Pretending and Fooling Oneself….

The difference between an authentic believer and a “religious” believer is the former admits he is a sinner. The “religious” one denies his sin, and claims he has been cleansed, completely free from ever sinning again. The true believer knows he’s still a sinner, and even though he has been cleansed from the consequences of his sin eternally, he still needs to confess to God to be forgiven daily. You see when we confess our sin, by admitting we are sinners, we acknowledge our continual dependence on God, and His wonderful grace being showered on us daily. The fact that we recognize our sinful nature is still there (as long as we live here on earth in our fleshly bodies), we can rightfully welcome God’s forgiveness when we confess to Him. For God is faithful and just, willing to forgive and cleanse us from all wickedness. The “religious” believer is only pretending to be without sin, only fooling himself, not God, or others. If you think there are few people who “pretend” when it comes to this topic, think again. I’ve met many of them, and could tell you some interesting stories.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that His word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:8-10