Walk in the Light
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Introduce Sin (miss {a mark}; wrong, offend) & the Passage (1 John 1:5-10)
1 John 1:5–10 (NASB95)
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
We must walk in the light to have fellowship with God. Why?
God is Light
God is Light
Verse 5 says God is light. Why is God considered light?
1. Light exposes everything -
If you go into a dark place light illuminates everything it shines on. (Story about Fort Irwin and seeing light miles away)
So it is with God and those who walk in darkness.
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
2. No darkness - darkness is sin!
Verse 5 also goes on to say that there is no darkness in God. There is no darkness because there is no sin in Him.
Fellowship requires light
Fellowship requires light
1. To be in fellowship with the Father and each other requires light (no sin). Fellowship requires us to walk in the light with the Father. Sin can’t enter the light.
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
The big question - How can we enter the light if we walk in darkness?
The big answer - Verse 7 says: The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
2. Blood of Jesus cleanses us. Ac 26:16-18
Acts 26:18 (NASB95)
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
Verse 8 says: If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In other words we are liars.
3. If we are Liars we are walking in darkness. So the first step is to accept the fact that we are sinners. Once we accept that we are sinners the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from all sin.
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
But how do we go from being darkness to light in the Lord?
Confession brings light
Confession brings light
1. Confess sins
con·fess: admit or state that one has committed a crime or is at fault in some way
In other words sin. To begin with we need to accept that we are sinful just as Peter did when Jesus first called him to be a disciple.
8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!”
We need to accept the fact that we are sinful men to be cleansed on the outside. Then we can get more specific with our confession of sin for a deep down cleansing.
Be specific with sins to help the process… If we never confess pornography as a sin we wont stop looking at it or be cleansed from it....
The rooms of the house - skeletons in the closet, dirt, fur balls under the furniture...
2. He will forgive sins and cleanse
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
to be forgiven (state) v. — to be or become pardoned or exempt from legal or personal consequences for an offense.
This is what we all need. Forgiveness! Without it we are still unrighteous and will suffer the legal and personal consequences of our offense - whether we believe it to be an offense or not. So confess.
But why would Jesus do this? Basically it is His mission:
46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
Here we see the contrast of light and dark, life and death. Jesus saves us from sin and death, but we have to confess our sins so that we may be forgiven.
The Psalmist said it this way:
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
Jesus forgives us of our sins when we confess them. Forgiveness brings us into fellowship with the Father. However, we have to remember one thing we can’t accept forgiveness and not be willing to grant forgiveness to others. Mark 11:25-26 says:
25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
26 “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
That’s plain and simple. Forgive so that you may be forgiven. We as children of God have the power and authority to forgive others of their sins. We do not condone their actions but we release ourselves from the effects of their actions. We don’t carry their actions around in our lives so that it breaks our fellowship with the Father.
Exit - easy to confess personal sin - what about corporate sin. Daniel did. Dan 9:20
20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God,
Pray and confess corporate sin. Ask for forgiveness and healing rain.