Cleansing Our Sins

Most of us are very comfortable living in a way where we don’t see or notice the sins in our lives. We recognize that there's some stains in our lives, stains in our marriages, stains on our souls, but we can't see them. We try to avoid lights that might point to them or expose them. That's one of the reasons why going to church service or a small group is oftentimes a battle, because there's something within you that says, “If I go there, they're going to shine a light on some things that I don't really want to shine a light on. I'd rather just pretend like those stains aren't there.” 

All of us have stains on our soul, and just because we don't see them, doesn't mean they're not there. The Bible tells us in 1 John chapter one, it says, “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.” 

Then, Peter helps us see how this is connected to baptism. 1 Peter 3:21 says, “And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” The only power that baptism has is Jesus’s power. There's nothing about the water that saves you. It's Jesus, and it’s the resurrection. 

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: What are some stains in your life that you avoid exposing to light? In what ways can you acknowledge these stains and quit pretending they aren’t there?