God Is Light #2
Study of 1 John • Sermon • Submitted
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Read 1 John 2:1-2
Read 1 John 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Last time we talked about a theological concept that John uses as one of the great themes for this letter that God is Light. Tonight I want to continue that thought on into chapter two. Remember that John uses this duality of light and dark as a metaphor for Holiness and righteousness and sin and unrighteousness.
Light on: No need to sin 1 John 2:1-2
Tonight I want to delve a little deeper into sin.
I’ve mentioned that sin is twofold in nature
Inherited depravity - inbred sin or original sin (I talked about this Sunday night)
Acquired depravity - sins committed
We typically take John Wesley’s simple definition for sin
“a voluntary transgression of a known law”John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (WORDsearch, 2000). “
Classic passage that defines an act of sin: 1 John 3:4
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
Highhanded sin - This is more than a known willful transgression - it is knowing you are violating God’s Word but you don’t care. sometimes referred to as “to sin with a cart rope” (Isaiah 5:18 “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope”). Num. 15:30-31
30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
There was no OT sacrifice the high-handed, deliberate, premeditated sin. This is why David pleads for God’s mercy. His sin was premeditated and willful with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah (Psalm 51:1-2) The penalty for this type of sin was to “be cut off from among God’s people.”
Deception -Violating God’s Word by now doing what at one time you knew to be wrong.
Eve is a prime example of this - She knew it was wrong to eat the fruit -but the serpent presented such a persuasive argument that she changed from thinking it was wrong to FOMO (fear of missing out) that she had to eat it. Eating it was the right thing to do.
“She [Eve} sinned with a clear conscience. The nature of “deception” is to believe you are right when in reality you are wrong. The belief that she was right kept her conscience clear. She did not believe she was doing wrong. She did sin and God held her accountable for her wrong doing.” (Dr. Allan Brown - Christian Beliefs Week 8 Unit 4)
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
That phrase “if any man will do his will” means “willing to do His will” you have to be walking in all the light you already have.
Sins of Ignorance - To unknowingly violate God’s word. A “sin of ignorance” or an “unintentional sin” means you did not mean or know you were violating God’s Word.
It can also refer to sins of “surprise” or “passion” meaning you did not premeditate or plan your sin before you did it.
This is talked about in Leviticus 4:13
13 And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
Sins of ignorance are not human mistakes that did not violate God’s Word. Mistakes such as misspelling, wrong arithmetic. God does not command that we spell or add correctly or even that we think correctly. He does however examine and judge our motives.
Sins of ignorance need the atonement as much as any other sin - If you are doing 1 John 1:7 “Walking in the light” These are automatically covered and should be the only kind of sin possible for you to commit.
Willful Sin - This is what we primarily talk about a willful known transgression of God’s law.
2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, 5 Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 6 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:
An example of this would be Adam’s sin - it was not premeditated or planned - Adam seemed to want to do whatever it took to please God - but whatever his motive when presented the fruit - he willingly and knowingly ate - therefore a willful sin.
This “sin” is referring to willful sin.
John is telling us that as Christians we don’t have to sin.
1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition 1. Breaking the Habit 2:1
The Wesleyan understanding of Scripture is that God’s cleansing and His assistance will liberate us from the habit of sinning and transform our inclinations toward sinning. John provides a strong foundation for such teaching. He would bristle at a theology that assumes Christians will inevitably sin every day in thought, word, and deed
He is also showing us that sinless perfection (even though we are falsely accused of this heresy) is not possible here on earth either.
I want us to notice the apparent contradiction in 1 John 2:1
That ye sin not - written to “my little children” or “dear ones” the church.
All that he has written up to this point and all he will continue to write it is to keep them from sin -
If any man sin - this immediately follows the “that ye sin not” statement
How does one reconcile this? I don’t think he is talking about cheap grace concept such as found in Romans 6:1 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”
Both John and Paul are explicit Christians are not to sin.
Later in 1 John 3:9 John is going to say something startling:
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
I see two aspects of sinning
In 1 John 3:9 the present tense is used and it would seem John is talking about a habitual state or career of sin.
In 1 John 2:1 John is talking about a single act of sin that is out of character to one’s life.
John wasn’t satisfied with just stopping the practice of sin, but stopping all sin - no willful sin is the goal.
This is why he can make the next startling statement: If any man (and this seems to be referring to Christians) we have an advocate or mediator with the Father: Jesus Christ the Righteous -
Then John goes on and gives us description of what this advocate and righteous is.
He is the propitiation for our sins-
I’ve talked about this concept of “propitiation” in the past -
There is controversy over how the atonement works - but this is one of the greatest and most powerful words in regard to the atonement
Propitiation. This word is used three times in the scriptures:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Propitiation is the means of appeasing wrath and gaining the good will of an offended person; especially with respect to sacrifices for appeasing angered deities.
As Leo Cox put it “Propitiation is that which propitiates: atoning sacrifice.” By this term Christ’s death is viewed as appeasing divine justice and effecting reconciliation between God and man.
In the Old Testament it was the term used for the Mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. Once a year blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat - this brought about atonement for the Children of Israel’s sin and was viewed as the propitiation for sins.
The term has both concepts of propitiation and expiation (to wipe out or blot)
For ours and the whole world.
Here’s the summary:
Because we are born again we are enabled by God’s grace to live a victorious life above sin
If for whatever reason we do sin - we have an advocate - we have someone who prays for us - who stands between us and the Father
And He is the propitiation
I read this and I marvel at the grace and mercy of a God. His motivation for all of this we will see later in the book is HIS LOVE!!!
Oh how he loved you and me
Oh how He loved you and me
He gave His life to ransom my soul
Oh how He loves you and me!!!!