No one who does not sin

“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, “We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, - 1 Kings 8.46-49

As Solomon was praying for his people he mentioned something that we are going to read about all through the word of God. As he prayed he said this ‘When they sin…(for there is no one who does not sin).’ With this he nails it. He points out. A problem that is going to be the problem of problems. And what is the problem? ‘There is no one who does not sin.’ Or, as Paul says later, ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ Or, as John says it, ‘if we say that we do not sin we lie.’

The problem is everyone of ever age and in every place has sinned, sins, and will sin because everyone of every age and in every place is a sinner. That is a true in 2016 as it was in 965 B.C.

So Solomon knew that something else had to be done so he prayed ‘when they admit their sin and repent and turn back to You please support them again.’

That reminds of ‘if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’

Sinners are going to sin - that's just the way it is. But when they repent and confess our forgiving God is going to forgive.

John Newton had it right when he said ‘Although my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Saviour’

Thank God that us great sinners have a great Saviour.