當我注意到門廊邊的花園水管旁有株發芽的小草時，我並沒有理會這看來無害的小東西。不過是株雜草嘛，怎麼可能會破壞草坪呢？但數週之後，這惱人的雜草卻長成小灌木叢的大小，並開始佔據我們的庭院。它們不僅覆蓋了部分的走道，而且也在其他地方開始長出來。在我明白這雜草確實深具破壞性之後，我讓丈夫幫忙將這些野草連根拔除，並噴灑除草劑，保護我們的庭院。

當我們忽略或否認罪的存在時，罪就會像不受歡迎的蔓生雜草，入侵我們的生活，讓我們的生命陷入黑暗。我們的上帝全然無瑕，在祂裡面沒有任何一點黑暗。身為祂的兒女，我們有能力和責任去抵擋罪惡，所以我們能「在光明中行，如同上帝在光明中」（約翰一書1章7節）。我們透過認罪悔改，罪得赦免並得享自由，再也不受罪惡轄制（8-10節），這是因為我們有一位偉大的中保耶穌（2章1節）。祂甘心為你我的罪付上最終代價，在十架上流下祂的寶血，「不是單為我們的罪，也是為普天下人的罪」（2節）。

當上帝讓我們看到自己的罪時，我們可以選擇否認、逃避或推卸責任。但只要我們願意認罪悔改，上帝就能拔除罪根，使我們與人、與上帝之間的關係不再受到罪的危害。

When I noticed a sprig budding next to the garden hose by our porch, I ignored the seemingly harmless eyesore. How could a little weed possibly hurt our lawn? But as the weeks passed, that nuisance grew to be the size of a small bush and began taking over our yard. Its stray stalks arched over a portion of our walkway and sprouted up in other areas. Admitting its destructive existence, I asked my husband to help me dig out the wild weeds by the roots and then protect our yard with weed killer.

When we ignore or deny its presence, sin can invade our lives like unwanted overgrowth and darken our personal space. Our sinless God has no darkness in Him . . . at all. As His children, we’re equipped and charged to face sins head-on so we can “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (1 John 1:7). Through confession and repentance, we experience forgiveness and freedom from sin (vv. 8–10) because we have a great advocate—Jesus (2:1). He willingly paid the ultimate price for our sins—His lifeblood—and “not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (v. 2).

When our sin is brought to our attention by God, we can choose denial, avoidance, or deflection of responsibility. But when we confess and repent, He weeds out sins that harm our relationships with Him and others.