Day 2315 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.
1 John 1:8 NIV
There's this miserable kind of feeling that comes with admitting that we've done wrong. It's this humbling sense of shame that forces us to accept the fact that we're not perfect and that we don't get everything right. Nobody wants to make mistakes because having to confess those mistakes takes a willingness to concede to the truth. But as we've been discussing, the truth isn't so highly thought of these days. Many people do anything they can to avoid it. But we can either live in fear of the truth and try to avoid it, or we can face it and allow it to change us.
I think the problem is that nobody wants to look bad. We don't want our sins to come to light because then they'll be on full display. They will show the world that we're not perfect. All of our worst mistakes tell this story that goes against the lie that we often tell. We act like we have it all figured out. We pretend that we're okay. We live as if we are perfect and never slip up. And allowing all of the facts that go against that case to come out of hiding will undermine all the work we've done to convince the world that we're better than we really are.
And we also don't want to feel bad. The lies of sin allow us to remain comfortably hidden away in the dark. Living in that delusion helps us keep convincing ourselves that we're free to do as we please and that it's all perfectly fine as long as nobody sees it. We know the truth tells us otherwise. We know the difference between right and wrong. But it's easier to keep buying the lies than to face the facts and be forced to do something about it. And we know how much this world loves what's easy and comfortable!
The Bible tells us that the truth will set us free. Not free to do as we please. Not free to screw up as often as we like without worrying about the consequences. The truth will set us free from the guilt of living a life of sin. It will set us free from the need to convince ourselves that we're perfect and never make mistakes. It will bring about true, real, and eternal freedom, not this worldly version that so many are willing to settle for. The illusion of freedom that sin offers is only temporary, and it leads directly to paying the price that living apart from God costs. But if we confess our sins and leave them behind then that price has been paid for us!
What we need to understand is what we've done is what it is. It's messed up, it's sad, it's scary, it's pathetic, it's filthy, it's shameful. But where we've been doesn't matter as much as where we're going. If we keep walking the path of lies then we're going to keep dealing with that impending doom of knowing that the truth is coming. If we keep living in sin then we will stay separated from God and the free gift of salvation that He offers through Christ. But if we confess our sins, strive to do better, and step into His light then we will be forgiven. The weight of guilt and shame will be gone! Why would anyone not want that?
Yes, it's hard admitting that we've messed up and done things that we've felt so bad about that we've lived in hiding. It's hard to realize that we need to change and learn to do things far better than we have in the past. It's hard to confess all of our sins and humbly ask for the forgiveness that we know we don't deserve but desperately need. But as hard as all of those things seem now, they're all much easier than standing before God when this life is over and being turned away from Heaven because we chose to go on sinning instead of turning to Him. Don't risk that because you think that the lies are easier! It's not even close to worth it!
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