Three Bad Self-Defense Arguments

We live in a broken, sin-cursed world; and we see the evidences of this curse all around us. We can see the affects of sin in many of the illnesses that people suffer. We can see the devastation of sin in the way people treat each other.

Illustration: Recently, there was the devastating news of a local mother and boyfriend who killed a 6-year-old boy.

But sin is not just something that is around us. The Bible teaches us that sin is something within us. Sin can be defined as lawlessness before God. Sin is a blatant disregard for God — whether in our hearts, words, or actions.

Even the people we consider to be most righteous in the Bible were sinful people. Consider the following list of prominent individuals in the Bible: Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Gideon, David, and Solomon.

We cannot see sin as something just around us, but we must understand sin personally and the accountability for sin. Every person ever born must give an account for their sin. There is a court room where God is the Judge, and before whom we must stand to give an account for our own sin. How we deal with our sin now will determine the court room verdict.

Illustration: Consider a court room. There is the judge, the defendant, and the plaintiff.

If God is the Judge, how do you think that you will do in this court room?

There were a group of people living within the time of John who had left the church and they were teaching things that were destructive. BTW:

It is important that you be part of a place that bases Bible teaching on the word of God and not on primarily on the experiences of men/women.

As John writes to the church to keep them from the destructive teachings of these people, he tells them about three lies that these teachers are teaching. These three lies are deadly, and if you attempt to use them before God, you will be damned for eternity. If you attempt to use them before God, you will lack assurance in your life. If you attempt to use them before God, you will lack true joy, happiness, and lasting companionship.

Believe the truth over these three, self-condemning lies.

(1) The BluePrint for the CourtRoom (I John 1:5)

1 John 1:5 KJV 1900

5 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.

Before we look at the lies, we have to have a standard that exposes that they are lies.

Illustration: There are complex blueprints and there are simple blueprints. The complex blueprints are for buildings, but the simple blueprints may be the cover of a puzzle box. In either case, the blueprint is designed to show you what the expectation is for the finished product.

The blueprint for this court room is not a drawing, but it is a Person — God.

The Standard according to which everything in this court room is measured is God, who is Light. This is an all-encompassing phrase to say that God is life and He is morally perfect.

If God is on the Judge’s seat, how do you fair?

(2) Three Lies that Don’t Work in God’s CourtRoom (I John 1:6-10)

Illustration: In a courtroom, the defense gets to present its case. Do you remember the court case in the Old Testament about two women who had babies that were the same age? In that court case, the story was that one of the women accidentally rolled over and suffocated or somehow accidentally killed her baby during the night. This woman realized what she had done, so she snuck out with the dead baby and swapped babies with the other living baby. The next morning, the mother of the living child saw that the baby she had was dead.

The case came before King Solomon’s court. Solomon, who was known for his wisdom from God, found a way to find out whose the living baby really was because both women were claiming that the living child belonged to them. Thus, Solomon advised one of his men to pull out a sword and cut the baby in half and give 1/2 of the baby to each woman. Before the swordsman could cut the baby, the true mother of the living child stopped him and desired that the baby would live. Thus, this test in Solomon’s court room exposed the truth and exposed the lie.

Here, we have three lies that the people in the time of John were saying, and three lies that people still believe are okay today.

(i) The lie that we know God while we keep practicing sin. (I John 1:6-7)

Statement: In God’s courtroom, the lie that is exposed is that a person who habitually practices sin does not know God. The truth is the opposite.

(ii) The lie that we do not have any sin at all. (I John 1:8-9)

Statement: In God’s courtroom, the lie that is exposed is the lie that we have no sin. Those who are truthful are actually confessors.

(iii) The lie that we have not sinned before God. (I John 1:10)

Statement: In God’s courtroom, the lie that is exposed is the lie about our past — living in self-denial.

These three lies do NOT work in God’s courtroom.

How do you see yourself when God is the Judge?

How do you understand your sinfulness?

(3) The Helper in the CourtRoom (I John 2:1-2)

If we see that God is the One who is the Judge, and we are the defendants, what do you think our verdict will be before this God?

Illustration: We are hopelessly guilty before this God. After you have been convicted, what kind of hearing comes next? It is called the sentencing hearing. At this sentencing hearing, you are condemned to eternal torture and separation from God in Hell.

Imagine if you are in this court room, and the Judge calls for a 5-minute recess before they take you away. When you return to the court room, there is something strange that you observe. The Judge has changed out of his glorious robe and has put on his plain clothes. He comes up to you and offers to take your sentencing for you.

This is what John is reminding his beloved church in I John 2:1-2.

1 John 2:1–2 KJV 1900

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.

Notice the details of these verses.

Conclusion:

There are a few foolish thoughts that keep some of you from having true, eternal life or assurance of eternal life:

(i) Some think that they have paid for their sins, but what they mean is that they have suffered here on earth.

Temporary suffering on earth is not sufficient payment for an eternal Judge.

(ii) Some may think that their stripes have earned them credibility before God.

The only stripes that matter are the ones Jesus Christ took for your sins. [Gospel]

The only way that you can have eternal life and receive the “not guilty” plea before God is if you accept your utter sinfulness, turn away from any self-righteousness, and receive Jesus as your only Helper before God.

(iii) Finally, there are some who have accepted Jesus as their Savior but they become self-righteous.

A self-righteous person is one who starts to believe in the way they live as what makes them acceptable with God. It is a subtle change that has two really bad consequences:

(a) This leads you to be judgmental against other people.

(b) This leads you to be really insecure.

If you were given the “not guilty” plea because of Jesus’ payment, then don’t trust in your righteous works. Do right because you are righteous in Christ.

Who is the BluePrint of the Ultimate CourtRoom?

How do you line up before God as Judge?

What are lies that don’t work in this courtroom?

Have you turned from your sin and accepted Jesus as your Savior?

Are you still trusting in Jesus as your Helper?