S I N
by John Hunter
probably quote this verse from mem ory, yet too frequently does it be come so common that we miss the detail that has such pertinent mean ing for our lives. All we can do is to confess our sins. We can’t work penitence for them. (There’s no such word in the Bible.) We do one thing and God, in return, does two things for us. The Bible says that if we will confess our sins “He will forgive us, and He will cleanse us.” The reason He does this is because He is faith ful and just. The Lord Jesus Christ in heaven is our Advocate. Through His shed blood He forgives us our sins. The wonderful part of it is that when God forgives, He completely forgets. In the sight of heaven, that which
H ave you realized God’s answer to the sinfulness of a Christian? In I John we find some extremely helpful thoughts concerning t h i s matter, particularly 1:5 to 2:2. You see, the Bible wasn’t originally writ ten in chapters or verses. While they help us to find portions, sometimes the result in reading is that we miss the context and continuity. This is why this entire section should be read as a unit. First of all, this portion is writ ten to believers. That this is the case is clear from the first five verses. While it is true that Chris tians sin, yet this is not to be the practice or norm of their lives. In no sense is the Spirit of God making it easy for Christians to sin, as some have erroneously suggested. Notice the first verse of chapter two which declares, “These things write I unto you that ye sin not.” What the pas sage does is to give us God’s answer for sin, should we become involved in it. It is interesting to notice how John speaks with the personal pro noun always in the plural form. Sin is universal. John was perhaps the last living link with the Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful saint of God he was! One could almost under stand if he had looked down from the pillar of his great height in Christian living to say, “You poor things! If you sin, there’s an answer for you.” But John never intimated he was so holy, but rather that we all need to find God’s answer. None of us are perfect; no one has ever been exempt from sin. God’s an swer to your sin is found in the words, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just for forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Most of us can
Pictured aHove are some of the foreign stu dents who are members of this year's student body. Seated from left to right are May McLeod, Trinidad; Grace Ko, Formosa; Ruth and Esther Tsai, Hong Kong, China; andYosco Yoshi- zaki, Japan. Standing are Jacobus Durieux, Holland; Simeon Ngugi, Kenya,- Dave Sedaca, Uruguay; and Alfred Ndegwa, Kenya. Through "Operation Firebrand" Biola is able to bring youngpeopleto this land, to prepare them in the study of God's Word. They are then thrust forth into the whitened harvest fieldsof their own country where, already knowing the lan guage and able to speakwith an understand ing of the culture, they are literally"fire brands" for Christ.
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