THE TRIAL OF SIN
Text: 1 Jn. 1:8-2:2
Introduction
1. Illustration: Kay Arthur, a Christian author, put it this way.
If you tolerate sin in your life, that sin will not only take you farther than you wanted to go, it will keep you longer than you wanted to stay and it will cost you more than you thought you’d pay...
2. The Assistant General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Alton Garrison, once said that his form of counseling was simple; admit it, confess it, and get over it!
3. It seems the Apostle John has a similar method of dealing with sin...
A. Admit It
B. Confess It
C. Get Over It
4. Let's stand together as we read 1 John 1:8-2:2
Proposition: If we admit our sin, and confess it to God, we will be forgiven.
Transition: The first and most important thing we should do with our sin is...
I. Admit It (8, 10).
A. If We Claim We Have No Sin
1. If we are honest, and have any understanding of human nature, we are willing to admit that we are sinners.
A. We always say, "Well, none of us is perfect!" In reality, what we are saying when we say that is that we are sinners.
B. However, the reality of life is that we that don't want to admit it.
C. We don't like it when people point out our mistakes, our sin.
D. In fact, we get offensive when they do. We like to say, "Don't judge me!"
E. Yet, the truth is that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and to think otherwise is to fool yourself.
2. That's what John is saying here in v. 8, "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth."
A. John exposes another faulty doctrine. There are those who believe that, having been redeemed, they no longer sin.
B. This is a serious form of self-deception that results in spiritual frustration and defeat. The Spirit of God, dwelling in the lives of believers, leads them into truth just as Jesus Himself had taught His disciples.
C. Jesus promised His disciples that the Spirit’s work would stir conviction of sin as well as reveal the eternal truth about the Son of God.
D. One of the early heresies taught the concept that once a person was redeemed, his spirit was secured in that salvation, but his physical behavior would not affect his spiritual condition. One could indulge in any sin without consequence (Easy-to-Read Commentary Series – The General Epistles: A Practical Faith, 301).
E. They claimed that they did not need to be cleansed from sin because they had no sin from which to be cleansed.
F. To admit to our sin is to face up to the reality instead of pretending, and it is as we confess our sin that it is cleansed and it no longer counted against us.
G. If, however, we do not admit to our sin, it remains unconfused and unforgiven, and the truth is not in us (Marshall, 113).
H. John explained that those who believe the possibility of human sinlessness are fooling themselves and refusing to accept the truth as expressed in God’s word.
I. The truth of God’s word does not change: people are sinful. Though Jesus condemned sin once for all, Christians still sin (Barton, 1152).
3. Then in v. 10, John takes it a step further. He says, "If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."
A. John addressed those who say that they have no sin. Such people are deceived.
B. It may be that John was speaking of those who claimed to have been redeemed by God and now felt that they could live in a state of sinless perfection.
C. It may also be that John was addressing those who declared that they had never sinned. In both cases, these people are deceived by self-righteous conceit.
D. Such assertions negate the whole plan of redemption, and thereby make God a liar.
E. It would mean that God’s diagnosis of man’s sinful condition is wrong. The creature has shaken his fist in defiance of his Creator and has told Him that He is out of touch with the truth.
F. John warns that those who adhere to such a doctrinal fallacy are those whose walk is void of God’s word.
G. John says that such people are not redeemed at all. If the Word does not live in these people, they do not belong to God.
H. They have rejected the Son of God Who was sent to show all mankind the truth about its lost and dying condition (Easy-to-Read Commentary Series – The General Epistles: A Practical Faith, 302).
I. John is making the point that those who make such claims do not merely deceive themselves, but they actually make God a liar by denying the verdict on human beings that they are sinners.
J. Paul’s remark in Rom. 3:23 that "all have sinned" is no isolated remark; it sums up the teaching of Scripture on the universality of sin. Therefore those who deny their sin fall into the serious sin of calling God a liar (Marshall, 115).
B. All Of Us Have Sinned
1. Some folks think they are good really good people. Let’s suppose that a person on sins 3 times a day. A sin in the morning, a sin during the day and a sin at night. Sounds like a pretty good person! Let’s think for a moment. If that person is saved at 10 years old and dies at 80 years old that person will commit 76,650 sins in their lifetime! Imagine nearly 80,000 sins and this is from the life of a "good person." The truth is that all have sinned (more than we would really like to know) and all need Jesus.
2. We need to face reality, no matter how good we think we are, we are all sinners in the need of God's grace and forgiveness.
A. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT2)
6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
B. It doesn't matter how good we think we are, in comparison to God's glorious standard, even our good deeds are filthy rags before God.
C. According to Scripture all of us have sinned and come short. In fact, the word sin means to "miss the mark."
D. We say, "well I've never killed anyone or robbed a bank, therefore I'm a good person!"
E. But the reality of human nature says that you are still a sinner in need of God's forgiveness.
F. You are still guilty before a holy God and are in need of the grace of God.
G. None of us will stand before God on the judgment day and be able to say, "I'm good enough and I don't need you!"
H. Instead, we will have to say, "God I'm guilty of sinning against you, and I need your mercy and forgiveness!"
I. To say otherwise is to fool ourselves and make God a liar!
Transition: We are all sinners, that's the bad news, but wait, there's good news...THE GOOD NEWS!
II. Confess It (9).
A. If We Confess
1. So the bad news is that we are all sinners and deserve God's judgment.
A. There's no way to deny it or get around it. We have all sinned and deserve God's wrath.
B. There is nothing that we can do on our own to fix it or make it right.
C. We are sinners and deserve an eternity in hell.
2. However, there is good news..THE GOOD NEWS.
A. Hebrews 12:24 (NLT2)
24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
B. The bad news is that we are sinners deserving of God's wrath, but the Good News is that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to take our place.
C. Jesus came and went to the cross for us, and because of that we have the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins.
3. That's why John encourages us in v. 9, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."
A. Instead of claiming we have not sinned, we ought to confess our sins.
B. Although the statement lies in a conditional clause, it has the force of a command or obligation: we ought to confess our sins, and if we do, he is faithful and just…
C. To confess our sins is not merely to admit that we are sinners, but to lay them before God and to seek forgiveness.
D. If we do so we can be sure of forgiveness and purification on the grounds of God’s character.
E. He is faithful and just to forgive confessed sin. The faithfulness lies in his adherence to his promises that he will forgive his people (Marshall, 113-114).
F. If believers live under the constant awareness of their sinful condition, then the living Christ lifts that burden and places them under the protection of His sacrifice, forgiving their sins and washing the stain of that sin from them.
G. It is obvious, then, that a person who does not acknowledge his sinful condition does not realize his need for salvation.
H. Indeed, he does not require a Savior, and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is of little consequence to him.
I. The fallacy of such a doctrine is the greatest offense to a holy God Who gave His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for their redemption (Easy-to-Read Commentary Series – The General Epistles: A Practical Faith, 302).
J. To confess our sins means to agree with God that an act or thought was wrong, to acknowledge this to God, to seek forgiveness, and to make a commitment to not let it happen again.
K. Confession of sins is necessary for maintaining continual fellowship with God, which in turn will enable people to have good fellowship with members of the church community.
B. Free Gift Of God
1. Illustration: To say that God is faithful mean that he is reliable, for faithful is a word which is not just applied to those who believe but also to those who can be relied upon. It is this seceond sense that it is applied to God. He is also just in that he dows not refuse anyone who comes to him, however seriously they ay have sinned (Oecumenius, Ancient ChristIan Commentary On Scripture, vol 11, 173).
2. If we confess our sin to God He will forgive us.
A. Psalm 32:5 (NLT2)
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
B. We can't hide our sin because God knows what we've done, thought and said.
C. We know as he does that we have sinned against a holy God.
D. But if we will only go to God and confess our sin to him we can be forgiven.
E. If we say, "God I messed up, but please forgive me!"
F. The best news ever is that if we do that God's Word assures us that He will forgive us of our sins.
G. Again, there is that ten ton word, "IF."
H. If we confess. If we admit our sin. If we go to God and ask forgiveness.
I. If we do that we will be forgiven!
Transition: Once we have admitted our sin and asked for forgiveness, we need to...
III. Get Over It (2:1-2).
A. Advocate
1. Here in the first two verses of chapter 2 John takes this good news even further. Not only can we be forgiven if we confess our sins, but we even have someone who pleads our case for us.
2. In v. 1 of chapter 2, John says, "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous."
A. At this point John changes his focus from the false teachers to the members of the church, that he refers to as, "My dear children."
B. Here he appeals to them in the affectionate term of children, and he uses a different word in Greek when he refers to them as God’s children.
C. Although Jesus had instructed his disciples to call no one as "father," the relationship of the pastor to his congregation is often likened to that of a father to his children, and the pastors had no problems about addressing the congregations as "children."
D. Now some might interpret what he had said about not being free from sin as an excuse to sin.
E. However, John makes it quite clear that his purpose in writing was so they did not sin. Therefore, John’s purpose was for them to recognize their sin, confess their sin, but also to seek to live without it.
F. He also says that we have someone to help us if we do sin. The word that John uses for this helper is the word "advocate," and it comes from the Greek word parakletos, which means "one who comes along side to help."
G. It was a legal term much like we think of a lawyer today. It refers to a person who intercedes on our behalf.
H. We have nothing that we can plead before God to gain us forgiveness for our sins, but Jesus acts as our advocate and enters our plea for us (Marshall, 116).
3. John then continues this idea by saying, "He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
A. But on what grounds does the advocate us to rest his case?
B. John shows us what he uses by referring to Jesus as, "the sacrifice that atones for our sins."
C. The word refers to the neutralizing and canceling of sin. In other words, Jesus pleads on our behalf, not because we are guiltless, but rather that He himself has already paid the price for our sins (Marshall, 117-119).
D. Jesus Himself is the payment for sin, meaning that He is the only one Who can satisfy the righteousness of the Father.
E. When Jesus willingly gave up His life, He became the one Who suffered the penalty not for His own sin, for He was sinless, but for the sins of the whole world.
F. Therefore, Jesus not only intercedes on the sinner’s behalf, but He is also the means by which those held captive by sin are set free from the penalty of their sin(The - Easy-to-Read Commentary Series – The General Epistles: A Practical Faith).
B. Jesus Pleads Our Case
1. Illustration: If you should have a case tried before a judge and should procure an advocate, you would be accepted by the lawyer and he would plead your case to the best of his ability. If, before he has finished his plea, you should hear that he is to be the judge, how you would rejoice, because he could be your judge, who shortly before was your lawyer (Augustine, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, vol. 11, 176).
2. Jesus is in heaven right now pleading your case!
A. Romans 8:34 (NLT2)
34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
B. Who will condemn us? NO ONE!!!
C. Right Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God pleading your case for you!
D. Not only is he pleading your case for you, but he is also saying, "I already paid the price for their sins!"
E. The devil is your accuser, but Jesus is your lawyer, judge and jury!
F. Jesus pleads your case, and he is also your judge who declares you "Not guilty!"
G. Because there is therefore no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
H. So take a hike devil because we have been forgiven, cleansed and set free by the blood of Jesus!
Conclusion
1. It seems the Apostle John has a similar method of dealing with sin...
A. Admit It
B. Confess It
C. Get Over It
2. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. DON'T TRY AND HIDE FROM YOUR SINS BECAUSE GOD ALREADY KNOWS WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
B. CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN, AND YOUR SINS FORGOTTEN.
C. THE NEXT TIME THE DEVIL CONDEMNS YOU, REMIND HIS THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY PAID THE PRICE FOR YOUR SINS, AND HE WILL PLEAD YOUR CASE FOR YOU!
