Sinful and Self-Decieved

Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
I am pure from my sin”

Proverbs 20:9

The world has been trying to deal with sin since sin entered the world.  Some have sought to ignore it, others have simply surrendered to it and called evil good and good evil.  These methods never bring anything but a deeper self-deception.  The apostle John would deal with exactly this problem in his first biblical epistle.  In 1 John he would deal with those who denied that they had sinned and those who would deny that they even retained the nature to sin.

If we say that 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 that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8-10

These verses show us that foolishness and spiritual self-deception are never far from our door.  It is the greatest foolishness to try to find a way to rationalize away our sin.  Far better, indeed, is allowing God do deal with sin in His way – by trusting Jesus Christ’s perfect and permanent payment for all sin on the cross.