Bible Passage: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:1-19; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20
I embraced faith as a young man and wasn’t a virgin when I did. I confessed my sins (including sexual ones), received Christ’s forgiveness, and experienced a miraculous feeling of being washed white as snow (Psalm 51:7).
Later, I briefly dated a Christian woman who broke up with me when she found out I wasn’t a virgin. She was waiting for marriage and wanted a man who had waited too.
I can’t fault her for wanting that, but it hurt.
I had turned away from things I did before I met Jesus, but my past sexual sin hung over me still.
Would any Christian woman ever accept me? Is God as upset at this sin as she was?
I had been forgiven—but was I, really?
It didn’t feel like it.
In the historical novel The Scarlett Letter, the main character commits adultery, and her Christian community forces her to wear a red letter “A” on her clothing for the rest of her days. She would be forever publicly branded for her sin, and no Christian man would ever marry her.
Her past sexual sin hung over her still.
Why was there no blue “L” for the liar in town, or yellow “G” for the gossip, or purple “T” for the thief?
It seems that many Christians do treat sexual sin differently from other sins.
Purity culture didn’t explicitly teach this, but the message was received all the same. Sexual sin is “worse,” more shameful, and even unforgivable—maybe not unforgivable by God, but certainly by at least some Christians.
This is not truth.
A man’s sexual sin is certainly sin—let’s not sugarcoat that. It offends God, harms and dishonors women, and is sin that a man commits against his own body, which is the place the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
That truth acknowledged, we must also acknowledge the truth from today’s passage (dramatically paraphrased):
The blood of Jesus has wonder-working power.
Once a sin is repented of, it is forever forgiven. End of story.
To suggest otherwise is to suggest that Jesus’ blood isn’t enough to forgive us, and that moves into the realm of blasphemy.
Sexual sin is not more sinful than other sins. A man must turn away from it, but no sin should be elevated above the blood of Jesus, which has completely purchased our pardon and makes us pure.
Prayer: Lord, I ask for Your forgiveness for any sexual sins I have committed. Take my sin from me and wash me white as snow. Help me move forward with purity and integrity. Thank You that the blood of Jesus is enough to forgive and purify me! Amen.
Reflection: Why do you think God’s forgiveness can be so hard to hold onto in this particular area of sin?
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