Into The Breach – Practices Of A Christian ManSample

Day 6 — Go to Confession

Read:1 John 1:5-10

Light suggests truthfulness, integrity, and authenticity. So, proclaiming that “God is light” highlights the character of God as true, good, and holy (v. 5 NABRE). It is the nature of light to shine, to manifest and reveal itself, which God has done in Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. Darkness, in contrast, implies falseness and deceit. Although human life is characterized by both light and shadows, in God there is no hint of darkness, evil, or falsehood. 

Acting in truth and living a lie are as opposite as light and darkness. We cannot claim to be in fellowship with God while living a life of darkness (v. 6). The two ways of life are totally incompatible. The standard for acting in truth is God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. But if we “walk in the light,” in ongoing fellowship with God, then two results follow: we can truly claim to have fellowship with other faithful believers, and we are purified “from all sin” through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ (v. 7 NABRE). 

The effective remedy for sin is not denying our sin. For if we say, “we are without sin,” we deceive ourselves and are living a lie (v. 8 NABRE). In fact, the more we grow in union with God and our fellow Christians, the more aware we become of sin in our lives. For an authentic life, we must “acknowledge our sins” (v. 9 NABRE). In the church of the apostles, this meant confessing them both privately to God and publicly to the Christian community. An honest confession of our sins is the key to an authentic life with God and in community, and it is the foundation for receiving forgiveness from our faithful and just God. 

REFLECT: How can confession of my sins fill me with more light, truthfulness, integrity, and authenticity? 

PRAY: Faithful and just God, in whom there is no darkness, help me to admit my sinfulness. Lead me to confess my sins so that I may live in the truth and freedom that you desire for me.