1 John 1:8-10 - Faithful and Just

True Christian fellowship begins in fellowship with God, but includes fellowship with other believers within the Church. John expresses it this way: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." This walking in the light does not mean sinless perfection, for John goes on to say, "and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." What it does mean is that our fellowship is tied to the gospel of what Jesus has done for us and it is recognizable as a life lived in repentance and faith--in community.

Church is for sinners. But it is for repentant sinners who by God’s grace are now believers. We welcome sinners. But we must never excuse, ignore, or dismiss anything the Bible names as sin. When it is encountered it must be declared as such and repented of. We must not fall prey to the temptation to ignore, dismiss, or redefine sin to fit our culture.

(8) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

He is saying something more than “we are lying to ourselves,” though it includes that. He is saying that if we deny our sin we are not in Christ at all--or Christ is not in us, because Jesus is the personification of the truth.

1 John 1:8 destroys the idea of attaining sinless perfection in this life, for what John’s opponents are most likely asserting is not that they've never sinned, but that they've reached a place where they no longer do.

Now, do you see the paradox in the verse? If we claim perfect holiness Christ is obviously not in us and we do not know him. If we admit our sin, Christ is in us. And the Holy Spirit is in us. Because the truth is in us. In the face of holiness our sin becomes more clear and evident. The fact is we are sinful. The closer we are in fellowship with Father and Son and Holy Spirit the more obvious to us that becomes--the more we feel it.

What did John say in verse 6?

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Faith and repentance in community. These are what epitomize the life of the genuine believer. Not denial of sin but confession of it.

(9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

This is the alternative to denying our sin. To confess means more than just admitting that we have sinned. It means agreeing with God about our sin. It means laying it before him and seeking forgiveness.

And we will find forgiveness when we do so. That forgiveness is grounded in his eternal, unchanging character. He is faithful and just . . .

What does it mean, though, that he is faithful and just (righteous) to forgive our sins? You'll have to listen to the audio to get the rest. Just click the link below and a new window will open up in your browser where you can stream the audio recording or download it for later listening. It looks like not all of it recorded, but hopefully what's available will be a blessing to you.

Click here: 1 John 1:8-10 - Faithful and Just


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^