Say What?

John has just given the prologue: a discussion of the reality of the humanity of Jesus Christ

He had been an eyewitness: seen Him, touched Him, heard Him

Here he opens the conversation about the message of God; the Gospel; living in the light, or in darkness

Two start realities in v.5

To live in Christ is to live with NO DARKNESS AT ALL

To live without Christ is to live in Darkness

He spells out how to know the difference

There is some soul—searching to be done with this text

First, we must pick apart some of the verbiage

We have heard…, v.5

Carries the thought of having paid attention…more than just a noise out there

The Apostles had engaged in active listening; they asked the deep questions, probed for more information...

…proclaim…

From the same root as that of angel (messenger)

A specific message that is being given: God is light

...darkness...

A tricky one…

It can convey the simple idea of just darkness

Or it can carry the idea of evil

We can safely equate darkness in this epistle with evil of some form

sin

Another tricky one:

Can be sin personified, as guilt, as an act, as opposed to righteousness

In v. 7, speaks of all sin

In v. 8 speaking broadly…one having no concept of sin c/f people who acknowledge error but deny sin

In v. 9 speaks on an individualized level. each and every single sin

We also need to touch on fellowship

…fellowship...

Should have defined this last week…didn’t have the time

Not just a bunch of Baptists around a table with a lot of food…usually with high carb content!

“The act of sharing in the activities or privileges of an intimate association or group” (Lexham)

We mentioned it last week. The kind of fellowship believers can have with believers

This paragraph has conditional (if) statements, each giving the thought of future potential

“These things may happen”

What our Walk Says

Our talk talks, and our walk talks, but our walk talks louder than our talk talks!

If we say…v.6…but walk in darkness

We LIE!

This is addressed to the nominal (in name, not practice) Christian “Oh, yeah…I’m a Christian” but shows no evidence

Or may equally address the back-slidden Christian—out of fellowship

The Christian walk should obviously display the evidence of a transformed life

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

So a claimer who is not a walker is a liar

My story of the ministry official with a vulgar tongue

We should be speakers of the truth…should be no doubt

Comment: business cards with the Christian symbols…Would you trust a used car salesman that handed you that card? “You can trust me”

An ichthys, on a car whose driver shoots obscene gestures at other drivers...

Don’t tell me you’re a Christian; SHOW me you’re a Christian

Don’t tattoo Bible verses on your body and be in immoral relationships

James 5:12 ESV

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

It should be obvious that you’re a man/woman of truth.

IF we’re walking in the light...

We can have the fellowship with Christ and other believers

…should be having fellowship with Christ and other believers

AND the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins

An issue of tense…continually cleanses us...

We have a bit of an oddity here…clear it up at Confession

What our Statement Says

This is a short point…pretty well already covered much of it

Our walk should be an echo of our statement

But...

What about if we say we have no sin

We’re not fooling anyone…but ourselves

This addresses two kinds of people

Those who deny sin—as the Gnostics would, we still see this among Christian Science practitioners

Who are only deceiving themselves

Those who believe they are so advanced in their faith, their walk, they see themselves as being beyond sin

Remember Ro 3 23

Romans 3:23 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The falling short is that continuing tense again…continue to fall short

I may have a few really good days..hours…OK, minutes…but I still commit sin

A brief thought, a moment of pride, a careless remark…and I have fallen short of the perfection God demands

Thankfully, the blood of Jesus covers me, cleanses me

What our Confession Says

What’s confession all about? To admit to a punishable deed or sin

Our word confess is to admit together…that’s agreeing with God that our action has been sinful

Some more tricky parts here

Our initial confession—our moment of conversion—does in fact cover all our sins for all time

HOWEVER, though the price has been paid—by the blood of Christ—and the payment accepted by the Father

Our fellowship has been damaged

We must be continually confessing…in order to have the fellowship restored

Let’s look at David, after having his sin displayed before him by Nathan

Ps 51 1-2 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”

Skipping to Ps 51 7-12 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”

Unconfessed sin destroys fellowship

When you see a fellow believer walking away from fellowship, what do you suppose the problem is?

When you find yourself avoiding believers, avoiding church…what do you suppose the problem is?

Status Check

How’s your fellowship

With God?

Are you spending time with Him; in prayer, in His word?

With other believers?

Sometimes a pastor wonders

If you’ve never come to that point of a first confession, now’s the time

If you’ve got sin hampering the fellowship, now’s the time