1That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life 2(and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); 3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.
5This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. 7But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
These statements about plucking out our eyes and cutting off our hands are hyperbolic metaphors. That means they are figures of speech that use extreme exaggeration to create analogies that teach us a truth. Jesus is trying to wake us up to the reality of unrecognized sin in our lives. He is trying to tell us how aggressively we must deal with such sins. I know that in my own life, it can be difficult to recognize that there are attitudes in my heart or activities I’m engaged in that are sinful and need to be addressed. This is the realm in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
David tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” As we get quiet before God, we can ask Him to reveal ourselves to ourselves. I know that sounds circuitous, but it really isn’t. It involves simply praying something like, “Lord Jesus, I desire to please you with all of my heart, soul, and might. By your precious Spirit within me, bring to mind the heart attitudes I hold that need to be dealt with. Show me, precious Holy Spirit, where I am outside of your will for my life.” Then, be still. Be quiet. He will reveal to you the thoughts, words, and deeds that need to change. When they are identified, acknowledge to God that they are sin, and ask Him to make the necessary changes to bring you back into His will. That is the act of confession. “8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)