62-04 Fellowshiping with God, Pt 2

1 John 1:7-10

Job-earliest book of OT:

Question that mankind has had since the beginning:

Job 4:17; 9:2; 14:3-4; 25:4

Psalm 130:3 NASB95

3 If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

Psalm 143:2 NASB95

2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.

There is a fundamental problem that we all face--we have sinned and must stand before the holy God. How is that possible? How can a man become pure in the eyes of God? How can he become acceptable?

That is the great quest of every religion. Yet there is only one truth regarding that matter-there is nothing we can do. For us to be acceptable to God, something had to be done for us, and in us. John explains what that is in 1 John 1.

1 John 1:5-10

To become acceptable to God, one must be cleansed and forgiveness extended by God to the sinner. That is possible only because of the obedient sacrifice ofLJC-who is the Son of God.

John is giving us some tests of fellowship with God-that is, to know if we share the life and the light of God and have been granted eternal life. There are 3 truths that we must know/believe in order to have assurance that we have passed out of death into life.

I. The Character of God

"God is light"

• Represents God's truth/truthfulness & revelation which is necessary if man is to know God and understand His truth.

1 Cor 2:10-16

• Moral virtue-God is inherently righteous and whatever he does it is good.

Contrast-no darkness in God at all-total absence of falsehood and evil conduct.

From here we see the fundamental difference between the Creator God and created man-who is by nature a sinner.

II. The Certainty of Sin

There were those in John's day ( as in ours) who refused to acknowledge the effects, consequences and nature of sin.

They were denying 3 truths about sin:

A. Denied the gravity of sin

To claim to have fellowship with God yet habitually walk contrary to the character of God proves one thing-that person is a liar and does not practice the truth-giving no indication that they have been enlightened or that they have been changed. (sin is not a mistake—it severs the relationship b/t God and man)

B. Denied the Principle of Sin (vs 8)

"we have no sin" present tense "state of having no sin"

Gk "sin" hamartian

Some teach this is the "guilt of sin'

Others say it is everything opposed to God's character

Vine says this term is used 4 ways in the NT:

1) principle or source of action-inward element producing acts of sin

2) governing principle or power

3) Generic term for wrongdoing

4) Concrete deeds-sinful acts

Term basically means ''to miss the mark." Used to describe the archer’s arrow missed its target.

Hamartian always denotes man's sin being directed against God and describes the nature of every individual.

Rom 5:12-14

The propensity to sin-principle of sin entered the human race because of the rebellious transgression of one man-Adam. When Adam sinned it transformed his inner nature that God created in His own image and brought death and depravity no only to him but to his posterity. Adam, representing humanity sinned and so it can be said that all sinned in him.

Vv 13-14 explain why people died even though God had not given a specific list of commands until Moses. Death reigns universally b/c of the principle of sin that is deeply rooted in every person.

When our children do something wrong we ask "why did you do that?" That is not the question we should ask-the reason they acted sinfully is b/c they are sinners-how else will they act? The question that begins to shepherd the child's heart toward godliness is "what should you do?"

Human nature is sinful-that nature produces acts of sin that are contrary to the nature of God. John is saying that those who claim to be without this principle of sin in their lives are deceiving themselves.

"on-going self-deception/delusion." The deception is a major error not just some incidental mistake. The person who claims to be without sin has seriously departed from the truth.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones "There is an evil desire, there is something perverted in my essential being, my nature is sinful.

That is why we have sinful thoughts, sinful desires, sinful imaginations. There is something in my very being as the result of the Fall that has twisted and perverted everything. There is a kind of fountain within me that gives rise to evil and iniquity; not only do I do wrong, but my nature is sinful. I must never say I have no sin. If I do, I am deliberately deceiving myself."

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

Vs 6 "do not practice ... "

The denial of this principle indicates that a person has never received God's revealed truth. "One cannot be saved unless he recognizes that he is sinful and needs to be saved."

3) Denied the Deeds of Sin (vs 10)

Somewhat progressive-deny seriousness, deny the nature, deny individual acts of sin.

The claim is not just reaching a state of sinlessness-but claiming never to have committed sin. The propensity of the human nature is do those things contrary to the nature of God-b/ c it is sinful.

When we make the claim to have never sinned we make God a liar. "Well how's that?"

Rom 3:10-19, 23

If we think we have always been perfect then we are calling God a liar. The basic truth of all redemptive revelation God's revealed truth-is that all men without exception are sinners and need salvation. We would deny the very foundation of Scripture which teaches that Jesus Christ came into the world to seek and save sinners.

Those who would have assurance of their fellowship with God need to understand man's basic problem is not that we are pretty much good and need general direction but that the very core of our being is depraved, unable to do anything that would make us acceptable to God-so Job asked a relevant question-"

Who can be right with God?"

Fellowship with God demands believe in this basic makeup of mankind.

III. The Confession of a Believer

The contrast between the claim of the false teachers and the true believer is that the Xian is walking in the light as God is in the light.

Eph 5:8

1 Jn 1:7

2 results of walking in the light:

1) Horizontal level-we have fellowship with one another.

2) Vertical level-cleansing from all sin.

Walking in the light does not produce the cleansing-that would promote works righteousness-walking in the light makes us continually conscious of the need for on-going cleansing.

Agent of cleansing is the blood LJC. Notice the blood's cleansing effect is continuous and comprehensive--on-going and from all sin. There is no sin, whatever its nature or degree that is beyond the cleansing power of the blood. So the blood does what nothing else can.

"what can wash away my sin-nothing but the blood of Jesus, what can make me whole again-nothing ... O precious is the flow that makes me white as snow ... "

2 types of cleansing in the believer:

John 13:1-11

1) Positional cleansing (forensic cleansing-once for all, completely and forever justifying the repentant sinner):

1 Cor 6:11

2) Experiential cleansing-is needed because even though were are forever justified in the sight of God-we continue to battle the flesh and need on-going washing. The washing of the feet metaphorically represents that washing off of the dirt of sin.

The blood of Christ's provides the means of cleansing so what then is the believer's responsibility?

1 Jn 1:9 ὁμολογέω

Confession-on going confession-confessing after deeds of sin have been committed.

Term "speak together with" "to agree with" we agree with God and say the same thing that He says about our sin. Sin is not just a mistake. So what does God say about our sin?

Ps 5:4-5

God takes no pleasure in sin so we (as new creatures) take no pleasure in it-the further we walk with Christ in the light the more sensitive we ought to become to our sin

Since no evil dwells with God, then His children should agree that it should not be in our lives as well.

Agree we have no inherent right to stand before a holy God

Agree that in our sin we are worthy of the hatred of God

Our hatred of sin motivates us to pursue holiness and victory over sin as made possible by the blood of Christ.

Notice what happens when we confess our sin (not sin nature but acts of sin):

"God is ... "

Foundation of assurance of forgiveness is built on/rest on character of God.

1) Faithful-usually represents God's loyalty to His promise

Heb 10:23; 11:11

Jer 31:34 God established His covenant in which He pledges Himself to forgive those who repent of their sin

2) Righteous-speaks of God's moral or self-consistency.

God always acts in uprightness. It is not that we observe what God is doing and declare it to' be righteous-as if we determine the standard of righteousness. God is the standard of righteousness in that whatever He does He is always right.

God's promise of forgiveness is not grounded in our confession but in his unchanging nature.

Now when we confess-recognize that sorrow is an element of true confession/repentance.

2 Cor 7:9-11

The result of confession: forgiveness:

Canceling of a debt-releasing from a legal obligation

Matt 18:21-35-parable of servant

The 2nd result of confession: cleansing-to purify from the stain and pollution of sin (unrighteousness). We are cleansed of our failure to measure up to God's righteousness.

What's the point of confession? Are we forgiven only of those sins that we confess? Does God have a list of unconfessed sins that will be presented us in heaven? No-the blood of Christ completely atones/covers the sin of those who believe.

For believers sin becomes a hindrance to the joy of fellowship we have with God. When we fall short, or in rebellion we transgress God's will, the joy of salvation is diminished and thru confession which brings forgiveness and cleansing, joy returns to us.

Confession is another test of fellowship (assurance) with God--do you make it a regular practice to confess known sin in your life? If you do then you know the freedom of forgiveness and will long to walk closer to the light.