I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
I John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
This letter was written in contrasts which created a stark opposing view of each side in these arguments. This verse is the first part of a contrast.
There are three letters written to the churches at Ephesus of which there are seven churches. It was probably written when John was exiled to Patmos when he was 90 years old and written in 90 AD. There were some problems in the churches. Members had left and there was anger between the two groups… ones who stayed who believed that Jesus was the Messiah and ones who left who didn’t.
John is saying here that if we confess our sins we will be forgiven because Jesus is faithful and righteous. We will be cleansed from all of those unrighteous acts we had committed. John is talking to believers in Jesus who have had their sins forgiven when they first accepted Christ, but often we do not turn away from sin and continue, but Jesus will forgive us again and we will be cleanse of those sins.
In contrast, John says this:
I John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
The group of people who left the churches in Ephesus are trying to prove they are right in saying there are no sins and call Jesus a liar, and the teaching of Jesus have fallen by the wayside.
The contrast is very basic… is Jesus a liar or is he not? John is saying to the churches at Ephesus that they either believe that Jesus will cleanse them of their sins, or you do not believe Jesus can cleanse them of their sins.
But there is another contrast in this verse which affects their beliefs even deeper. One group knows that they need to confess their sins, and the other says they have not sinned. This is also a very basic contrast and to the heart of the matter of our faith… do we believe that we have sinned against God, or do we believe there is no sins and no God.
John states the conflict within the communities of Ephesus churches in a clear set of statements. You either believe in the forgiveness of Jesus of our sins or you do not. There is no gray areas in this
It is a question that many of us deal with today. For more and more people do not see that what they choose to do is against God’s will. Many attack those that do believe in Jesus. It is a difficult time in which to live. I also sadly understand this personally. I have a dear friend who once was a believer in Christ, but now states she is an atheist. She has placed roadblocks which prevent her from believing. I pray for her often. I am certain that some of those in the Ephesus churches had friends that had walked away from Christ. The hardest fact about this is that just like the first choice to follow Jesus… their choice to leave is their choice, just as it will be their choice to return or not. The sorrow I felt when my friend told me she was an atheist was a deep cut into my soul. I have not walked away from her because she is my friend, and will remain so. The choice to return to Jesus is only hers to make.
All we can do in this life when those that tell us that our faith is wrong or point out unloving things that Christians have often did… and we have…is to love them back and live a life that shows them how a Christian should be.
Today’s question:
Do you live your life in such a way that others see Christ in you?
Ever in Christ’s love,
Mary Elizabeth Todd
March 1, 2024 & July 5, 2024
Ruhamah United Methodist Church Bible Verses 