If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 1.8-10
Blaming others or circumstances for our sin is as old as the Garden of Eden. We are only set free from the guilt and trap of sin when we own it and confess it. Confession of sin with an excuse is not repentance. As long as I am blaming my sinful behavior on someone or something else, I have not repented. Saul’s lame excuse for why he disobeyed the prophet Samuel was called rebellion and witchcraft. That is because when we make excuses for our sin, we are under the spell of the prince of darkness. This failure to acknowledge our sin is the root cause of broken and damaged relationships in families and in the body of Christ. It is the cause of that root of bitterness that defiles the life of the Spirit of God in a person.
A person who blames others for their sins is going to be in bondage to whoever it is that they perceive to be the cause of their problems. A person who blames others for their sins is going to put that person who has hurt them and caused them to act the way they acted is going to get trapped in a vicious cycle of unforgiveness and a hard heart. When I own my sin, it frees me to love and forgive others just as Christ loves and forgives me. I can look that person in the eye when I see them at church. I can give them a hug and say that I love you and mean it. Why? Because I have owned my sin confessed it to Jesus. He is my divine scapegoat. He is my release from the bondage of making any other human being my scapegoat. Own your sin. Give it to Jesus. He is your Scapegoat, nobody else.
