Gospel Reflections #818: How can't we rely on our own strength?

 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We tend to focus on trying to keep God's law and avoid sin.

Because we are under the influence of sin, it is impossible for us to avoid sinning.

However, God desires not so much that we avoid sin, but that when we do sin, we confess it honestly and truthfully to Him.

That God is truthful and righteous does not mean He merely passes righteous judgment. Rather, God is the One who leads our unrighteousness into righteousness, working within us with the desire to remove all our sin.

This requires us to use our free will.

It means choosing not to rely on our own strength, but to cling to God, to seek His mercy, to be healed by Him, and to be restored by Him.

By humbly opening our hearts and laying bare our weaknesses and ugliness, we prepare ourselves and become ready to receive God's power.

God forgives us again and again, and restores us again and again.

And through this repetition, we are spiritually matured by joy, gratitude, and hope.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.