January 4th, 2026: Sin and Forgiveness | 1 John 1:5-10, 1 John 2:1-6

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23).

Let’s talk a bit about sin.  Society and culture may blur the lines on what is or is not sin; however, God has not forgotten or changed His word on the matter. 

What is sin?  In Hebrew, the word is “khata” and  means “missing the mark or falling short of the goal.” Jesus set the example and gave us the goal.

 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40). 

The word of God is like a mirror, according to the book of James.  When we view our actions in the light of the Word of God, we see how far away we actually are. There is much that needs to be corrected.  Only, it is easy to forget all the flaws, if we walk away from the “mirror,” and use our own feelings and standards as a measure of our good behavior. 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).

Don’t read the Bible trying to identify where others fail. Read it prayerfully and personally, and allow the Holy Spirit to instruct you and correct you, it’s through the power of God that we draw closer to performing the will of God and closer in relationship to our heavenly Father. 

Scripture uses several words to identify sin.  The word iniquity is not used very often in modern conversation and many struggle to know the meaning. In Hebrew the word for iniquity is “Avon” and  it means to be bent or crooked, bending the rules, having moral failure, and twisting the commandments. “Avon” refers to the wickedness and guilt of sin committed when we knowingly do so.  Instead of walking straight we walk a twisted tangled life.  

Another word in scripture  referring ti sin  is transgression.  In Hebrew, transgression is “Pesha” which means to break a trust, to be rebellious, or to commit a trespass.  Trespassing is crossing a line defiantly.  Both iniquity and transgression indicate a betrayal and violation of our relationships with God. When we sin we fail to do what we know we should,  is a matter of the heart and a choice to be made, before it becomes an action.

Do we honor God? Do we treat those around us with respect, protecting and caring for others as we would ourselves?  Your actions will speak louder than your words. All sins, iniquities and transgressions break our relationship to God and with others. Sin causes separation, it is unavoidable.  Our problem is sin. Our solution is Jesus.

Where did sin start? In the Garden of Eden,  Adam and Eve gave in to the temptation of the serpent, who bid them to knowingly disobey the direct commandment of God. Although God had said not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruit looked good, and they reasoned that  it must taste good.  Adam and Eve decided (with the help of the serpent) that they had a right to this good thing God was trying to keep from them.  The serpent’s whisper was subtle, but it was a lie.  Satan insinuated that God was  wrong, jealous and unfair. Sin entered a perfect world and their willful rebellion changed everything. We are born in the likeness of our father Adam, bearing his rebellious and sinful nature. The original (imputed) sin of Adam brings with it the curse of death. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12).

 You might ask why God would put that tree there in the first place, especially if He didn’t want Adam and Eve to eat of it. It is a mark of the high value God has placed on a real relationship with His people.  If we didn’t have free moral agency, we could never choose to love Him, we could never know the depth of His love or His grace.  We were not made like the cosmos or the animal kingdom without the ability to choose and think, we were mad in His image and in His likeness to know, and to be known by our creator.  Scripture doesn’t tell us all of the why. Some things are God’s business.  Scripture does tell us that God knew this sin would happen.  He laid out a plan for restoration and forgiveness before He created the world.  In God’s plan of salvation, forgiveness comes at a very great personal cost. 

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:18-21).

We should not take the payment for our sins lightly. The price for our debt was paid in the obedience of one man - the only begotten Son of the Father. God’s unmerited favor and forgiveness of this sin and all sin,  is applied freely to every believer because of the sinless death and resurrection of Jesus.  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:18-21).

1 John 1: 5-10

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

So let’s be honest.  If we say we have no sin, we are kidding ourselves.  We are liars. It is interesting how we can see the sins of others and not so much our own. One of the things that really raised the ire of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day  was that Jesus would pronounce men and women to be forgiven of  sins. In the account of the man carried through the roof by four friends to be healed by Jesus, our Saviour tells the man “your  sins are forgiven”. The scribes immediately contend that Jesus is committing blasphemy.  Yet Jesus answers - Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. (Mark 2: 9-12).

They missed the proof.  Forgiving sin was the hardest part, the healing a visible testimony of His ability to do so. The man got up, picked up his bed, and went home.  It remains true that only God can forgive sins, and that is exactly what Jesus proved- He is God. 

Notice that John, writing to believers, said that God contains no darkness at all. He is not evil.  He cannot be evil. He is unlike any other. We are to walk in the light of God in fellowship one with another and with Him.  That does not mean that we will walk sinlessly.  We cannot be good enough to do that. He would not need to cleanse us (continuing present tense) if this meant we were sinless.  It means that we walk in a state of understanding that we sin.  We know we miss the mark, do things crooked, and break fellowship with people and God.  But knowing that, we turn to him for continual cleansing, to allow us to walk in the light of God.  That does not take away from our commandment to walk faithfully and in accordance to God’s word.  Paul said it like this. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.(Romans 6:15).

If we deny that we sin, we are walking in darkness. John says we are lying to ourselves and to others in this same state.  Fellowship is broken with God and with those around us. We should not act is if it is okay to rebell against God either.  We cannot claim to be walking with God as we live in unrepented sin.  

If we admit and acknowledge our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is faithful.  He is not like us.   He doesn’t hang the sins over our head taunting us that we haven’t asked enough times or paid enough penalty. You might struggle with this.  God is not like us.  We hold grudges, doubt sincerity, look for failure in others.  When God forgives, He forgives and allows unmerited favor, mercy we don’t deserve.  He requires a sincere heart and contrite (remorse filled) spirit.  He covers the sins we commit (commission) as well as the good things we should have done but didn’t (omission). He forgives those presumptuous things - the ones we knew were wrong but did anyway, asking for forgiveness after. We’ve gotten what we want. All means All. 

The Bible says that anything that is without faith is sin, all of our actions good and evil are known by God.  If we surrender our lives and our futures to our sovereign king, Jesus Christ, the punishment for our sin is taken from us, because it was paid for by Him.  If we in our pride, refuse to agree with God about our sin, refuse to repent, live to our own standard of righteousness then the wrath of God abides on us still.  You can be forgiven, but you must be born again and live a life of gratitude knowing that without Christ, you will never see God.  Are there natural consequences of sinful behavior, but your sin can be redeemed and used to help others become free in Jesus Christ, once you confess them and repent of them.  You  may not be spared the consequences but the sin is forgiven. The slate is wiped clean. We move forward stronger in our faith, with better understanding, and with our witness shining a little brighter. 

1 John 2: 1-6

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

John says not to practice sin. The consequences are too high. But knowing that you will sometimes sin, there is one who works to intercede for you with God and to remove the sin  - Jesus. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1Timothy 2:5).

He is our advocate.  He is our defender.  He is true and righteous.  He knows you and the very intent of your heart. Notice that John says he is the propitiation for our sins.  Propitiation is a big word that means Jesus appeased God’s wrath on our behalf and has removed that wrath, the wrath that we deserved, by His obedience on the cross. But this propitiation isn’t a game.  It isn’t something to play around with.  John is very clear that we are to keep His commandments, know His word, and walk as He directs us. We mentioned presumptuous sin earlier.  Presumptuous sin says - I know it’s wrong. I don’t care.  I will do it anyway and ask forgiveness later. Many business models use this today as “ Do it and ask forgiveness later.”  King David prayed, Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. (Psalm 19:13). We should be aware and pray the same.  

In summary, there are many ways that we fall short or miss the mark in our relationship with God and others. There are many verses that we can add: Let not then your good be evil spoken of:(Romans 14:16)  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (Colossians 3:5-10).

Try as we might, we are going to sin.  We are told repeatedly that confessing those sins in sincerity, they will be forgiven.  We have to keep our goals in mind.  As we enter a new year, let our goals align with God’s goals for our lives.  His word never fails. Read it.  His mercies are new every morning. Accept it.  His grace is sufficient. Believe it.  Willingly and readily admit your sin and accept God’s forgiveness. Walk through 2026 in the light of fellowship with God and with others!

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:12-16).

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!