Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

July 1
Monday


Bouncing
back

READ:
1 John 1:5-22
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If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.
__1 John 1:9
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On January 18, 2012, the longest winning streak in US intercollegiate varsity sports history__252 consecutive victories__ended when Trinity College lost a squash match to Yale. The morning after the team's first loss in 14 years, Trinity's coach, Paul Assaiante, received an e-mail from a friend, a prominent professional football coach, who wrote, "Well, now you get to bounce back."
Ten days later, that football coach's team lost in one of the most widely seen athletic events__the NFL Super Bowl. All of us must cope with defeat.

The feeling of failure after an athletic loss mirrors our greater self-condemnation following a spiritual collapse. How can we recover from grieving God and others, along with disappointing ourselves? The apostle John wrote, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9). God forgives us because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins (2:2).

God's pardon sets us free to begin again and focus on today's opportunity rather than yesterday's defeat. His faithful cleansing allows us to start over with a pure heart. Today, God invites and enables us to bounce back. __David McCasland

``````````When you've trusted Jesus and walked His way,````````````````
`````````When you've felt His hand lead you day by day,`````````````````
````````````But your steps now take you another way,```````````````````
`````````````````````Start over. __Kroll`````````````````````````````
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Instead of living in the shadows of yesterday,
walk in the light of today and the hope tomorrow.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ 1 John 1:5-2:2******************

5 This is the message
which we have heard from
Him and declare to you,
that God is light and in Him
is no darkness at all. 6 If we
say that we have fellowship
with Him, and walk in
darkness, we lie and do not
practice the truth. 7 But if
we walk in the light as He
is in the light, we have
fellowship with one
another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no
sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we
say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar, and
his word is not in us.

1 My little children, these
things I write to you, so that
you may not sin. And if
anyone sins, we have an
Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.

2 And He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only but
also for the whole word.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

As with his gospel, one of the primary themes of John's first letter is
the difference between light and darkness. In today's text, he affirms
that God Himself is light__holy__and is the antithesis of darkness__
sin (v.5). He continues by saying that, as followers of Christ, our
living is to be characterized by the light that is in God. He does this
through the words walk and practice. Both speak of the ongoing,
daily conduct of living in the light we have received through Christ.