(Below is a Communion Meditation I shared at my local church. This was one way to remember and rejoice in Christ through Communion, not a detailed explanation of it.)
Follow the logic of 1 John as we think about how confession of our sin should lead to clinging to our savior.
“I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (1 John 2:1).
God’s desire for us is that we would not sin. God is holy, righteous, and perfect. He gives good commands so we would reflect His holiness. When we sin, we fail to reflect who God is, we hurt ourselves, and we also create separation between ourselves and God. Like any relationship, when there’s an offense, it creates a disruption in the relationship. Fellowship and friendship is hindered.
So how did that go for you this week? Did your righteousness reflect God’s righteousness? Did you get impatient, angry, or act selfishly? Were you prideful, hurtful in your words, or did you lust or covet after anything? Did you desire and obey God like He deserves?
None of us keep God’s law perfectly. We all sin.
Thankfully, though John doesn’t want us to sin, he’s aware we will sin at times. He writes, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). If you try to tell yourself or others that you haven’t sinned, you’re deceived or you’re lying. Then he adds, “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins” (2:1-2).
God doesn’t want us to sin, but all of us will and do sin. And not just once every blue moon. We sin often. But the good news is when we sin God has already provided the solution to our problem: our advocate and savior Jesus Christ who paid for those sins with his body and blood. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
We don’t cover up our sins, run from them, or try to earn our way back into God’s good graces. We confess sin. We honestly bring them into the light before God by acknowledging to Him where we’ve sinned. Like any relationship where we’ve done wrong and caused the disruption, we don’t ignore or dismiss it but we own it and apologize for it. Confession is how we respond to our sin.
But confession of our sin is linked to clinging to Christ’s sacrifice. We don’t excuse our sin, but we also don’t have to dwell on it. God’s not interested in rubbing our face in it. He’s interested in restoration and reconciliation. And as we apply the gospel to our sin, we embrace the full forgiveness and complete restoration back to God we have in Christ. The relational disruption is no more. We are made right with God by His mercy and grace. The brokenness our sin caused is eclipsed by the joy and hope we have in Jesus. We confess our sin and we cling to Christ to experience both cleansing and communion.
indycrowe 