A Thought For The Week Of August 27

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8) Some would call it arrogance. It's the idea that we're so much better than anybody else that God has to love us - because we deserve it. The Bible tells us otherwise. None of us can really claim that we deserve anything - because, basically, we're all in this together. To claim to be without sin (to claim to be perfect) is essentially to set ourselves up as having no need of God, and it gives us permission to live however we like. But that's not the case. To claim perfection and sinlessness is to deny the truth of our condition, and it's to deny the real good news Jesus came to bring us - that God loves us just as we are. We don't have to earn anything. We just need to live with love to the best of our ability. Love is God's truth - and it lives in us, if we let it out. Have a great week!