1 John 1:7-10 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
Are you Stinky?
blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say 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 we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Why do you take a shower?
Truth be told, I’m sitting here, having done Zumba Rush on the Xbox (yes, I actually exercised). I haven’t showered after working out, and I’m sure I don’t smell amazing. I would take a shower before I leave the house, but why? Because I’m dirty. I have to get clean. I can’t get clean by myself (unless I want to go all catlike, but I’m not up for that). I need water and soap to get clean (at least water).
Do you stink?
My boys are typical teenagers, and sometimes they avoid taking showers. I don’t know for sure what the aversion is, except maybe that it takes time away from other things they would rather be doing. When they ask, “Do I have to take a shower?” the answer is almost always, “Do you stink?”. Now if you know anything about teenage boys, you probably know that they pretty much always stink unless they’ve just come out of the shower. Of course, that doesn’t stop my boys from saying, “No”.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
Just like my boys trying to deny that they stink, sometimes we want to deny that we are sinful. We don’t like the idea that we don’t measure up. It’s not a pretty picture. But the truth is they stink, and I’m sinful. I do thinks that are unkind, I am selfish, and I put my want and needs above those of my Lord, My family and all people. It’s all about me. The problem is, no matter how much we deny it, God knows the truth. Just like I know my boys need soap and water to get them clean, God knows we need help getting clean. That’s the whole reason He sent Jesus.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Keeping God as our focus allows us to have true fellowship with each other, just like taking a shower makes it easier for us to not turn people away. Because we put our faith in Jesus, we are cleansed from our sins, able to be part of other relationships, and also get clean in the process. I don’t want to stink when I go out to meet a friend, and to be honest, I don’t want my sins to show either. But even if my sins do show, I can be cleansed, and as far as God is concerned, all my sins have been washed away.
Do you stink?
God is... 