The Iffy Statements Continued

“Iffy” Statements I John 1:5-10 (contd.) that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. I John 1:3-4 Companionship community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience a company of equals or friends mirriam-webster.com In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 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. Gen.1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Jn.1:1-3 “In the beginning was the divine dance.” And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent….That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. Jn.17:3, 21 Fellowship is an invitation to dance with God so that the world will believe All sin is foremost against God (God is light…”Thou shalt not”) All sin is a violation of love (God is love…”Thou shalt”) “We have Platonized our eschatology, moralized our anthropology, and paganized our theology” N T Wright I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph.4:1-3 But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are God’s special treasure. You are all these things so that you can give him praise. God brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light. I Pet.2:9 What follows this are five “iffy” statements (three negative and two positive) 1. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. Can two people walk together (fellowship) without agreeing on the direction? Amos 3:3 (NLT) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Jn.10:29 Eternal life is not simply something to be possessed, but experienced & expressed Fellowship is to walk through life with God as we share life together “…walk with the King today, and be a blessing!” Dr. Robert A Cook 2. 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 cleanses us from all sin. As we walk in fellowship with God He shows us two things: 1. Adam (the old man) 2. Christ (the new man) But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph.4:20-24 Question: How do we put off the old man (Adam) and put on the new man (Christ) ie. cleansed? 3. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ➢ As long as we’re in these corrupt bodies, we will be inclined to sin ➢ Fellowship with God will actually reveal more sin in our life ➢ It’s possible that the absence of awareness of sin in our life in the result of walking in darkness 4. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do we need to confess our sins in order to be forgiven? There are 3 Greek words for forgiveness: charizomai…. This is the kind of forgiveness we often think of as “God’s unconditional forgiveness.” This makes sense, because it is based on the word charis, which means “grace”. As such, we could understand this type of forgiveness as the act of being gracious. It refers to the removal of guilt, but not necessarily the removal of consequences. It is offered freely, to all, with absolutely no conditions. This kind of forgiveness is a free gift of God to every single person on earth, emanating purely from God’s love and grace. Due to this sort of forgiveness, you have been forgiven of every sin, no matter what. J D Myers Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph.4:32 Though we have been freely forgiven by God, this does not automatically mean that we have been released from the addictive and destructive power of sin in our lives. So as a result of His charizomai forgiveness, God also calls us to repent so that we might gain aphēsis forgiveness, so that we might experience the freedom of being released from the power of sin in our lives. If we do not repent, God still loves and forgives us (charizomai), but we will continue to experience bondage and enslavement to sin. “God does not want us to live our lives surrounded by destruction, addiction, and enslavement, and so He encourages us to confess and repent from the sins He has already forgiven us for, and in so doing, gain release, freedom, and liberty from the damaging consequences of sin. This is why forgiving others is so important.” J D Myers For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Mt.6:14-15 When we release or forgive others, we ourselves are released from the destructive and damaging consequences of unforgiveness This is why we need to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation in our country. Charizomai…God’s love leads Him to His unconditional forgiveness, which when perceived, leads to aphēsis forgiveness Luke 7::36-50 If a person does not know that they have been freely forgiven by God, they will continue to live under the guilt and shame of sin ,or self righteousness. But when they hear about God’s free forgiveness, if they feel that they have not sinned or sinned very much, they will not think that God’s free forgiveness is that big of a deal, and so will continue to live in bondage or self-righteous pride, thus not experiencing true release from their sin. The only person who truly experiences release from their sin is the one who knows they have sinned much, hears about God’s free, complete, and unconditional forgiveness (charizomai) of all their sin, and is grateful to God as a result. Such a person experiences the joy of having their slate wiped clean, as well as the love for God that leads to true liberty and release from the bondage (aphesis) of sin. 5. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1.If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 3. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. God desires to have fellowship with us Fellowship does not require sinlessness It requires truthfulness and desire “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.” A W Tozer God is not effected by our sin; He is grieved over the effect of our sin on ourselves and others He wants us to be released from the bondage our sin creates