"You Have No Sin?"

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10 ESV)

Today, if you tell someone they are a sinner, they will laugh at you. The world's perspective on sin is often dismissive, with many not caring about its consequences or even denying its existence. Sin, as the Bible defines it, is pervasive in our society, saturating advertising, television, and radio.

However, if you tell someone who has been indoctrinated in a false form of Christianity that they are sinners, they will get angry. There are pastors out there who tell people you can be sinless. Pastors, and I use this term lightly, such as Todd White, imply they have achieved sinless perfection. The doctrine of sinless perfection is a heresy that has been around forever.

In today’s verse, John makes it clear to all of us that we are kidding ourselves if we think we are not sinners. If we say this, claiming we are in Christ, we make Christ a liar, and we reveal to others that we do not know the Lord.

In Psalm 51, David made it clear that he was conceived in sin. (v. 5) Paul tells us “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3) Many other verses in scripture tell us we are sinners.

People will get angry, offended, and defensive if you tell them we are evil in nature. Many reject it. Possibly, the tendency is to look at others around them, or in the news. Murders, rapists, child sex offenders, and traffickers are evil. They will ask, “What have I done?”

This occurs because of the minimization of their sin, their worldview, and a lack of biblical knowledge of God contribute to this belief. It is a lack of understanding of the word holy, or righteous. Primarily, they lack an understanding of the nature of humans and sin in comparison to the nature of God.

One of the beliefs of John Calvin was that of “total depravity.” This doctrine teaches that we are helplessly overrun by our sin. Sin is in the essence of humankind, passed down by Adam in the garden. If we were able to save ourselves from sin, Christ would not have had to die on the cross. Total depravity does not mean that we are as evil as we could possibly be, but rather that every aspect of our being is tainted by sin, and we are unable to save ourselves.

In Monday’s message, we saw what happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they lied before God. They breathed their last breath. Ananias and Sapphira were early members of the Christian church who, in an act of deceit, lied about the amount of money they had received from the sale of a piece of land. Their deaths serve as a sobering reminder that lying, or any sin, is no small matter to God.

We must remember God's commands. Even though we will sin, we must repent, asking for forgiveness as we turn from our sin. Do you know your own heart? Many think they do, but honestly, the blinding nature of sin is so natural that in our minds, we sin without even thinking twice. I do not know my heart, but the Lord does. I am grateful He is a patient and forgiving God.

Teach, talk, and help others recognize the depth of their depravity, with love and gentle guidance. Pray that God will open their eyes and ears; He will do the rest.

Grace and Peace.