1 John 1:6-10 Dealing with Sin (Sermon 6)

Last time we looked at 1 John 1:5

" God is Light, & in him there is No Darkness at all."

• John tells us that God is a God of Holiness, who cannot co-exist with the Darkness of Sin.

• We asked the Question: Why does John begin with God's Holiness? The answer is that

the very first thing that we need to know about God, is that he is a God of Holiness.

If you do not begin with God's Holiness you will never understand God's Plan of Salvation.

• Another answer is that: God's Holiness exposes those who make False Claims about having Fellowship with God. Furthermore, Holiness is the only way that leads to true Fullness of Joy.

John proceeds, in verses 6-10, by dealing with Three False Claims concerning Sin.

• He is addressing Three Common Errors regarding Sin which are still prevalent today.

Firstly: That Sin does Not Matter (verse 6)

Secondly: That Sin is Not a Part of our Nature (verse 8)

Thirdly: That Sin is Not a Part of our Conduct (verse 10).

We'll look at the First Two False Claims this morning, & the Third one next time.

• Note how John introduces each of these Three False Claims with the words:

"If we claim" (NIV) or "If we say" (AV) - at the beginning of verses 6, 8 & 10.

• In each case he makes a Contrast between the False Teaching & the Truth (1:7&9 & 2:1-2)

• In each case John shows how people who wanted to have Fellowship with God could

have that Fellowship, in Reality, in their daily lives.

The First False Claim is that Sin Does Not Matter (verse 6)

" If we claim to have Fellowship with him yet Walk in Darkness,

we lie & do not live by the truth" (v 6).

• The Docetists, (meaning 'I think or I appear'), were a group of early Gnostic Heretics

believed that the Body did Not Come from God.

This belief led them to follow one of Two Courses of Action:

• Firstly, they could turn to Asceticism, and torture their bodies.

This was a kind of Monasticism & Rigorism, which was designed to Destroy the Flesh.

• Secondly, they could engage in All Kinds of Wickedness, such as immorality & drunkenness.

They claimed that the Spirit is Pure, so it Doesn't Matter what you do with the Body.

It is quite obvious that, in v 6, John is dealing with the Latter of these Two Courses of Action.

• This group of Docetists Claimed to have Fellowship with God, whilst, in practice,

they were Walking in Darkness. They were, in effect, saying that Sin does Not Matter.

• You can Do What you Like in the Body, so long as you have Fellowship with God in Spirit.

John argues that this is a False Viewpoint, which is completely Against God's Character.

• It goes against the teaching that God is Light & in him there is No Darkness at all.

Therefore, John states quite categorically that these False Teachers as 'Liars.'

They are 'Not Living by the Truth of God '. They are 'Living according to the Lies of Satan'.

• If you say that you are Walking with God whilst Walking in Darkness, you are Living a Lie.

• If you claim to have Fellowship with God you should NEVER say that Sin does Not Matter.

You should NEVER say that you have True Fellowship with God &

then habitually & persistently Walk in Darkness.

We must ask ourselves, WHY do people think in this way?

• The New Testament answer is that these people have never really understood the Gospel.

• They habitually Walk in Darkness & Sin because they belong to the Kingdom of Darkness.

The Bible tells us that there are Two very Distinct Kingdoms in this world:

The Kingdom of Light & the Kingdom of Darkness; God & Holiness; Satan & Sin.

• The Bible tells us that God made a Perfect World, a World of Light & Holiness.

• But, then, Sin Entered the World, when Satan tempted Adam & Eve & they fell.

• The whole world became Polluted by Sin. It came under the Realm of Darkness & Satan.

John is saying: There is a Mighty Conflict between the Forces of Heaven & Hell.

It is Impossible to be on Two Sides of this Battle at once.

• You must be either part of the God's Kingdom OR Satan's Kingdom. You cannot be both.

This is why John exhorts Believers in 1 John 2:15, saying:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is NOT in him. "

• John is saying that people who Love the World are Living in Darkness.

• They are NOT Walking in the Light. They are Living & Thinking in the Realm of Darkness.

I read recently about an American Gangster, called Mickey Cohen.

• Mickey made a Profession of Faith in Christ.

• The problem was that he later declared that he wanted to become a 'Christian Gangster.'

He wanted to continue being an 'Armed Robber', whilst claiming to be a 'New Creature.'

He wanted to Live a life of Crime, whilst Claiming that he was Seeking to live a Holy Life.

• Even the very words 'Christian' & 'Gangster' simply do not go together.

This is an extreme example of the many Christians who think they can go to church on Sunday & do what they like the rest of the week.

Look at what Paul says to the Corinthians:

" Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,

nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards,

nor slanderers, nor swindlers, will inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Paul is saying:

"People who Walk in Darkness will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God. "

• Regardless of you SAY with your lips. If your LIFE-STYLE is habitually marked by this catalogue of sins, you are NOT a True Believer.

Paul says: " Do not be Deceived. "

• Don't kid yourself that you can habitually commit these sins & claim to be a True Christian.

• The Wicked cannot & will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

That, then, is the First False Claim:

You can Claim to have Fellowship with God & yet Walk in Darkness.

John says: "If you try to do that, you are living a lie, & do not live by the truth" (v 6).

John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin.

Notice the Contrast between verses 6 & 7:

John makes a Contrast between the Claim of the False Teachers & the Real Truth from God.

• John is saying that the Opposite of Living in Darkness is Living in the Light.

• In v6 he says, Negatively: If you claim to have Fellowship with God,

you must NOT Walk in Darkness; You must NOT say that Sin does NOT Matter.

• In v7 he says, Positively: If you claim to have Fellowship with God,

SEEK to Walk in the Light of God's Holiness.

If you Claim to have Fellowship with God, you ought to say that Sin REALLY DOES Matter.

• Stop Walking in Darkness & begin to Live for the Glory of God.

If we Walk in the Light as God is in the Light, Two Things will Follow:

The First thing is that: 'We will have Fellowship with One Another' (1:7).

• We have already noted that Sin Mars our Fellowship with God.

However, Sin also Mars our Fellowship with One Another.

• On the other hand: One of the greatest signs that we are Seeking to Walk in the Light is

the fact that we are Constantly Seeking to have Fellowship with One Another.

After the Apostle Peter Commands us to be Holy, because our God is Holy, he says:

"Love one another deeply, from the heart … Rid yourselves of all malice & all deceit,

hypocrisy, envy & slander of every kind" (1 Peter 1:22 & 2:1).

• Love that springs out of our Fellowship with God is described as 'Loving Deeply.'

The literal meaning of the Greek is: 'Love one another Extensively, or to the fullest extent.'

• This is the kind of Love which Peter goes on to describe as: 'Love from the heart.'

This is a Genuine, Heartfelt, Love, which springs up from your innermost being

Peter says: If you want this Fellowship, which is characterised by Deep Love from the Heart, you must 'Rid yourselves of everything that will Hinder that Fellowship'.

"Rid yourselves of all malice & all deceit, hypocrisy, envy & slander of every kind."

Paul describes this Extensive Love from the Heart to the Corinthians:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

The Second Thing which Follows when we Walk in the Light, is that:

"The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us (or cleanses us) from every sin " (1:7).

• Praise God that he is not only a God of Light & Holiness. He is also a God of Grace,

who sent his Son to Shed his Blood for Sinners.

• The more we Meditate upon God's Holiness, the more we see our Need of Grace & Mercy.

• The more we Walk in the Light, the more we Feel the Need of Cleansing from Sin.

• The more we Realise that Sin Really Does Matter, the more we see our Need of Forgiveness.

• The more we see the Beauty of Holiness, the more we will see the Wretchedness of Sin.

Remember the Reaction of Peter when Jesus helped him with a Miraculous Catch of Fish:

" Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).

• Peter was saying, " Depart from me, O Lord, because I am not fit to be in your presence;

Martin Luther tells us of a Dream in which Satan set before him All of his Sins.

• Luther didn't deny a single one of them.

• Neither did he seek to justify himself in any way. He didn't even bring a single excuse.

• Instead, Luther freely admitted that he was a Wretched Sinner, without a hope of Salvation

In this Dream, Luther saw himself Scrawling one sentence Across this List of his Sins:

"The blood of Jesus Cleanses us from All Sin. "

• Luther said that Sin Does Matter, therefore, I Need Cleansing by the Blood of the Lamb.

• Faced with his sin, he understood that the Blood of Jesus secures our Forgiveness.

• We receive that Forgiveness when we first Repent of our sin & have Faith in Christ.

But, there is also a great need for Continual Cleansing from Sin.

Not only is the Sinner Justified through the Blood of Jesus,

he is also Continually Sanctified through the Blood of Jesus.

Justification is a Once For All Act which speaks of our standing with God.

• It means not only the forgiveness of our sins, but also that our sins have been dealt with & removed from us. It means that God regards us as righteous, as if we had not sinned.

Sanctification, on the other hand, is the On-going Process through which the Sin Principle is being dealt with on a Daily Basis . It the On-going Process whereby the Principle &

the Activity of Sin are being taken out of us & removed from us.

We are looking at the First Two False Claims concerning Sin:

Firstly: that Sin does Not Matter (verse 6)

Secondly: that Sin is Not a Part of our Nature (verse 8)

" If we claim to be Without Sin, we Deceive Ourselves & the truth is not in us."

The problem John is dealing with goes back to the Docetist's view of the Flesh & the Soul.

• These people argued that: If we have become Christians,

we have been Delivered from our Sinful Nature & we have Received a New Nature.

• They argued: If we do something wrong, it is not the real self that sinned, but only the flesh

Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones says:

• John is referring to our Sinful State BY NATURE .

• He is making reference to the state which causes us to commit sinful deeds.

This same kind of viewpoint is still prevalent today:

 

• Many people believe that we are NOT born with a Sinful Nature,

but with a Glorious Potential for Doing Good.

They argue that All our Wrongdoing is because of our Environment & Up-bringing.

 

• It is due to Peer- group pressure, & Poverty in the inner city areas,

It is due to children being brought up in a One-parent family, & so on.

• In other words, it is because of anything else EXCEPT a Sinful Nature.

The Main Point at issue is NOT simply the fact that we have Committed Sinful Actions.

The most important question is this:

"Why did I do it? What led me to do it?

What made me even think of committing a particular sinful action? "

The Bible says there is only One Answer to this question:

 

• There is something Fundamentally & Radically wrong within me. My very Nature is Sinful!

John is making the same point as the Psalmist, David (Psalm 51:5):

All the Bible Writers give the Same Message:

There is an evil desire within me. My innermost nature is sinful.

That is why I have sinful thoughts, desires & actions.

There is a Sinful Fountain within me that gives rise to all kinds of evil & wrongdoing.

This is why the Apostle John says:

" If we claim to be Without Sin, we Deceive Ourselves & the truth is not in us."

The Psalmist David certainly didn't try to deceive himself. Instead he said:

Having stated the Second False Claim, once again, John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin. Notice the Contrast between verses 8 & 9:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful & just & will forgive us our sins & purify us

from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8-9).

To 'Confess' literally means: 'to say the same thing again.'

It means to 'agree with God against yourself.'

• To confess our sins is not merely to admit that we are sinners, in a general sense.

But, rather, to lay our sins before God & seek his forgiveness.

John is saying:

• If you really Know the Truth about yourself in the sight of God,

you will Realise your Terrible Condition, of having a Sinful Nature.

You will stop making excuses for you sinful thoughts & actions.

You will stop shifting the blame onto your peer-group & your environment.

You will agree that you are a Sinner by Nature, & CONFESS your Sins before God.

Confession of Sin is an Essential Part of the Believer's Walk with God:

• Failure, or refusal, to Confess our Sins will be a Hindrance to our Fellowship with God.

• The Reason for this is quite obvious. Light always reveals the Hidden Things of darkness.

• Therefore, if you refuse to face your sin, it means first of all that you are avoiding the Light.

Confession of Sin involves Praying the Prayer of the Psalmist David (Ps 139:23-24):

" Search me, O God, & know my heart; test me & know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, & lead me in the way everlasting."

• David is asking the Lord to make the fullest investigation of his heart.

• This will involve a testing of all my thoughts, emotions & actions.

• If you can sincerely pray this prayer, it will surely lead to Confession of Sin.

You must ask the Lord to show you Individual & Particular Sins:

• This is obviously a very painful process. But, it is absolutely essential

if you are to maintain a Close Walk with the Lord.

To Confess your Sin doesn't simply mean that you say in a general way:

"Lord, you know I am a sinner; I have never claimed to be a saint , so please forgive me."

Rather it comes down to the details. You must Confess Particular Sins.

• You must name them one by one.

You must not make light of your sin & dismiss them flippantly.

• Confession means facing up to your sin.

The Apostle John gives Two Words of Encouragement to the Believer who Confesses his Sins.

Firstly, we have the Assurance that God is Faithful & Just:

"If we confess our sins, (God) is Faithful & Just & will forgive us our sins."

• John is saying that we have a God who is Faithful to his Covenant Promises of Forgiveness.

The Prophet Micah denounced the Sins of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

• He lists many of the national sins of Judah, such as idolatry (1:6, 6:16); covetousness (2:2); oppression (2:2); violence (2:2, 3:10, 6:12, 7:2); encouraging false prophets (2:6 & 11); corruption of princes, prophets & priests (3:1-3, 3:5-7, 3:11); bribery (3:9 & 11, 7:3); & dishonesty (6:10-11).

Nevertheless, at the end of his prophesy Micah gives a message of Hope & Encouragement.

• Our God is a God who pardons sin & forgives transgressions.

• He is a God who delights to show mercy & compassion.

• When he promises to forgive the sins of his people he will tread them underfoot.

• When he promises to forgive our iniquities he will hurl them into the depths of the sea.

Why will the Lord do this for his chosen people, who have rebelled & sinned against him?

• It is because he is a God who is True to Jacob (7:20).

God is a Faithful God who is always True to his Word.

God's Faithfulness is an absolute guarantee that he will always Keep his Promises.

• The Lord God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob pledged on oath that he would

remain Faithful to his people & that he would continue to show mercy (7:20).

All True Believers are included in that Covenant which is sealed by the Oath of God.

The Hymnwriter, Samuel Davies, says:

"Great God of wonders! All thy ways Are matchless, godlike, & divine;

But the fair glories of thy grace, More godlike & unrivalled shine:

Who is a pardoning God like thee? Or who has grace so rich & free?

In wonder lost, with trembling joy, We take the pardon of our God,

Pardon for sins of deepest dye, A pardon sealed with Jesus' blood:

Who is a pardoning God like thee? Or who has grace so rich & free?

I say it reverently - that God is Faithful & he has no option of doing anything else.

• He has paid the ultimate sacrifice. He has sealed our pardon with the blood of his own Son!

• He is a God of Wonders - & a God of Glorious Grace & Mercy.

• If the Lord God were not Faithful to his Promises - he would deny his essential nature.

John gives Two Words of Encouragement to the Believer who Confesses his Sins.

Firstly, we have the Assurance that God is Faithful & Just:

Secondly, we have the Assurance that God will Forgive us & Purify us.

"If we confess our sins, (God) … will forgive us our sins &

purify (or cleanse) us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:9).

• Sin is regarded as making us Guilty in the sight of God, and,

therefore, we are in need of Forgiveness.

• Sin is also regarded as making us Unclean in the sight of God, and,

Peter Barnes comments on this verse, saying:

All of us have a Sinful Nature. Therefore, we All Commit Sins in our thoughts & actions.

• But, here is the Remedy that God freely offers to us.

• Confess your sins before a Faithful God, & he will give you Both Forgiveness & Cleansing.

• He will do this when you first repent & come to faith in Christ.

He will also continue to do this as you continue in your lifelong battle against indwelling sin.

The Hymnwriter, William Cowper, expands on the message of this verse:

"There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Immanuel's veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.

In his Hymn 'O for a thousand tongues', Charles Wesley, says:

"He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free;

His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me."

This is our comfort & consolation.

• The Lord God has promised that, if we Confess or Sins,:

• Back in the Old Testament, through types & shadows, the Lord God promised that

he would provide the Perfect Sacrifice for Sin.

• The blood of bulls & goats could never take away sin.

But, the Sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb of God 'Cleanses us from all sin.'

The writer to the Hebrews makes a comparison between

the Old & New Testament Sacrifice for Sin:

"It is impossible for the blood of bulls & goats to take away sins … By one sacrifice

(Christ) has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Hebrews 10:4 &14).

This is one of the many Spiritual Blessings that are ours in Christ (Eph 1:7-8):

The Psalmist David describes this Blessing as being the source of True Blessedness:

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him & in whose spirit

there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:1-2).

We have been looking at the First Two False Claims concerning Sin:

The First False Claim is that Sin does Not Matter (verse 6)

• Some people say: You can Claim to have Fellowship with God whilst Walking in Darkness.

John says: "If you try to do that, you are living a lie, & do not live by the truth."

John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin (v7).

• If you claim to have Fellowship with God, SEEK to Walk in the Light of God's Holiness.

• Furthermore: If we Walk in the Light as God is in the Light, Two Things will Follow:

Firstly: 'We will have Fellowship with One Another' (v7).

Secondly: "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us (or cleanses us) from every sin " (v7).

The Second False Claim is that Sin is Not a Part of our Nature (v8)

• John says: " If we claim to be Without Sin, we Deceive Ourselves & the truth is not in us."

Once again, John goes on to explain God's Remedy for this Aspect of Sin (v9).

• He says that: Confession of Sin is an Essential Part of the Believer's Walk with God.

• John goes on to give Two Words of Encouragement to the Believer who Confesses his Sins.

Firstly, we have the Assurance that God is Faithful & Just:

Secondly, we have the Assurance that God will Forgive us & Purify us.