiveness. The author of the letter to the Hebrews said it this way - Hebrews 9:14, 22 NIV:
[14] "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
[22] "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Going back to our goal - walking in God's perfect will, in the intimacy of relationship - then the Blood of Jesus is what allows us to experience this, for that is what provides forgiveness. It is as if His precious blood is the bridge across which we are constantly brought back into relationship with the Lord. His Blood brings us back into His perfect will, into relationship, because once applied to our lives, it is as if our sin(s) never happened as far as God is concerned. That is just amazing to me...clearly too good to be true, but it is!
Once we step into the place of forgiveness, God is also faithful to purify us from our unrighteousness. Only He can make us righteous, for only in Jesus, hidden in Him in intimate relationship, are we made righteous. Righteousness is only possible via faith, never through our own works (Rom 3:21-28). What amazingly good news! If we confess our sin ( the fact that we have missed the mark, lived a life embracing less than His perfect will) then He forgives us and declares us righteous! Because He forgives our sin and declares us righteous, we can now walk in intimate relationship with Him. Our job is to recognize and confess our sins, He does all rest!
Finally, going back to John's letter - if we claim we have never sinned, we make God out to be a liar (1 John 1:10). That is a very scary statement - for in that place we are agreeing with the accusations of satan, saying that God is not true, just, perfect, faithful, holy, loving, merciful and compassionate. We are saying that we don't need God, or that our will is the same God's perfect will because we say so. Clearly in this place we are not intimate relationship with Him, and His word (Jesus) is not in us.
This morning I am very grateful for the gift of forgiveness through the Blood of Jesus, by which I am restored to intimate relationship with God. In that place I experience the joys of relationship as if I have never missed His will, or sinned. Simply Amazing!
Thank You Lord!
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