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INTRODUCTION
We know that John is writing this letter or sermon tract to counteract some false teaching that has arisen in the churches he is writing too. It is never easy
to pinpoint exactly the various strands of this false teaching and we so often have to read between the lines. It seems that the false teachers were claiming to have received a special anointing from God, an
anointing which led them into a deeper and special knowledge of God (1:20).
As a result they were claiming that the churches that John was writing too were at best second rate, for they were missing out for they had not received
this anointing. Therefore these false teachers left the church (1:19), but their teaching left its mark. The believers were asking how they could be sure that they really do know God? John assures them that they do
know God and in this letter he is attempting to show them the foundation on which their assurance is based.
In our last sermon we saw how John showed that the fact that these false teachers did not have fellowship with all believers was evidence that they did not
have fellowship with God (1:6-7). John now addresses another aspect of the false thinking of these false teachers.
1. FALSE TEACHERS DENIED THE SINFUL NATURE (V 8)
Now it seems that verse 8 and 10 are saying the same thing and that may be the case John might just be saying the same thing for emphasis. However I agree
with most commentators that there is a subtle difference between these two verses. Let's deal with verse 8 under this heading. It seems that here John is thinking of the sinful nature that each one of us possesses
rather than actual sins which is what verse 10 is talking about.
These false teachers claimed that they had come into a new experience of God and as a result their sinful nature was in effect eradicated so that they now
walked with God in perfection. John says that such a claim means they are deceiving themselves and the truth is not in them. However John is speaking to the church who must have been tempted to follow after these
false teachers, after all who wouldn't like to be rid of their old sinful nature for good.
But John warns that anyone who makes such claims is only proving that they do not walk in fellowship with God. This is because having fellowship with God
exposes the sinful nature of our heart not eradicates it. God is light and light exposes the dirt and blemishes in our lives. It's like walking into a room where the walls are painted all white it looks fresh and
clean. But in that room you use the walls to show some slides using a projector and what you thought were lovely white walls do not look as lovely under the spotlight of the projector. This is because the bright
light of the projector shows up all the marks not seen by our naked eye in artificial lighting.
That's how it is when we walk in fellowship with God. God's light reveals his character to us through the Scriptures, his light shines into our hearts as we
read the Scriptures so that we see how far short of God's standards we have fallen, how far we have strayed from his pathway, how frequently we have transgressed his commandments. God's light shines supremely in
Jesus, the light of the world, whose perfect life shows up our shabby, grubby, lives in comparison.
Walking in fellowship with God is not always a comfortable experience, for as we walk in the light of God, we become more conscious of our sin not less
conscious. But these false teachers had become less aware of their sin and this led them to think that their sinful nature must have been eradicated; they now had complete victory in Jesus. Such an attitude shows
that such people are not walking in fellowship with God. This is a good test for us, are we more aware today of our sin than we were when we were first converted? If so it is a sign that we are walking in the light
of God. If not it is a sign that we are deceiving ourselves and are not walking in fellowship with God. Something has come in between God and us, our relationship is not as it should be, sin has cut in on us
although we probably are not aware of it; we probably feel that we are not as impure as we once were.
But true fellowship with God convinces us of our sinful nature for we see our sin in the light of God's word and in the light of Jesus the perfect Son of
God. You see this is why comparatively new Christians can sometimes become very discouraged until they understand this truth. I have heard of young believers who months or sometimes years after conversion become
very down hearted because they seem to sin more now than they did before their conversion.
Their hearts long to sin less but the very opposite seems to be happening. But what is happening is that their sense of sin is a result of their walk with
God. They are seeing actions, words and thoughts in a completely different light. They now see sin as the bible sees it whereas before their actions words or attitudes had never seemed like sin to them. Their
conscience is being educated and sensitised by the Holy Spirit. As we all walk in fellowship with God then God through his word and by His Spirit begins to peel back the layers of our heart so that we see the
evilness of our nature, so that we can see ourselves as God sees us.
If you are a Christian and do see the awful state of your heart then do not resist God's Spirit for this process is healthy and will enhance our fellowship
with God. Of course that sinful nature is such that it will want to resist being exposed, we all know how we react when some sinful action is exposed in our lives by the light of God's character through his word. We
often try to dodge the issue being exposed, we often look for excuses to justify our sin, we simply excuse it as one of our little weaknesses and after all we all have them. At least my little weakness is not as bad
as such and such a person's weakness.
Do not deceive ourselves into thinking like these false teachers; exposure of sin is a sign that we are walking in the light of God. The false teachers were
saying the opposite walking in God's light means that your sinful nature is being eradicated. This teaching is not new for down the centuries there have been groups in the church who have believed and taught that it
is possible for the Christian to live without sin.
They believe that the old sinful nature is so subdued by Christ as to be eradicated and as a consequence they teach that such a Christian can live on a
higher plain. Now such teaching is very attractive to Christians we would all love to be able not to sin that's why such teaching has received a following down the years. It is presented in different ways and is
normally linked to a special experience of God. This experience might be called 'full surrender,' 'second blessing' or in more modern days the 'release of the Spirit.'
It has to be said that it is found mainly in Charismatic and Pentecostal groups but it is not exclusively found there. I have met people within Methodism,
Congregationalism and Baptist's circles who have held to similar truths as the one being presented in 1 John. Let us not fall for such falsehoods, if we think we do not sin we deceive ourselves but not God.
2. FALSE TEACHERS DENIED PERSONAL SINFUL ACTIONS (v 10)
As indicated earlier this verse seems to focus on outward sins that come from our sinful nature (v 8). Here the false teachers are not only denying that
they have a sinful nature but now they are actually saying that they do not commit sin. Such a claim stems from the view of verse 8 that the sinful nature has been eradicated. But such a view is not only held by the
false teachers of John's day it is held by our world today and sadly even by Christians. We no longer call sin, sin. Adultery becomes having an affair, stealing is helping ourselves to the perks of the Job,
selfishness is standing up for ones rights, lying is being economical with the truth and so on. The last thing we call sin is by its proper name. The reason for this stems from the humanistic evolution that is now
an accepted norm in our society. It teaches that mankind is basically good; therefore when we sin we have to dress it up as something else.
But when we down play sin what we are doing is calling God a liar. God states in his word that all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and all are born with a sinful
nature that makes us sinners (Psalm 51:5). Sin is sin because God decrees what is right and what is wrong, He prescribes the moral absolutes that our society so desperately need but sadly has rejected. What God says
is right is always right and what He says is wrong is always wrong no matter how much our society may change, or how enlightened we are suppose to be.
These moral absolutes are an expression of God's will for mankind; they express God's character of light and love. However even we, as Christians can be
guilty of lessening sin in our own lives. Some how or other we seem to be able to justify our greed and selfishness. Those sins of jealousy, bitterness, envy, malice, apathy and an unforgiving spirit somehow do not
seem to be serious to us. Yes we condemn theft and murder in others but do not look at those sins within ourselves quite as seriously. But to do so is to make God out to be a liar and his word has no place in our
hearts. We need to ask God to give us a true perspective on sin to see sin as God sees it and to do so within our own lives as well as the lives of others.
3. THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF SIN (v 9)
If you deny that because of some spiritual experience your sinful nature is in effect eradicated and as a result you no longer commit personal sins then
there is no need for a solution to the problem of daily sin. The Christians that John is writing too must have felt inferior and therefore tempted to side with the false teachers. They knew daily sin; they saw the
ugliness of their hearts. Was this normal Christian experience if so then how do they deal with their daily sins?
John is saying that to see sin, as sin is a sign of fellowship with God this is the normal Christian experience, but God has provided an answer to deal with
daily sins. The answer is confession, confession recognises that an action or word or attitude is wrong, it admits it is wrong and it seeks forgiveness for sin. It is important to note the word 'sins' here for it
denotes a detailed and specific confession of known sins. It must include the good that we fail to do as well as the bad that we do. It is easy to admit we are sinners in a very general way most people do this by
saying that no one is perfect. It takes a particular attitude to sin to confess daily specific sins. We must be ruthless with our sin we must admit that action was sin, or that attitude is sin and consequently
confess it to God.
Confession is good for the soul for it means that we have faced up to our sins specifically and that we have faced up to our guilt and our responsibility.
By confessing we are saying I am to blame I did it, it assumes repentance from such sins and it means coming before our Father seeking his forgiveness.
That is so far from the world's attitude. The 'so called experts' tell us that the reason why people do wrong things is because of their social conditions.
I heard someone one the radio talking about those who committed the acts of September 11th in the USA. He said "they did it because of the poverty in their country." The truth is they did it because they are sinners by nature and their hearts like my heart is evil.
The true Christian has come into fellowship with God, he sees sin as God sees it and praise God, there is a way provided by God for forgiveness. That way
starts with a facing up to sin and a confession to our God as guilty sinners. Our sin breaks our relationship with God that's why we have to confess daily known sins so that our fellowship can be restored again. But
will God forgive us? The verse clearly says yes, he will forgive us, but on what grounds? Is it on the grounds of our personal confession of specific sins or some other ground? The verse tells us we will be forgiven
because of God's faithfulness and justice.
God is faithful to his own nature, it is impossible for him to act contrary to his nature therefore he is faithful to his word, for his word is an
expression of his own nature. He keeps his promises and he promises to forgive those who truly repent and put their faith in Christ. As a result we can be sure that he will forgive repentant sinners.
This is our assurance of forgiveness. But God is also just and what this means is that God will give to each one his due. Our due because of our sin
would be hell if it were not for the fact that his Son the Lord Jesus died in our place to pay the price for our sin. He took the wrath of God for our sin upon himself (1 John 2:1-2) Jesus lived the perfect life
that we failed to live and he died the death that we deserved to die. The fact that Jesus has paid the penalty that our sins deserved means that God will not demand a second payment from us.
In Christ the work is accomplished once and for all and therefore because God is just we receive forgiveness. God cannot fail to forgive us when we confess
our sin to him for He is faithful to His word and he is just in his character. The payment has been paid for us Hallelujah what a Saviour.
Confess your sins to God Christian and be assured of forgiveness. But unbeliever can I say to you get right with God, do not deny your sin, confess it and
in genuine repentance turn to God. If you do that then I can promise you on the authority of God's word that God will forgive you. Because He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.
Amen
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