The First Epistle of John: Sin and the Nature of God
Notes
Transcript
Sin and the Nature of God
Sin and the Nature of God
INTRODUCTION:
Review
The book of 1 John, written around 90 A.D., over 50 years after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, provides a rich tapestry of theological and practical insights for early Christians. John, known as the "disciple whom Jesus loved," is traditionally considered the author.
Tradition also recounts that the Roman Emperor Domitian ordered John to be boiled in oil, but he miraculously survived without injury. Unable to kill him, they exiled him to the island of Patmos, where criminals were sent to be forgotten.
Yet, on Patmos, John received a vision and wrote the book of Revelation, revealing not doom and gloom, but the grace and glory of Jesus Christ.
John's first epistle addresses two primary concerns.
Firstly, it reassures Christians about eternal life, God's love, and the victory we have through faith in Jesus Christ.
Secondly, it counters early forms of Gnosticism and other heretical teachings infiltrating the Christian community.
Overview of Gnosticism
John's letter tackles four primary issues with Gnostic false teachings:
1. Dualism
1. Dualism
Gnosticism taught a dualistic worldview, where the material world was considered evil, and the spiritual realm was seen as good.
2. Secret Knowledge to obtain salvation
2. Secret Knowledge to obtain salvation
Gnostics claimed to possess special, knowledge (gnosis) necessary for salvation.
3. Denial of Christ's Humanity
3. Denial of Christ's Humanity
Some Gnostic teachings denied the true humanity of Jesus Christ, claiming that He only appeared to have a physical body (Docetism).
4. Denial of Sin
4. Denial of Sin
Because Gnostics saw the material world as inherently evil, they believed that anything done in the body, even sin, did not matter.
1 John 1:5 (KJV 1900)
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Light symbolizes God's pure goodness, truth, and holiness, indicating that He is entirely good and devoid of any evil.
Darkness represents the absence of God's goodness and truth, encompassing evil, sin, and all that opposes God.
These metaphors emphasize the stark contrast between God's nature and the nature of sin and evil.
Light (God) and Darkness (Sin/Devil) both have a nature and produce outward fruit (Actions/thoughts).
God’s Nature
God's nature is multifaceted, as depicted in various scriptures:
God is Love: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John 4:8, KJV)
God is Holy: "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15-16, KJV)
God is Light: "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5, KJV)
God is Merciful: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." (Psalm 103:8, KJV)
God is Righteous: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." (Psalm 145:17, KJV)
God is Faithful: "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" (Deuteronomy 7:9, KJV)
God is Just: "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4, KJV)
God is Eternal: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." (Psalm 90:2, KJV)
God is Omniscient: "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." (Psalm 147:5, KJV)
God is Omnipotent: "For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37, KJV)
God’s fruit can be found in Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Darkness represents sin, moral corruption, and ignorance.
Satan’s nature can be found in several places...
Deceiver: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9, KJV)
Liar and Father of Lies: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44, KJV)
Tempter: "Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." (Matthew 4:1, KJV)
Accuser: "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night." (Revelation 12:10, KJV)
Adversary: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8, KJV)
Murderer: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him." (John 8:44, KJV)
Evil One: "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1 John 5:19, KJV)
Prince of the Power of the Air: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" (Ephesians 2:2, KJV)
Ruler of this World: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." (John 12:31, KJV)
Thief: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10, KJV)
Fruit of Darkness or the Devil
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
This verse addresses the inconsistency in ones confession vs their actions.
Action are louder that words..
"If we say we have fellowship with him": To have fellowship with God means to have a close, personal relationship with Him, characterized by communion, intimacy, and shared values. It involves walking in His light and truth.
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
"While we walk in darkness": Walking in darkness represents living in sin and moral corruption, separated from God's ways.
"We lie and do not practice the truth": If someone claims to have fellowship with God but continues to live/practice sin (darkness), they are lying.
Sin: This means doing something that goes against God's rules. It's when you think, say, or do things that God says are wrong.
Here is Biblical view of sin.
Breaking God’s laws or rules
1 John 3:4 (AMP)
Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect—being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).
Lawlessness: This means not following any rules or laws. It's behaving as if there are no rules or ignoring the rules that are there.
Transgression: This means breaking the rules or doing something that you know is wrong. It's when you go against what you are supposed to do.
Illustration: Speeding/seat belt/texting while driving
Missing the Mark
The concept of sin in the Bible often involves the idea of "missing the mark" of God's perfect standard.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Fall short: This means not meeting a goal or standard. It's like trying to reach something but not quite making it. For example, when we try to live up to God's expectations and miss the mark, we fall short.
Illustration: This is like an archer aiming for the bullseye and completely missing the target.
Rebellion against God
Sin is an act of rebellion against God's authority and sovereignty.
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.
Acting Contrary to God's Nature
Sin is acting contrary to the holy and righteous nature of God.
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
All born with a sinful nature
According to the Bible, all humans are born with a sinful nature due to the fall of Adam and Eve.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
What is John saying?
Don’t just talk the talk; walk the walk. If you claim to follow Jesus, your life should reflect it.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,"
Walk in the light: This phrase means to live in a way that aligns with God's truth and holiness.
To walk in the light means striving to live in a way that reflects God's character.
"and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Blood of Jesus Christ: This phrase refers to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. His blood represents the life He gave to pay for our sins.
Cleanseth us from all sin: Because of Jesus' sacrifice, our sins are forgiven, and we are made pure in God's sight.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
"If we say that we have no sin,"
Have no sin: This phrase means claiming to be without sin or pretending that we do not commit sins.
"we deceive ourselves,"
Denying our sinfulness is self-deception. We must acknowledge our sins.
"and the truth is not in us."
Truth is not in us: This means that if we deny our sinfulness, we are not living in God's truth. The Bible teaches that everyone has sinned and needs God's forgiveness.
Illustration: Think of it like having a terminal medical condition. If you refuse to admit you are sick, you won't seek the treatment you need.
Similarly, denying our sins prevents us from seeking God's forgiveness and healing.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"If we confess our sins,"
Confess our sins: To confess means to admit or acknowledge our wrongdoings before God.
It's about being honest with ourselves and with God about the ways we've fallen short.
"he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,"
Faithful and just: God is reliable (faithful) and fair (just). His faithfulness means He will keep His promises, and His justice means He will do what is right
To forgive us our sins: When we confess, God forgives us. Forgiveness means that God no longer holds our sins against us and we are no longer separated from Him by our wrongdoing.
"and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Cleanse us from all unrighteousness: Beyond forgiveness, God also purifies us from all forms of sin and wrongdoing.
Cleansing implies a deep, thorough removal of impurity, making us spiritually clean and restored.
Illustration: Imagine spilling ink on a white shirt. Admitting to the spill (confessing) allows someone to help you clean it up.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
"If we say that we have not sinned,"
Have not sinned: This phrase means claiming that we have never committed any sins.
"we make him a liar,"
Make him a liar: This means that by denying our sins, we are essentially accusing God of lying.
"and his word is not in us."
His word is not in us: This means that if we deny our sinfulness, we are not truly embracing or living according to God's word. God's word includes His truth about sin and our need for His grace and forgiveness.
Illustration: Imagine a child denying that they broke a vase, even though their parent saw them do it. By insisting they didn’t break it, the child is indirectly calling the parent a liar.
Similarly, when we deny our sin, we are indirectly calling God a liar because we contradict what He has revealed about our nature.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, 1 John 1:5-10 provides profound insights into the nature of God, sin, and the necessity of living in truth. The contrasts between light and darkness, confession and denial, illuminate the path to genuine fellowship with God and each other.
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