Don't Call Jesus a Liar. He Does the Cleaning - PART TWO

Addison Bachman

Jan 1 (edited) • 📢 Machine Lobby

by Pastor Joseph Cortes

1 John 1:9; Romans 5:20; 1 John 2:1–2

There is a deep relief hidden in these words:

“If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us… and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Notice who does the cleansing. He does.

We are excellent at scrubbing what God alone can remove. Like a stain that has sunk deep into fabric, sin cannot be erased by effort, discipline, or religious chemicals. The harder we scrub in the flesh, the more visible the stain becomes. This is why self-effort always leads to despair.

Scripture acknowledges something many believers forget: sins of ignorance exist. There are sins we fall into knowingly—and sins we commit without even realizing it. Under the Old Covenant, sacrifices were required even for unintentional sins. Under the New Covenant, Christ Himself has become the final offering for all sin.

If perfection were the requirement for fellowship with God, no one would stand. But grace does not run out. Where sin increases, grace increases all the more. This is not permission to sin—it is permission to breathe.

John makes this clear. He writes so that we do not sin—but he also acknowledges reality:

“And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.”

Not one of the righteous. The Righteous.

Jesus does not stand against you when you fail. He stands for you. He intercedes. He advocates. He applies His finished work again and again, not because it was insufficient the first time, but because your need is ongoing.

This is why condemnation has no place among believers. If God does not withdraw His love when you fall, who are we to withdraw grace from one another? The table of the Lord is not a reward for the sinless—it is nourishment for the dependent.

Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Not occasionally. Not religiously. Continually. As often as you eat and drink. Remember the One who provides living bread and living water. Remember the cross. Remember the empty tomb. Remember that He is alive and at work within you.

Transformation does happen. Desires change. Chains loosen. Habits lose their grip. Sometimes instantly. Sometimes slowly. Always by God’s hand, not yours.

So, stop listening to voices that tell you grace has limits. Stop questioning what Christ has already settled. You are clean because He has made you clean.

And that is worth remembering—daily.

Get more of Pastor Joe here: www.TeachingFaith.com

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