1 John 1:9 - just a small discussion of this verse.

"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

sins--> ἁμαρτία (hamartia):
1) equivalent to 264
a) to be without a share in
b) to miss the mark
c) to err, be mistaken
d) to miss or WANDER from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
e) to wander from the law of God, violate God's law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many

Unrighteousness --> ἀδικία (adikia):
1) injustice, of a judge
2) unrighteousness of heart and life
3) a deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness

I think there's some interesting things to consider when studying this verse, some say it contradicts other verses and cannot be written to NT believer bc someone who is righteous can't be unrighteous.... Which there's truth to the fact that we can't be righteous one minute and completely unrighteousness the next because we made a small mistake, but I think it is interesting that the word used for "unrighteousness" can also mean "unrighteous acts or deeds violating God's divine law" .... Which, makes that verse make more sense and I can see that it DOES apply to us... While we are righteous, we do possess a body, we are not just Spirit.... We are a spirit, we possess a soul and we live in a body... Paul even said that he buffets his body daily to make it his slave, which makes me think if you don't buffet your body daily it will want to wander away from God's moral standards for our lives.... Which makes me think, you can commit acts of unrighteousness if you don't feed on the Word and bring your body into subjection ... And thus, when you do "miss the mark" or "wander from the path of uprightness and honor" you have a signed, sealed, and delivered guarantee that you can run to your father God and ask his forgiveness. You do this not out of a state of doubting your position or His forgiveness but you do it so your heart doesn't try to make you feel UNrighteous, because you are righteous and you were bought with a price! Praise God we have confidence in the fact that all we have to do is ask and He's already forgiven us!!!!! :)

Til Next Time,
JRT

The Qualities of a True Prince Charming!

I’ve really been inspired on the topic of “Waiting for Prince Charming” and the qualities of a virtuous, godly woman in today’s society, so I may write a series on these topics, but we’ll see…

So many times we girls grow up on fairytales and only focus on the main points, girl meets an attractive guy who turns out to be Prince Charming and they live happily ever after. What so many seem to miss are the important hidden lessons in these stories. It seems as girls we get in our head that all to it is just finding someone that we are in love with because of his dreamy eyes, adorable nose, heartthrob smile, etc. and nothing else matters. While that seems to be the pervasive theme of most fairytales, I feel the classic fairytales and the final authority, the Bible, yield the perfect example of what a True Prince Charming looks like.

Some important things to consider when looking for Prince Charming ... While he may be cute to look at, does he exhibit the qualities of a good husband?

1. Does he have a strong relationship with God? Not simply does he go to church and sound spiritual, but does he have a true, established passion for God and His Word even behind closed doors when the spotlight is off?

 2. Does he have a home? While it doesn't have to be Buckingham Palace, Prince Charming always has a Castle to bring his Princess home to! A godly, upright man preparing to be a good husband shows an admirable quality in making sure he has his own place to bring a wife home to. Love may make you feel good, but that feeling can turn to sadness if your castle turns out to be a cardboard box!