September 1 Devotional Meditation
By Dr. Patrick Elijah Anyomi
Key Text:
“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.” (1 John 1:8-9, NIV)
Devotional Meditation:
This powerful scripture reveals the daily rhythm of the Christian life. Our permanent standing before God is one of perfect righteousness—a gift received by faith in Christ, not earned by our works. But our daily walk is often marked by stumbling and failure. This verse calls us to live in the reality of our gifted righteousness by being honest about our ongoing need for grace.
To "claim to be without sin" is not just a lie about our behavior; it is a denial of our fundamental need for the Savior. It is an attempt to establish our own righteousness, to present ourselves to God based on our own perceived goodness. This mindset nullifies the grace of God, because if we could be righteous on our own, Christ died for nothing.
Conversely, confession is the active reliance on the gift of righteousness. When we confess, we are not trying to earn forgiveness or persuade a reluctant God. We are agreeing with Him about our sin and, in the very same breath, laying hold of the forgiveness and purification already purchased for us by Jesus. We can approach Him with confidence because He is "faithful and just"—faithful to His promise to forgive, and just because the penalty for that sin was already fully satisfied by the sacrifice of His Son. Our confession doesn't make Him forgiving; it receives the forgiveness that flows from His faithful and just character.
Confession, therefore, is not the gloomy duty of a sinner trying to become righteous. It is the joyful privilege of a righteous person—declared so by faith—being continually cleansed and restored to fellowship.
A Time of Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you that my standing before you is secure in the perfect righteousness of Christ, a gift I received by faith. I renounce all claims of my own goodness and any tendency to hide my failures.
I come before you now in honest confession, not to earn your favor, but because I already have it in Jesus. I confess my sins to you now... [Take a moment of silence for personal reflection and confession].
Thank you that you are faithful to your promise and just because of the cross. Thank you that my forgiveness is not based on the quality of my confession, but on the finished work of your Son. Purify me from all unrighteousness. Help me to walk today not in self-deception, but in the freedom and joy of your gift of righteousness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.