“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

The problem of sin in human lives is an ongoing one. It follows in every generation and in every human heart and mind. Every generation and every individual must face its reality, outworking and consequences. We are born spiritually dead in its embrace and continue on the road that leads to moral destruction, unless the Spirit of God stops us. The idea that anyone would dare to imagine they have done nothing that contravenes the law of God, is just shortsightedness and foolish. We can easily see that we have many wrong motivations, deeds, words and thoughts and they happen in our life so easily and naturally.

To tell yourself that you are worthy to stand before the holy bar of God is massive self-deception. Mostly we do not think about it and are not that bothered by our sin. There are times our conscience may give us some grief, but we can justify ourselves and silence its pain in our souls.

The Ten Commandments stand as monuments to the judgments of the perfect Father in heaven. He requires nothing but perfection and even at a perfunctory glance we can judge that we don’t measure up. Again, we set the law of God aside and don’t really think about it. Our present world culture will encourage us to not take such perfections so seriously and to live a little. We ascertain that we are not a bad as some, and so placate our consciences that we will somehow be judged more lightly and sidestep the consequences of our sin. God has no favourites and is completely just, and all sin must be paid for. Either we pay for it by ourselves, which is an unthinkable situation, or we trust in what Christ has done on the cross for the payment of sin.

We all stand guilty before the holy God and will all give account for what we have done or not done. Only as we face our guilt and seek the forgiveness of our Saviour, Jesus, are we set free from the guilt and punishment of our sin.

Beloved, let us not be deceived by our society or by ourselves, but accept the just verdict of the holy God, that we are sinful and therefore guilty. Let us assuage that guilt in the way God has provided for us, through Christ, and not in the folly of our own self-justification.