Step 7: Living in the Light Remove Shortcomings: 1 John1
STEP 7: We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
John wrote this letter which later became 1 John early in the new church when many were unsure what Christ really called us to do. They were questioning, “What does it really mean to be a follower of Jesus?” During this time, the New Testament of the Bible was not yet compiled and there were many who were false prophets. John wrote this letter to illustrate what Jesus wants us to do and how to know His will for our lives.
So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7 NLT
If we continue to behave the way we did when we were practicing our addiction or compulsive behaviors, we are not doing what Jesus calls us to do. We must leave that old life behind and all the negative behaviors that kept us stuck in our sin. Jesus calls us into the light and humbly asking that He remove our shortcomings, it gives His healing grace an opportunity to come into our lives and ultimately purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1 John 1:8-10 NLT
How easy is it for us to be in denial of our sin? Justifying our actions is how we and Satan kept us stuck in a pattern of hurtful and potentially toxic behaviors. This step simply says “we should humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings.” From there, God can shine a light into our lives to begin the work we desperately need to fully follow His will in our lives and continue to heal from our addictions and compulsive behaviors.
Other Key Verses for Step 7
But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 NLT
Examine your heart
- In what ways are you seeing God work in your life and change you?
- Are there any shortcomings you find particularly difficult to let go of?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I will never fully be of use to You until I let go absolutely. Please do with me what You will. Taking my shortcomings from me and replacing them with your healing grace. I want to be all You intended me to be; and to be of full usefulness to You and to my fellows. In Jesus’ name we pray—Amen.