But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:7
John does not say that the blood of Jesus once cleansed us. He says it cleanses us. The verb’s tense points to Christ’s continual work on behalf of His people. The sacrifice of Jesus was completed once for all upon the cross, yet the benefits of that sacrifice continually flow into the lives of those who belong to Him.
Every day we battle sinful thoughts, selfish motives, careless words, and misplaced affections. None of those failures surprise our Savior. The blood that secured our salvation also sustains our fellowship.
His forgiveness and mercy do not permit us to treat sin casually. Quite the opposite. Every sin reminds us of the immeasurable price Jesus willingly paid to redeem us. Grace never minimizes sin; it magnifies the love of the Savior who bore its penalty in our place.
Because of Christ, we do not live under constant condemnation, nor do we pretend we have everything together. We come honestly before the Lord, confident that His grace is greater than our failures and His mercy is new every morning.
The Christian life is not sustained by our ability to remain spotless. It is sustained by the spotless Lamb who continually cleanses those who trust Him.
Father, we confess that we often carry guilt You have already paid for or become careless toward sins that grieve Your heart. Thank You for the precious blood of Jesus that fully secured our forgiveness and continually restores our fellowship with You. Help us hate sin more deeply while resting more confidently in the finished work of Christ. We surrender our shame, our self-righteousness, and our failures into Your gracious hands.
Cleansed by Christ,
eep
We do not stand before God because we are spotless, but because Christ is.
