Discipleship: Accountability of Sin
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Intro
Discipleship: Accountability of sin. Equipping time after this where I will go much deeper.
1 John 1:5-10
Main Idea: God is light, and we should walk in the light (5)
John is known for using light and dark imagery. This same imagery is common today. “That’s a dark place.” Not unusual to Scripture. At creation we see the need for light. Genesis 1:1-3
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Jesus calls himself light. John 8:12
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
What is the darkness that John is getting at? What is the light he is getting at. Stott clears this up: Intellectually, light is truth and darkness is error. Morally, light is purity and darkness is evil. - Stott
Truth #1: Living in darkness keeps us from knowing God (6-7)
Exp. John is addressing gnostics who claim to know God without following God. Today, we call it antinomianism. The idea that we can live in unrepentant sin while God continues to forgive us. A certain group pulled out of the communion of believers and are arguing this lie. John’s response: Verse 6. If we say we are with God, but live in what the Bible calls “evil,” then there’s two products:
We lie. This mere act is sin. Not only living in sin, but acting it out in real time.
We don’t practice truth. What’s obvious is that if we lie, we aren’t practicing the truth. But he will say later that God’s word is not in us.
Exp. Verse 7. Walk “as he is in the light.” This crucial. You can’t walk beside someone in a different place.
Ill. If someone is walking in a dark cave with a lantern, and you are walking right beside them, you are in the light. You can’t be next to them and still in darkness. God is in the light, and he is also light. To walk with the Lord is to walk in his light. If you aren’t in the light, you aren’t with the Lord.
Exp. If we walk in his light, we have:
Fellowship with each other. There is not following God without being with others.
Cleansing of Jesus’ blood. Jesus delivers us from the darkness into his light.
Truth #2: Living in darkness proves God’s word is not in us (8-10)
Exp. We have seen that we don’t practice the truth, and now we see why. Verse 8. We cannot practice what is not in us. “Practice” means living. Notice his follow up in verse 10. Not only do we lie, but we make him a liar. If God’s word was in us, we would be keenly aware of our sin. That’s what God’s word does. It does what it’s supposed to: shine light onto our darkened hearts. If we deny there is darkness, we deny the need for light. Therefore, we deny the need for Jesus. Deny the problem; deny the cure.
Ill. Imagine going to the doctor with an infection, but you deny that’s what the problem is. The doctor prescribes an antibiotic and you decline. You’ve denied the problem, therefore you deny the cure. Like sin, an untreated infection leads to death. Denying sin, denies the need for Jesus.
Christ - What is the need for Jesus? Jesus atones for our sins. Our sins separate us from God, and they need to be reconciled. Verse 9. Do not deny your sins; confess them. What will God do?
Forgive. The greatest problem with our sin is it’s denial of God.
Cleanse. Purifies us.
Main Application: Walk in the light
App. #1: Constant communion with God
Remain diligent in God’s Word. Continue steadfastly in prayer. If you get off track, just get back on it.
App. #2: Confess your sins to each other
Confession is actually more commonly discussed in the OT than the NT, but it’s still there.
13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
You need someone who knows your junk, and you need to know someone else’s. The elders function that way for me and Robert. Everyone doesn’t have to know all of your stuff, but somebody does. More than that, you have to confess. Confess specific sins, not just general stuff.
App. #3: Trust the conviction of the Holy Spirit
If God’s word is in you, then the HS will dwell in you convicting you. He’s pulling in the tug of war match against your flesh. The Spirit is stronger than your flesh, but your flesh is like Rocky, he ain’t goin down without a fight. Trust the conviction of the HS. If your conscience has become seared, then that’s why you need fellowship with other believers.
Conclusion
Why does all this matter? Sin is serious. We can’t avoid it. It destroys lives, families, marriages, churches, businesses, schools, communities, governments, and anything else that involves people. We must take sin seriously. It’s why Christ came.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
