1 John 1:8-10

2nd Test of Christian Behavior

1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

What is your perception of man? Basically good or basically evil? I would venture to guess more people would say basically good versus the alternative. But, is this a biblical view of man?

The Old Testament is full of stories and examples of man's natural tendencies to do evil and his inability to remain faithful to the covenant relationship with the One True God. From the Garden of Eden forward, God promised a Savior who would come and serve as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.

God, himself, tells us the human condition is sinful and full of evil desires, and that we cannot save ourselves. God says that?!?! You bet! He's the Creator of the universe. This is HIS story. I have to believe that the Creator, Writer, and Illustrator of the story knows His characters better then they do. I also believe that he loved us enough to do something about it.

If we say that we are not that bad, or think that we can save ourselves, then Jesus came for nothing. If we were good enough all along, or able to atone for this problem on our own, then Jesus came, suffered, and died unnecessarily. God didn't have to give up His only Son for us. He didn't need to write that into the story. In effect, we are saying God was a Liar.

Can a Holy God lie? Can a Holy God mislead us? No, it goes against the very nature of God to lie. But, can you recall the one who's very nature it is to lie? The Great Deceiver, Satan. What was his line again in the Garden of Eden to Eve? "Did God really say?" Who is the one always trying to plagiarize the original writer or who is the one always trying to revise the story? Satan. It is his work that leads us to the conclusion that we don't need a Savior because we are good to go on our own. Unfortunately, this leads to a different eternal outcome.

Our natural self would like us to believe we are good, or that if we TRY to be good, it will be enough. We don't want to face the dark, ugly side of us. We don't want to gaze upon the face of God and see ourselves in comparison because it is not a pretty sight. We would find that we are small, meaningless, evil, sinful, and completely contrary to the Living God. We should be crushed by his glory. We are not even worthy to be in His presence. That is how we need to see ourselves. That is who God saw when He said we needed a Savior and the only one that would suffice was His very own Son.

It's that Savior, Jesus Christ, that washes away our sinful self, and makes us a new creation by the blood he spilled on our behalf. It's a loving and forgiving God, that sent Jesus for us so that we could once again be restored unto Him. It's that Creator that ensured the story contained a hero.

A biblical worldview of who man is says we are evil, in need of a Savior. It says we are only made holy through the sanctifying work of Jesus Christ in our lives. We can only be sanctified by Christ, if Christ lives in us. We need to invite him in. We only invite, once we have come to the realization that we need Him. There's no other way. He's it. We admit our sinful nature. We invite Him in. God makes His home in us and He keeps us and protects us. We surrender and let Him lead.

So, can you say you fulfill the second test of Christian behavior?