“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8

Bill Tell wrote: “A number of years ago I was discipling a young man who had recently been released from the state’s juvenile detention center. As a teenager he had been hooked on drugs, and he had resorted to stealing to support his habit. His behavior had resulted in a new, unwanted identity. Standing before the judge, he likely heard something like this: “You stole (behavior), you are a thief (identity).” Not only was he declared guilty of law-breaking behavior, he was condemned as a thief. Parents often follow the same pattern with their children. A young teen comes home from school with another disappointing grade. Perhaps they got a speeding ticket. I’ve talked with countless students whose fathers’ words still haunt and define them: “You failed again (behavior) . . . you really blew it (behavior) . . . you are a failure (identity) . . . you are a disappointment (identity).” They were given identities based on their behavior. You sin, therefore you are a sinner. For those of us who are believers, is this a true statement? The behavioral part is certainly true: we still sin. A lot. The apostle Paul, writing as a mature believer, laments in Romans 7:19 that “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” Likewise, the apostle John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8). But what about the last part of the statement: you sin, therefore you are a sinner? Is this part true of a follower of Jesus? Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes that “what is worse than doing evil is being evil.” Paul openly admitted he still did evil but rejoiced that God did not consider him an evil person. He continues on in Romans 8:1: “There is . . . no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is the absurd and exhilarating good news of the gospel: our identity is no longer based on our behavior; it is based on the behavior of Jesus! This is why we are called “saints” (for example, Romans 1:7). Our identity is not that of sinners trying hard to become saints. We are saints (because of Jesus’ behavior) who, like Paul, continue to do things we hate—and sometimes sadly don’t hate.”

We should not deceive ourselves. Today in prayer, confess your sins to Jesus Christ and seek His grace.

"The problem with people who have no vices, is that you can be fairly certain that they have some pretty annoying virtues!" – Elizabeth Taylor

God’s Word: “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:40

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN LETTERS OF JOHN

“If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 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 1:6-7

Paula Huston wrote: “In the great scheme of things, light is actually quite rare. Geo-physicists tell us that 71 percent of the earth’s surface lies under the ocean, which means that most of our planet abides in eternal darkness. Astrophysicists add that over 95 percent of the total mass and energy content of the universe is “dark,” which means that it is entirely invisible to us. Since our earliest beginnings, we have indeed been a people dwelling in a land of gloom and living under the shadow of death.

No wonder the predominant symbol in the Christmas story is light. The people who walk in great darkness now see a great light. The glory of the Lord shines down upon the shepherds. The great star of Bethlehem sheds its light over the manger where the child sleeps, illuminating the way west for the wise men and their camels. Epiphany, which commemorates their journey, is known in Greek as “The Day of Lights.” Leo the Great says that for those who had no idea of what was about to happen, it must have been as though Jesus arrived “from a very remote and deep seclusion,” spreading light in his wake.”

We need to put our relationship with Jesus Christ first in our lives and when we walk in His light, all of our relationships will be correct. Today in prayer, thank the Lord for His fellowship and seek to follow Him in all that you do.

“A habit of devout fellowship with God is the spring of all our life, and the strength of it.” – H. E. Manning

God’s Word: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:3

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN LETTERS OF JOHN

“The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” – 1 John 1:2

Mark Batterson wrote: “I preached my first sermon at National Community Church on January 14, 1996. The only thing I remember about that message is my opening illustration. I can’t remember the original source, but I think I stumbled across it in a Reader’s Digest . It was a survey of fifty people who were over the age of ninety-five. Add it up and that’s about five thousand years of combined life experiences. They were all asked the same question: IF YOU COULD LIVE YOUR LIFE ALL OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? Three answers emerged as a consensus. One, they would reflect more —stop and smell the roses. Two, they would risk more —the greatest risk is taking no risks. And three, they would do more things that live on after they died . Are you living for time or eternity?”

All who trust in Jesus Christ have eternal life. Today in prayer, praise the Lord for His gift of eternal life.

“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.” – William Penn

God’s Word: “so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” – Titus 3:7

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN LETTERS OF JOHN