PRAY

Take time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read, ponder and write.

Read Matthew 1 John 1:5 – 1 John 2:2

“ If we say we have fellowship with him
while we walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth.”
1 John 1:6

WRITE

I’ve noticed something lately. We live in an age of moral relativism. Using this world-view we get to make up our own morality. We get to decide what is light and what is dark. What is sin and what is acceptable. I hear phrases like, “I’m not as bad as______” or “it’s not that bad…” or “it’s only a little lie”. Really?! Sin is sin! We have whitewashed sin and use others as our barometer of wrong-doing. But God’s word is pretty specific about both who we are as man (Romans 3:23) and who we are as believers in Christ (Romans 3:24-25, 1 Corinthians 5:17). It’s easy to disregard our sins, but as followers of Christ we are called to be “living sacrifices” and to change the way we think and live to be in tune with God’s word and His desire for our lives. I love what Romans 12:2 in the NLT tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” He loves us so much… he desires to transform our lives for our benefit and His glory! Now let’s dig into 1  John to see what God says about our problem with sin…

• Where does this message come from?
• What does verse 5 make clear about the attributes of God.
• Write down the 5 “IF” statements in this passage as well as their corresponding result. – what is your reaction?
• God is faithful and full of love.What does 1 John 1:9 tell us about what God does with our sin when we confess?
• I love 1 John 2:1 – What does the “But” tell us about the solution to our sin problem?
• Jesus “is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2 – What does this tell you about the thoroughness of the forgiveness available to all who put their trust in Christ?
• How does this passage make you reconsider the way that you look at your own sin? Ask the Spirit to guide you as you seek His will and His transformation…

GROW

Praying this for us all today…

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!”
Psalm 139:23-24