THE NATURAL MAN’S REACTION TO SIN
I Jn. 1:5-10
INTRO. When we were saved, we were called out of spiritual darkness into light. (I Thess. 5:5) - We are the children of light. But still, there seems to be a problem. John 3:19-21. Those who do wrong hate the light. When light shines in on us it reveals our true nature.
This should be a source of strength and comfort to us. Light produces life and growth and beauty, but sin is darkness, and darkness and light cannot exist in the same place. If we are walking in the light, the darkness has to go. However, it is also true that if we are holding to sin, the light goes. This is why so many Christians try so desperately to cover up their sins. The most "natural" way to do this seems to be ... lying.
I. WE LIE TO OTHERS.
(I Jn. 1:6)
A. We want our brothers and sisters to think we are spiritual, so we lie about our lives and try to make a favorable impression on them. We want them to think that we are walking in the light.
B. One proof of the inspiration of the Scriptures is that it tells all the bad things as well as the good things.
1. Abraham going to Egypt.
2. Noah getting drunk.
3. Samson’s fall to Delilah.
C. How many of us have sin in our lives that would just kill us if anyone found out about? Yet we continue to come to church every week pretending that everything between us and God is just fine, thank you. And God help anyone who happens to be standing near if the truth comes out.
II. WE LIE TO OURSELF.
(I Jn. 1:8)
A. The problem here is not deceiving others, but deceiving ourselves. It is possible for a believer to live in sin yet convince himself that everything is fine in his relationship to the Lord.
B. The classic example of this is David (2 Sam. 11-12)
1. lusted, committed adultery, killed Uriah.
2. He lied to himself and tried to carry on his royal duties in the usual way.
3. Nathan’s story.
4. David condemned the man in the story, though he felt no condemnation at all for himself. Once we begin to lie to others, it may not be long before we actually believe our lie.
C. How many of us realize that we should be more faithful...... we should try harder to control our temper and our language...... we shouldn’t gossip like we do.....we ought to volunteer to help in church... we really out to try to witness to someone ............... but other than that our fellowship with God is just fine. (See what I mean?)
III. WE LIE TO GOD.
(I Jn. 1:10)
A. Our spiritual decline gets its worst when we begin to lie to God. We have made ourselves liars; now we try to make God a liar!
B. We contradict His Word, which says that "all have sinned," and we maintain that we are exceptions to the rule.
1. We apply God’s Word to others but not to ourselves.
2. We sit through church services or Bible studies and are not touched by the Bible’s teachings.
3. Believers who have reached this low level are usually highly critical of other Christians, but they strongly resist applying the Word to their own lives.
CONCLU. The main factor in fellowship with God and His Word is honesty. We must be honest with ourselves, honest with others, and honest with God. Our passage describes a believer who is living a dishonest life: he is a phony. He is playing a role and acting a part, but is not living a genuine life.
Is it any wonder that God warns, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper" (Pro. 28:13)? David tried to cover his sins and it cost him his health, his joy, his family, and almost his kingdom. There is a much better way of dealing with sin in our life and we will cover that next week.
