Fellowshipping With The Father And The Son - Part 8

Review

The Gnostics said they had no sin, blaming their sinful acts on their body. John was setting the record straight for his readers.

The bad new John tells us is that we do sin. The good news is that if we confess our sin God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9).

John begins chapter two by addressing his readers as "my little children."

Up to this point John has been coming down hard on those who were claiming to know God yet walking in darkness. He has been coming down hard on those who were claiming that they had no sin.

His warnings against sinless perfection were so strong that some of the Christians may have been tempted to sin just to prove that they were Christians and could claim the blood of Jesus and the grace of God.

So John begins chapter two with these words, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin."

Pastoral Love and Concern

Though the church at Ephesus was founded by Paul, John served as her first pastor. The fatherly concern and affection of a pastor shines through with the words, “My little children.” John wanted to refute the Gnostic heresy so that his "children" would not be led astray in sin.

He uses the word "children." It is the Greek word, teknia, literally meaning, "little born ones."

This verse reminds me of the many times I have as a father had to sit down with my children after a spanking or some discipline and share my reasons for disciplining them. I would say something like, "Daddy had to spank you in order that you would remember not to do that bad thing again."

This is the heart-attitude of John as he wrote the words, "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin."

We have already learned that the word “sin” is hamartia (noun) hamartano (verb) and means "to miss the mark." Missing the mark is failing to meet God's holy standard for right living.

Sin is also a transgression of the law. The word “transgression” means "A violation of a law, command, or duty." It also means "to overstep a line, boundary or limits." The New Testament uses the word "trespass." When we violate God’s command we are trespassing or crossing over God’s line into disobedience.

Because God is perfect, His standard for His people is absolute perfection. He would not be God if He said, “these things I write to you, so that you may sin just as little as you can.”

God cannot condone sin in the least degree, and so He sets perfection before us as the goal. The Lord Jesus did this with the woman who was taken in the act of adultery; He said, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

John didn't want his readers to willingly fall short of God's holy standard. He didn't want his readers to willingly cross over the line into disobedience.

If you are a true believer you will not want to sin. Having a desire not to sin is one of the proofs you are a believer.

I can remember before I trusted Christ, I would sin. Sometimes I even knew it was wrong. When I sinned I even felt guilty about it. Feeling guilty or even sorrow about sinning doesn't mean you’re a Christian; it just means you have a guilty conscience. Both believers and unbelievers have consciences. Romans 2:15 says your conscience has written in it the law of God unless it has been burned away by your constant sinning.

The difference came when I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I knew the difference between right and wrong as before. I felt guilty when I did wrong as before. However, before I was saved I pursued sin; I loved to sin but now, after Jesus saved me, I despise sin and try to avoid it.

This is how you can discern whether someone is a Christian or not. Find out what their attitude is toward sin. When they sin does it bother them? When they sin are they grieved or is it just “business as usual?”

This is how you can examine your own heart to see whether you are in the faith. What is your attitude toward sin? When you sin does it bother you? Are you grieved? Are you quick to confess it to God and seek forgiveness? Are you willing to be reconciled with the person you sinned against?

Listen to what John writes concerning this:

(1 John 3:6 NIV) No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.