Monday after the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on October 19, 2020 by under
Scripture: 1 John 1:1-10 (NKJV)
1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Devotion
John writes so that our joy may be full. This joy consists in the promise of eternal life that God has revealed through Christ. We have joy because we have fellowship with the Father and the Son through faith in the Apostles’ doctrine. Being in fellowship with the Father means that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” No one can take this joy from us.
But it is forfeited by walking in darkness. If we return to our former sins, or say that we have no sin in us, we deceive ourselves and the truth isn’t in us. The truth is that we sin each day because we have sin in our flesh. If we don’t cut off the indwelling sin when it tempts us, we sin. Instead of minimizing and rationalizing our sins and the sin in our flesh, we are to confess our sins. God promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Walking in the light means confessing our sins and believing God’s promise of forgiveness and cleansing. Each time we confess our sins to God we hear the words of Jesus from Matthew 9:2, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” That joy motivates us to love God and serve our neighbor, and abstain from sin.
Prayer: O Almighty and Most Merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready, both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that Thou wouldst have done; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
