By Andrea Merrell
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 NKJV
The necessary room. The water closet. The head.
The John. The potty. Why can’t we just call it what it is—the bathroom.
It’s funny how we come up with cutsie little names
for just about everything. Sometimes people don’t have a clue what we’re
talking about.
In Christian circles, there’s another word we try
to skirt around. We call it a shortcoming. A weakness. An issue. A problem. Baggage.
We might even call it backsliding. But we need to call it what it is—sin.
The word sin
tends to intimidate a lot of Christians. If we’re not careful, we can put on a
façade and try to appear holy and righteous … without sin. Heaven forbid that
someone should know we’re not perfect.
There was only one sinless being, and that was
Jesus. He came to earth, lived among men, died a cruel death, and went back to
heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Bible tells us
Jesus faced every temptation common to mortal man, yet He never sinned. As He
experienced these temptations, He knew our human flesh would never be able to
live as He lived. That’s why—through His sacrifice—He made provision for us to
receive forgiveness with no limit. He said if we would confess, He would forgive.
It’s that simple.
There’s something called a “duck test” that has
been around for centuries. It says “if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck,
and quacks like a duck … then it probably is a duck.” When others look at us,
they just might be doing a “sin test.” When we look like the world, talk like
the world, think like the world, and act like the world … it’s time to take
inventory.
If there’s unconfessed sin in your life, call it
what it is. Then take it to the Father and ask for forgiveness. He’s waiting
with arms wide open.
(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/depspoons/Stuart Miles.)
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