Sermon Central
-
What If I Sin? Series
Contributed by David Welch on May 12, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: Message 3 from 1 John focusing on the remedy for sin - confession.
“What If I Sin?”
I. GOD IS LIGHT
A. THE MESSAGE 1:5
John joyfully announced the message he received from Jesus who eternally existed with the Father but became flesh and visibly lived among men. God is light and not one speck of darkness can be found anywhere in his character.
The term LIGHT was used to point to…
Intellectual perception
Moral and ethical purity
Relational passion – love, goodness, kindness
Spiritual awareness
Physical and spiritual life, power and influence
Light also illuminates the beauty around us.
The term DARKNESS was used to point to...
Intellectual dullness
Moral and ethical depravity
Relational disconnect
Spiritual deadness
Physical and spiritual lifelessness, hopelessness, helplessness - death
Darkness prevents us from seeing beauty, truth and life around us.
The nature of God is light in every sense of the word.
B. The Implications 1:6-4:6
Since the core of God’s character or nature is light, what are the implications for those who want to relate to him? John exposed both the faulty beliefs and corresponding faulty behavior of some who claimed to know God but lived their lives in darkness. John encouraged proper belief and behavior for all. Since God is light it only follows that those who want to relate to Him should live in the light. John stated this truth from both a negative and positive perspective.
1. Continually walk (live) in the Light
a) Failure to walk in the light (negative)
IF we claim to have an intimate partnership with God and yet continually live contrary to God’s ways (walk in darkness)…
THEN we neither speak the truth nor live the truth.
Practice proves partnership. Conduct confirms connection. Action authenticates association
There were some in John's day as there are today that claimed the label Christian (follower of Christ) but whose lifestyle bore little resemblance to the way Jesus lived.
Slapping a Cadillac emblem on a Geo Metro will have no effect on the actual performance of the Geo Metro. John affirmed that those whose lifestyle is characterized more by deeds of darkness than light and yet claim to have intimate partnership and connection with the God who is light, neither speak the truth nor live the truth.
John is more concerned about reality than rhetoric.
John is more concerned about our walk that our words.
John highlights the character of our life rather than the content of our lips.
b) Walking in the light
On the flip side however, John revealed the reality and blessing of those who choose to live in the light; those who invite God's light to dispel any darkness and direct every choice.
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
In this verse John employed all present tense verbs indicating present continuous action.
IF we continually live in the light where God continually lives then two realties become characteristic of our life.
We suggested last week that living in the light has to do with coming to God for enlightenment.
Seeking His truth. Embracing His purity. Living by His power and energy. Living in the light is not about being perfect, but it is about living with the lights on, so we don’t hide anything.
It is about living a life open to His continual renewing work.
1 Peter 2:9 reminds us how God called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Paul offered thanks to the Father who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Col 1:12
Paul called us children of light; sons of the day and urges us to live as Christ lived. Eph 5:8
Paul urges us to let the light of Christ shine out of these clay pots. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7
1. We continually have fellowship with one another
As the light exposes the dirt we are able to deal with the stuff that hinders relationship both with God and others.
2. The blood of Jesus Christ continually cleanses us from all sin.
The more we live in the light, the more dirt the light exposes and the cleaner we become.
“cleanse” Term used in relation to…
Physical cleaning (clean the inside of the cup, lepers cleansed)
Ritual cleaning (ceremonial cleansing)
Moral cleaning (sins cleansed)
Think of the wonder of such a healing; a cleansing from leprosy. To have a ravaging disease eradicated and its effects eliminated was monumental. Like leprosy, sin is a ravaging disease that destroys the soul. Through the death of Christ, continual cleansing from sin is available as we live in the light.
Jesus gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify (cleanse) for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. Titus 2:14
