Three Lies That Destroy Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance Message #2 Three Lies That Destroy Blessed Assurance   I John 1:5-10 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. INTRODUCTION: We live in a world in which people sometimes avoid the truth at all costs. Some people will even try to redefine or change the truth to something more compatible with their desires. The problem is that truth cannot be changed and it cannot be denied without consequence! * Man sues to lower his age 20 years. A Dutch man is suing his local government in the Netherlands, after they refused to change his actual age to the age he identifies with. A Dutchman has asked a court in the Netherlands to legally change his age from 69 to 49, saying he wants to avoid age discrimination. Emile Ratelband, a "positivity trainer" who has called himself a "young god," has asked a local court to shift his birthday from March 11, 1949 to March 11,1969, the BBC reports. Ratelband, a TV personality who answered questions from the Associated Press on Thursday, says the petition is not a publicity stunt. He said he would give up his monthly pension if his request is granted. Ratelband says his age is unfairly holding him back, but he doesn't want to lie about it. "So when I ask for a mortgage, for example, they say it's impossible," he said. "If I go on Tinder, then I get women from 68, 69 when women are there." He's spoken repeatedly about the impact of age on his dating prospects. "When I'm on Tinder and it says I'm 69, I don't get an answer. When I'm 49, with the face I have, I will be in a luxurious position," he said, the BBC reports. Ratelband has compared the request to legally changing a name or gender. "With this freedom of choice, choice of name, freeness of gender, I want to have my own age. I want to control myself," he said. Having his age legally changed would offer him inspiration and hope, he said. While age discrimination can be a problem, it is unlike other forms of discrimination that can affect people throughout their whole lives, according to Marjolein van den Brink, who specializes in human rights and gender issues at Utrecht University's law school. A court is expected to issue a ruling in about four weeks. USA TODAY Published 1:22 a.m. ET Nov. 9, 2018 As believers in Jesus Christ, we must be people of the truth. If we are going to operate under the full impact of our “Blessed Assurance,” we must refuse to give assent to the “Three Lies that will destroy our Blessed Assurance.” TS: Our text clears up all three of these lies. I – I CAN LIVE IN SIN AND HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST (1 John 1:5-7). A. This is impossible because of His nature (1 John 1:5). 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. (ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστὶν καὶ σκοτία οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῷ οὐδεμία.) φῶς= refers to primary light, as in sunlight, which enables the eye to discern for, color, and detail. σκοτία= refers to absolute darkness in which sight is not possible- like blindness. Used metaphorically of moral and spiritual deprivation. οὐδεμία= at all, in any case. (John 1:4-5) 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 8:12) 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 1. He is light, and sin is darkness. 2. He is Holy and hates sin. (I Peter 1:16) 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (Lev 11:45) 45 For I, the Lord, am the one who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy. *Light and darkness can’t coexist. B. True fellowship is possible only when we walk in the light (1 John 1:6-7). 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1. Anyone claiming to be living in fellowship with God while living in sin is lying! a. Fellowship with God necessitates practicing the truth (οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν) of God by walking in His light. 2. Fellowship with other believers is possible only when we walk [continually] in the light (ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν). Word Pictures in the New Testament 1 John 1:7 Condition of third class also with ἐαν [ean] and present active subjunctive a. We can only walk in unity together as we walk in the pure light of God. ILL: imagine a group of people trying to walk toward a door in an absolutely darkened room. Collisions and conflicts are inevitable! 3. Cleansing from sin occurs when we walk in the light. a. Because then we can see the sin to confess it. • Then the blood of the sinless Son of God cleanses us of ALL SIN! • (Hebrews 9:11-15) 11 So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. 12 With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. 13 Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. 15 That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant. b. Because then we can see the right way to walk. • (Titus 2:14) 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. II – I AM NO LONGER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE OLD SINFUL NATURE (1 John 1:8). 8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. A. The old man of sin is still present within the believer. 1. To deny this fact is to deceive yourself (Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔστιν.) *Paul’s Struggle (Romans 7:15-25) 15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. B. The old man has to be brought under subjection to Christ. 1. Must purposefully put on the new man. (Colossians 3:8-10) 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. III – I DON’T SIN ANYMORE (1 John 1:9-10) A. Denial of sin does not remove its reality (1 John 1:10) 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. 1. To claim to be sin-free is to deny scripture. a. “ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν” = This is a denial of any specific acts of sin, while in verse 8 we have the denial of the principle of sin. b. To make such a claim is to: • Call God a Liar, for he has said that all have sinned. (Romans 3:23) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. • admit ignorance of God’s Word. B. Deal with Sin and be cleansed (1 John 1:9). 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1. We must make confession a continual practice. (ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν = “if we keep on confessing.” Confession of sin to God and to one another.) (James 5:16) 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 2. He is faithful (πιστός ἐστιν) and righteous (δικαιος) to forgive all our sins (ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας) and cleanse all of our wickedness (every kind or type, to the highest degree) (καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.) • Paul illustrates the extent of Christ’s work in us: (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) 9 Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, 10 or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. CONCLUSION: The beauty of our “Blessed Assurance” is that it frees us to serve Christ with all of our hearts. The work of Christ and the seal of the Holy Spirit provide our safety-net! Assurance Produces More Work During the first part of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, no safety devices were used, and 23 men fell to their deaths. For the last part of the project, however, a large net which cost $100,000 was employed. At least 10 men fell into it and were saved. But an interesting sidelight is the fact that 25 percent more work was accomplished when the men were assured of their safety!