Most human beings like to think that they are right, and in the right with everybody else, especially God.  Certainly, God designed us to be in perfect fellowship with each other and Him, and such relationships are a template of heaven (2 Peter 3:13).  However, we are not like that all the time.  Indeed, most of our dealings with God and other people are in some way tainted with self-interest, self-seeking, and a desire for self-glory (Romans 3:10-12).  So how do we cope with the tension between our creation-design to be righteous and the reality of our unrighteousness?

A minority do not care at all.  Some admit their faults but dismiss their significance saying, ‘Everybody's human and we cannot be perfect’.  Most are reluctant to admit to faults and simply pretend that they are right when they are wrong – that is like saying that God is a liar.  They demonstrate that they have not opened themselves to the Light of His Word and so they come to a wrong decision about their moral state, failing to see themselves as God sees them.

If we claim to be right when we are not, that is not only a dangerous self-deception but also reveals that we do not know the Truth (His Name is Jesus ... John 14:6).  However, if we do know Him, we will know that He is always faithful to His promises: including His promise to punish sinners and restore the repentant (Psalm 145:13).  We will also know that He was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5-6) and so it is safe to expose our hearts to the searchlight of His scrutiny, and unburden our hearts by admitting the truth about our sin (Psalm 32:3-5).  God knows it anyway but when we confess (tell Him in words what we have done and that we want to turn from it) that we have offended Him, He delights in forgiving us (Hosea 14:2).  Indeed, He would be unjust not to forgive us.

God will freely forgive us as we admit our impurity and unrighteousness, believing that Jesus' blood is a sufficient sacrifice to allow justice and forgiveness.  He is waiting to forgive, but many defer cleansing because they want to get right by themselves – that is another delusion, because they cannot.  So please abandon your ideas of self-improvement when really you need forgiveness.  Come to God honestly; desire Him to X-ray your soul, admit your sin and then experience the release of His forgiveness.  Then share this truth with someone else who is trapped by their sin.