1 John 1:5-2:2. AS DIFFERENT AS NIGHT AND DAY.
Every form of life has its enemies. Bugs have to watch out for birds. Birds have to keep an eye on the dogs and cats. And Humans have to keep an eye on other humans, and keep an eye on themselves!
In this passage today John was warning folks to watch out for 2 heresies that were going on in the life of the early church; that is still alive and well today in one form or another in churches everywhere!!!
#1.Was the Gnostics (other people). They taught that Jesus was never truly a man or God. But that he wasn't emanation, or a ghost of God.
Other people today would like to convince the world that if Jesus was even real, that he was nothing more than a teacher, profit, or a mere good man. But not the God man!
I proclaim and testify to you today that Jesus Christ came as the incarnate God in the flesh to become like one of us yet with no sin, to die for all sin, that if we believe on him as our personal Savior we might become like him!
#2. Was themselves (all of us). Somehow within the framework of peoples sinful nature there seems to be a denial of the presence and the consequences of sin.
Many times we become our own worst enemy by allowing the enemy of sin and Satan to live hand-in-hand in our everyday lives without being confronted! Some folks think their sin is non-existent or no big deal! WELL; it is a big enough deal that John mentions the word sin 9 times in this passage.
If we are going to get real about our life in Christ, the first thing that we have to do is to realize that there is a conflict between the Savior and Satan and between sanctification and sin.
There's also clear evidence between saying and doing;
and there's a contrast between light and dark.
The New Testament calls the Christian life "a walk". This walk begins with a step of faith when we trust Christ as our Savior. Too many people think that this is the end! They walked the aisle, prayed a prayer, and confessed Jesus as Lord. Only to walk back to their seat, stop/drop, and not do anymore!
Just so you'll know, "salvation is the end of your Christian walk", but it's the front-end, where we start not stop.
If we ever hope to live above this world, while we are in this world, there are 3 things that we need to get a hold of today. #1. THE NATURE OF GOD.
V5. Jesus came and presented the message from the Father and gave it to his disciples.
This is the apostle John who got the message straight from Jesus and his declaring it to us today. This is the Word of God we hold in our hands!! And he is declaring that, God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
First let's deal with the word darkness. This word has many meanings among them are untruthfulness, error, sin, death, and spiritual ignorance! We know that all of these things are characteristics of the devil! I want you to understand that being a spiritually ignorant sinner; is not something become. It’s the human nature we are born with.
Being dead in our trespasses and sin, and lying, cheating, and stealing are evil behaviors that stems from our fallen nature.
And if we are left alone to our own ways we will devise evil and wicked things to do because we are spiritually ignorant!
He goes on to say that there is not even one area, spot or speck of darkness in the nature of God. In him is no spiritual ignorance & sin at all.
It says in that verse that God is light. Light is bright. It is absolutely pure. Intelligent. Holy and righteous.
It is dramatically different from the darkness. It is as different as night and day.
What sun light is to the natural world. The Son (S.O.N.) light is to the spiritual world. Both are necessary for illumination and growth. And both are given by God and if you have been lit up by the Lord; there’s proof of it in you!!
Child of God, do you know what happened to you at salvation? You passed from death to life. Brought out of the darkness and into his marvelous light. You were blind but now you see. You were deaf but now you hear. You were waltzing with the devil, but now you're strolling with the Savior. You've been changed, transformed, and made brand-new! you have head and tail lights! So don't look back!
You need to look ahead! Ignorance is in the rearview mirror, and you need to go forward with a holy God!
Once we've been saved, we start taking on the nature of God.
#2. THE EFFECTS OF SIN.
Every person is born a sinner, and every person has to deal with sin. Many people try to deal with it their own way.
They try to make excuses for it, hide it, wrestle it, and the most common is lying about it! V6. We will lie to others. V8. (Sooner or later), we will lie to our self. V10. And we will eventually lie to God.
When a person gets saved that old man is not suppressed or eradicated. He is dead!
The old man is crucified with Christ. Now even though that old man is crucified, there is a little residual left over.
But, you no longer have to obey the old man who wants you to be a slave to sin, because you have a new nature, and a new master to help you fight against the draw and effects of sin.
V6. Sin affects our fellowship. Remember that the word fellowship = common.
That means that I agree with God about the issues of life. I like what he likes, love what he loves, and I want to learn more about what he wants me to do.
And when I have things in common with the Lord, then I look and act different in the world. Christianity is not just words we say but a walk we follow.
Walking in darkness. Means walking outside of the WORD OF GOD. If I don't know the word of God then I am making my choices in life by depending on the flesh instead of the spirit. Knowing the word of God helps me make choices today that affect my future. And I can’t expect to do bad things and God bless me for it.
Walking in darkness. Also means living outside the WAY OF GOD. It's only in the word of God that I can learn about the way of God.
There is a way that he expects me to walk, work, talk, think, and act. He tells us in the book of Isaiah that we do not naturally possess his nature. He says that my thoughts are not your thoughts. And my ways are not your ways. Just as high as the heavens are above the Earth, so are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above yours.
And it's only by knowing the word of God and the ways of God will I ever begin to move into the WILL OF GOD.
If we do those 3 things there will be a night and day difference between someone who walks in darkness and walks in light.
But if I don't read his word, care about is ways, or do his will. I'm a bald-faced liar.
Folks when we preach the word of God and call for commitment to it, liars who don't want to change will leave.
They will find something wrong to complain about.
They'll complain because nobody shook their hand, or their Sunday school class moved, or they don't sing your favorite song anymore. And they’ll leave!
The truth is this; they want shallow, sugarcoated, feel-good teaching and preaching that does not confront their sin or call for a commitment to Christ. And when you preach the truth they call you judgmental, and you're not! (You are just shining the light in the darkness, and the darkness hates the light!).
Listen up! You need to perk up and pay attention. Wake him up, wake her up. If you have that 5 hour energy shot in your purse this is a good time to take it.
Remember in Genesis 1:1. The 1st creative act of God was to create light. He said let there be light. (That was illumination).
His 2nd act was to divide the light from the dark. (He called the light Day, and the dark night). 2 diff.things
What is that mean preacher? I'm glad you asked because I'm going to tell you.
At salvation the Holy Ghost entered into your circuitry and wired you up to receive illumination, turned the switch on, and you became light.
And at that new birth you were immediately separated from the dark.
Which is explained by: V7. When I come into the light, I am with God, and start being in the will of God. And then without even trying you start to look like the image of God and Jesus.
I get the benefits of being in the right fellowship with people, Jesus, and God, because of the blood of Jesus.
What exactly does the blood do for believers? It doesn't just ignore, mask, hide or cover your sin. Brother it washes it away clean!
You see salvation changes your position. Your child of the King, redeemed by the blood of the lamb, and heaven bound.
But your disposition and your condition is still a work in progress Amen.
Sometimes we sin by mistake and sometimes we do it on purpose. (Oh you’re starting the meddle preacher).
So what should we do? V6. Don't lie! V7. (GET HONEST). And get under the fountain of the blood.
There salvation in the blood. The blood has a strong pull on saved people. There's healing and cleansing in the blood. ** You don't have to go back to the booze, drugs, infidelity, or filth! Because beloved, there's power in the blood.
But if we drift the anchor still holds!
There may be somebody in here that's fixing to make a wrong decision about church, your finances, children, or your marriage.
You're thinking about walking out, given up, or given in. You're not in the word of God, the way of God, or the will of God. And you are in spiritual ignorance and darkness!
You need to confess = agree with God. Let him drag your sin out to the light, and get back in fellowship with him and others.
There are two kinds of forgiveness. Judicial and parental.
Judicial has to do with speeding, robbery or disturbing the peace.
This forgiveness here is parental. This is when the father's heart has been broke and sin has interrupted your fellowship but not your relationship. V9. If we will confess, he is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our sins and to restore our fellowship. V10. But if we lie; we will continue to be out of fellowship with him. That’s the Effects of Sin.
#3. THE WORK OF CHRIST.
It is possible that all of us can drift off but the good news is that we can come back, and the work of Christ is why I can come back!
2:1. Says, my little children. These are saved people! Guess what folks? Saved people sin! God doesn't want us to, but if we do (and we do!) We have an advocate with the Father.
Did you see that, He is still right there in heaven? When you sin God does not fall off of the throne in disbelief. Jesus does not throw in the towel and storm out of the throne room. And you do not lose your salvation.
When Jesus saves you, your sins were forgiven, past, present, and future. When Jesus died on that cross all of your sins were future at that point, and he died for everyone you would ever commit.
That word ADVOCATE means Paraclete (one who pulls alongside and moors himself to you).
It is the same word as comforter. (Gives help and assurance). But also means Lawyer or representative. In earlier days when somebody was accused of something and taken before a judge there would be a close relative, usually a father, or in the absence of a father it would be a brother who would stand up and speak in the behalf of the person on trial.
That old slimy, subtle, serpent the devil does all he can to get you to sin. And the minute that you do he immediately goes and accuses us of that sin to God and others. Zechariah 3 says he constantly stands before the throne of God accusing the Saints. And when he slanders you we have an advocate with the father who sticks closer to us than a brother. Who holds up those nail scarred hands and says I'm vouching for this one, that sin is under the blood, so you get out of here and back off devil this is a child of the King!
V2. Says he is a propitiation for our sins. Will what the world does that mean? That word means to turn away God's judgment against our sin by satisfying God's holy law. God is light. (And light shines on sin, so God sees it). And he cannot close his eyes to sin. But God is love. (And he wants to save sinners). And the only way that God could ever reconcile what he saw with his eyes to what he wanted in his heart was to give a pure part of himself to a rotten bunch of us.
And he did that by extending grace and mercy to us by giving his son Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sin and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
