The Green Pastures of Grace; Grace and Forgiveness are Wonderful!

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1 v6-7 KJV)

Well Hallelujah!

We can interpret these verses from 1 John in the light of God's grace. If we walk in fellowship with Him, spending time in His presence and His Word, and in worship and fellowship with other believers, we will be in the light. In this condition, He will overlook many shortcomings and the Blood will cleanse us on an ongoing basis.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Pet 4:8 NIV)


If God tells us to overlook a multitude of sins, it means we should not be making a point of all those we see in others, provoking guilt. And God is simply telling us to extend to others what he is already extending to us!

We cannot enjoy fulness of fellowship if we are always conscious of our sins and shortcomings.

For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.


For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (Heb 10:1-2 KJV)

The Law of Moses had a sacrificial aspect to cover for sins. However it could not result in a clear conscience for more than a few moments even if complied with! God was making the point through the Law that sin was real and lethal in His sight, and that the price for cleansing and redemption was very great.

Verse 2 shows that under that old imperfect covenant, worshippers were still conscious of sins on an ongoing basis. The implication of verse 2 is that under the superior, complete and final New Covenant, entered into simply by faith, we should not be conscious of sins and shortcomings on an ongoing basis! Let that one sink in! Unless you are in serious, conscious, deliberate sin, drink it in!!! If anything in the whole of human experiece is worthy of celebration, this is!! Worthy is the Lamb!!!! For this reason in particular!!!!

1 John chapter 1 verses 8-9 go on to say that if we have sinned in our consciences we need to confess it and not hide and excuse. He will forgive us AND cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yes this is wonderful. But the fact that God wants us, even in our immature and falible state, to live free of condemnation and guilt and a sense of failure and inadequacy is even more wonderful!!!