If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8
We desperately want to believe that we are inherently good, and that mankind is really good-hearted and well-meaning, but the reality of the state of the world seems to prove otherwise. We are born with a tendency to seek our own self-interests above others and often would lie and steal if we decide it is to our advantage.
The Bible says, “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). The word “sin” feels like an accusation, but it is actually an accurate evaluation of our condition. We may not enjoy looking in the moral mirror but our discomfort does not change the reality of who we are. Our reality is that we have rebelled against the lordship of God. We have not allowed the God revealed in the Bible to be God over our lives. In other words, we have not worshipped and obeyed God. Instead, we have run from Him and denied His claim on our lives.
Many people today feel like they have never wronged God and therefore have no reason to repent or ask for God’s forgiveness. The Bible speaks to this arrogance: “we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Small children play the game where they close their eyes and pretend that because they don’t see you, you are not there. Adults pretend through busyness, distraction, and negligence that God is not there and the Bible isn’t available, but our pretense is only fooling ourselves. For all of our games, the truth of our sinfulness remains. The only way to cleanse our souls from the stain of sin is Jesus.
