In previous lessons, we talked about how we need to confess sin, and choose to get rid of it when God reveals it to us. How do we know if He’s shown us something that’s sin? One, is outright reading it in the scripture that it is sin and knowing that’s what you are doing. Actually, even then we might need the quickening of the Holy Spirit to make us realize our sin. Two, when you have that feeling you aren’t sure if this is okay or not. How can you know that thing is sin?

The end of Romans 14:23 says that, “…whatever is not from faith is sin” (NASB). If you are unsure if what you are doing is okay, then you aren’t in faith. You have no assurance. You’re in doubt, and doubting is the lack of faith. It could be a big bad sin. It could be letting food or social media control your time and money. It could be refusing to speak to someone. It could be any number of things. If God has shown it to you, and you deep down know it because you aren’t in faith about it, you need to confess and repent and want it away. Trying to act like you aren’t sure if it’s really sin is a sure sign that you actually know. You wouldn’t be justify something you’re in faith about, that it’s not sin. Not being willing to give it up when maybe it is sinning against a holy God, and keeping you from close fellowship with Him, is a sure sign that you love your sin.

1 John 1:10 says that we make God out to be a liar if we say we don’t have sin. Don’t make Him a liar. Don’t lie about not having sin. Trying to justify your sin by pointing out other people who do the same thing is another sign that you’re in sin. Self tries to justify itself by talking around it with reasonings. God justifies you only through the cleansing blood of Jesus in the work of the Holy Spirit, not by rationalizing. Now, there may very well be someone with the same faults as you, but maybe God hasn’t worked on that in their life yet. In their ignorance, they can be clean before God. That’s not your concern. Your concern is your relationship with God and standing before Him clean by the cleansing of the blood of Christ. Are you willing to give it up (whatever it is—you’re the one who knows), for the love of God? Whom do you love?