Take Away My Sins

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 

I John 3:4-6

The Apostle John writes this letter to a church that has been split by false teachers. He writes in part to teach them how to spot false teachers, so they will be better able to defend themselves and their church in the future. John points out that false teachers are set apart from the true people of God by their cavalier attitude towards sin. The false teachers in John’s day seemed to have indulged their flesh in sin and then claimed it didn’t matter because their souls were unaffected by it. False teachers today may use a different rationale, but they often have the same sinfully indulgent lifestyle.

In the verses above, John says, in essence, "Let’s just stop and think about Jesus for a second. How did Jesus feel about sin?" Well, He appeared so that He might take away our sins. This was Jesus' whole purpose for coming was to take away sin. And we know that He Himself had no sin. So, if Jesus has no sin and He takes away others sin, then how could anyone living in Him go on sinning? And John doesn’t mean making a mistake and committing a sin here or there. He is saying that if Jesus is in you, you won't continue in a lifestyle of sin. You won't go on sinning, because Jesus will take away your sins. Not just forgive them but remove them.

Think about that for a moment. Jesus didn’t just come to forgive your sins. He came to remove them from you, to take them away. Jesus was fully committed to this goal, so much so that He willingly died to accomplish it. He died to take away your sins! It isn't enough for you to be forgiven. He wants you to stop sinning! So, you can’t be a Christian and have a cavalier attitude towards sin. You can’t be a Christian and live unchanged. If you are going to follow Jesus, you have to battle against sin...not just in others but in your own heart as well. So, don't just as Jesus to forgive your sins, ask Him to take them away as well.