Welcome
Prayer
Word set to music
Silence
Okay, last week we read and covered (to the best of our ability) the content of verse 5 where John plainly states:
1st John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
After our gathering Phil summarized the net effect of “God being light” upon us human beings . . . “exposure.”
I REALLY like this insight. Think about it. As humans most of us live lives of dodging, eluding, wearing masks, and moving in and our of the darkness of mortality.
When we are actually presented with God, who is spirit, who is light, who is love, who is a consuming fire, we are EXPOSED – I mean, right through to the sub-atomic levels of everything material and everything spiritual.
This can be a very unsettling realization, can’t it? But while unsettling, it is good to consider it – because the net result, if the heart is right – is humility, a striving for transparency, and a desire to have Him really know us – which translates to real relationship, and real reliance.
So after telling us that God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all, John continues with the following admonition, saying:
1st John 1.6-end
April 17th 2016
Meat
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
These passages require some thought because if we take them outside of context it is VERY easy to assume that John is promoting something that He is not.
So let’s get to it. John has made it plain that God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all (Verse 6)
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
And here we are presented with the first conclusion John makes relative to the fact that God is light and there is no darkness in Him AT ALL and us –
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Remember, John is writing to believers (or followers of the Lord) and while he addresses this group he is touching on heretical gnostic teachings that have worked their way into the discussions (and even the thinking) of the church.
This verse is the first of Him really laying out some direct apostolic instructions to believers in that day and we know this by the fact that he says:
“If we (believers or those who purport to be believers) say . . .”
If we verbally reckon ourselves among the friends of God, or, in other words, if we profess to having a relationship wth Him (who IS light and in whom there is NO darkness at all) we must not be children of the dark – we cannot be those who walk in the dark because if we are we have not stated the truth and we lie, and “do not the truth.”
Now, what appears the most obvious explanation of this passage when John says
“If we say we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness,” is to believe that the line, “and walk in darkness,” means to have sin in our lives, to commit sin, or to indulge or thrive in fleshly failures.
I am going to challenge this view, which is pretty much the view the bible commentaries endorse.
The line walk in darkness in the Greek is “para-pat-eo scot-os,” and means to live or walk in obscurity or darkness.
Now think about his – can a person who has been born of the Spirit, who has been regenerated walk in obscurity?
They cannot – even if they are babes or back-sliden believers. We can sin, and we can fail to follow the Spirit, but we have the light in us predicated by our faith – to some degree or another – the light shined into our hearts!
So in the first place I would suggest that John is not addressing people who have truly been born again but is instead speaking of people who claim to have fellowship with God but have NOT had His light illuminate them and are still walking in obscurity!
Do NOT get this wrong or everything else will get mucked up that we are reading in this first part of the epistle.
He is NOT talking about being a Christian who has sin in their lives. How do we know this? Because all of us have sin in our lives – so long as we are in these bodies sin is alive and waiting for a chance to exercise its fleshly powers.
Just jump down to verse 8 where John says:
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Now read verse 6 again:
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”
In comparing these two passages which are almost right next to each other in scripture we have to conclude that when John is speaking of walking in darkness he is speaking of walking without light at all and this is his definition of walking in darkness and that he does not mean to refer to the sins that crop up in the Christian life.
To “walk in darkness” in scripture most commonly speaks of living in a state of agnosticism, doubt, disbelief, and a life void of the living God present.
In my estimation this is a reference to the Gnostic Docetae who may have been claiming a fellowship with God, but John provides us with the first “If we say . . .” in the epistle to show that
“We cannot say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness because if we do we lie, and do not the truth.”
This last phrase, “and do not the truth” means we are not able to truly act.
To “do the truth” is to act in accordance with truth in the mode of a Christian.
In other words it is impossible to perform the acts of a true Christian, from the heart, if we are living a lie about our relationship with the living God of light when we ourselves are walking in obscurity or darkness.
It’s impossible to be in relationship with a God who is light and has no darkness in Him at all if we are walking in the darkness of this world and all of its obscurities.
Listen – Jesus said it best in Matthew 7:13-14:
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Sadly, I would image that this passage in the 1st Epistle of John describes many who liken religion to relationship, who have never known anything of the real peace and joy which His light imparts but who nevertheless entertain and announce the belief that they are the friends of God, and that they are going to heaven, in large part because of the lives they have lived!
This is true obscurity, and conforms to Jesus ephemeral warning in Luke 11:35:
“Take heed therefore that the light (which is in thee) be not darkness.”
I just mentioned that this is the first of John’s directions that, here in this first epistle begin with, “If we say . . .”
Let’s take a minute and go to the board and show you his methodology:
1st John 1:6
1st John 1:8
1st John 1:10
1st John 2:4,
Speaks with mouth
If we say,
If we say,
If we say
He that saith
The Words
that we have fellowship with him,
that we have no sin
that we have not sinned
I know him
Compared to action
and walk in darkness
and keepeth not his commandments,
LIES!
we lie,
we deceive ourselves,
we make him a liar
is a liar,
Not of the truth!
and do not the truth:
and the truth is not in us.
and his word is not in us.
and the truth is not in him.
If we really think about it, John is differentiating between several concepts here.
Walking in darkness.
Sin.
And keeping His commandments.
The verses in the chart, and what John says in each verse in respect to them, reveals that he means something different when he speaks of them.
We know this because in verse 6 he says that if say we know him and walk in darkness we lie, and do not the truth.
Then in verse 8 and 10 he says that if “we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and make Him a liar,” proving that walking in darkness isn’t equal to sin. And THEN in chapter two he says that if “we claim or say we know Him and don’t Keep His Commandments we are liars” proving that believers can have sin in their lives while they can be seen as keeping His commandments!
What the what?!
This is so intensely radical that it defies the imagination! But it is dead on. Here’s how.
To walk in darkness is to be unregenerate. There is no fellowship with God in this state so to claim there is makes us a liar.
To say we have no sin or have not sinned as believers is impossible because we are in flesh and so to say so makes us liars too.
But then he tells us that if we say we know Him and do NOT keep His commandments we are ALSO liars again that the truth is not in us!
How can he say this! Because His commandments are to have faith on Jesus and to love each other – insights given to us in the third chapter where we read:
1st John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
(which is why those who KEEP his two commandments can say that they KNOW Him).
Unbelievable.
But I want to read into all this a little deeper . . . but let’s read the next verse.
After providing us with the first, “If we say,” phrase, John then, as he is accustomed to doing, gives us the positive or affirmative statement and adds
7 But . . . if we . . . walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Again, since I have strongly suggested that to walk in the dark means to have not been regenerated or born from above (and does not refer to sin directly) then I would also strongly suggest that “walking in the light” means to have been born-from-above and to have God in us and again but does NOT mean we are without sin or are impervious to it.
However, and again, it does mean we keep His commandments! (which are to believe on His Son and love)
Get it?
If we abide in the dark we have no relationship with Him but if we have received the light, meaning we abide or reside on earth with His light in us, meaning we have been reconciled to God by faith on the shed blood of His Only Begotten, and we abide in the light AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT we . . .
And here he gives us two distinguishing characteristics of those who have been “born-from-above” or who walk in the light,
“we have fellowship one with another, and (two)”
“the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Contrary to the divisive and disrupting teachings of the Docetic Gnostics John here gives an insight into the characteristics of those who in fact to have fellowship with Him who dwells in the light – and the first insight is those who have fellowship with Him truly have fellowship one with another.
This is the first thing John provides as a way to know if you are born from above and therefore have fellowship with Him who dwells in the light – “we have fellowship one with another.”
Now, we are given a brass-tacks piece of Christian information – fellowship with each other.
The term in Greek? Koinonia. Partnership. Communion of the Spirit. Social or spiritual intercourse, from where we get the English Coitus.
Two or more spirits (that have fellowship with Him who abides in the Light) having the same communion with each other.
It’s the first observable sign John gives us as a means to self-determine our relationship with God – what is our relationship with each other?
We might assume that the Gnostic forces around the body in John’s day operated on division, on believing they had superior views, and tried to break up and put a stop to the spiritual koinonia among the Saints of the day.
John here says that fellowship with one another is indicative of having true fellowship with God.
Now listen, many human beings are social animals and thoroughly enjoy gatherings and get-togethers and socials.
I would suggest that this is a minor element of Christian koinonia. Instead the primary driver in the union between believers is the Lord, our partnership with and through Him in the light, our joint allegiance and the desires we all possess to worship and seek and speak of Him in spirit and in truth.
Let me offer an admission here to you all. On a “physical, things of this world, basis,” there is nobody on earth with whom I want to hang out – except my family.
Please don’t take this wrong but I personally care not one whit about socializing, hobbies, sports, games, labors, or even doing community service or volunteerism in a group setting.
I care nothing about being united with people in politics, or gossip, or anything else.
But if there is any soul who needs Christian service, who desires the Word, who is ill and in need of Jesus, or who wants to talk about eternal matters – I’m there – all day long – because of Him, because in Him I can relate, and enjoy His light.
Admittedly, even in discussions about Mormonism I have no koinonia anymore with people. It’s all over and about Him.
But when there is a brother or sister around, who too just want to abide in Him and His light and love – I am all in – 100% – and seeking to engage and spend time – because this is where His Spirit leads.
I had people ask me why I always seem like I’m in a hurry. It’s because I am – there is only so much of this life each of us have and I want to be ALL about my father and saviors business.
And I actually become anxious if and when conversations and time is spent on the ways and wiles of this world.
So as far as I’m concerned – and you may differ with me which is fine – but as far as I’m concerned, real koinonia in the body is based on things of the Spirit – and not the flesh.
Secondly, I think we all need to ask ourselves if we seek for reasons to break fellowship with others or if we seek for reasons to unite with them.
In other words, John here tells us that
“if we . . . walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another “
One with who-other?
Any and all who also walk, live, abide and have received the light.
This is NOT determined by denominational affiliation nor by orthodoxy nor by doctrinal stances. It is determined by those who “walk in the light as He is in the light.”
To me, ANYONE who walks in the light made possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can be “known” (remember that word Koinonia) they can be known by the spirit within them. There is mutual automatic fellowship of Christian love and consideration flowing from them.
There is peacemaking – not war-mongering. There is the fruit of the Spirit, not the spirit of contention or of division or judgment.
There is a visible desire (if you will) to relate to the light that is in the person and not a desire to unearth the dark or to vet them.
Paul says in Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.”
He adds in Romans 14:1
“Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”
He says in Romans 15:1-2 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.”
He says in 1st Corinthians 9:22-23 “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”
Jesus says in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
And in the chapter on Christian love we read that agape love:
“Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.”
Find brothers and sister who have received the light. Engage and fellowship with them. It is good. It is of God. It is a picture of the eternities.
Then John adds the second fact applicable to those who are of the light. He says:
“And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
When we read that for those who are in the light that “his blood cleanses us from all sin,” I would suggest that because the Greek (when we read cleanses us) means “has cleansed and continues to cleanse us”
that John is saying that the second great thing those who walk in the light receive is the knowledge that Christ has cleansed them from all sin.
I think built into this admission is that the Gnostic audience cannot be certain of this, because they have not been born of the light, and this is the second way to distinguish between those who claim to know God and those who do.
At this point John adds in our second “If we say” line (at verse 8)
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Apparently the Gnostics may have been claiming that they were without sin and so John lays out this truth to both confront this attitude and to realign the Christians on the matter.
And then he says:
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Now, if he is addressing the Gnostic issue here then his expression is telling them (as a means to preach to them)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Note that the Words forgive and cleanse here in this passage (in the Greek) mean that they have happened and they continue to happen – so what John is saying is
“If we are born from above we will openly confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us (past, present, and future) and to cleanse us (past present and future) from ALL unrighteousness (past present and future).
This is Bob George’s interpretation of the verse (a pastor I admire but rarely hear about).
But if John is speaking to believers and this line has nothing to do with the Gnostics, the expression must mean one of two things
That his blood has cleansed us of all sin past, present and future
OR
that that blood is there to purify us from all sin as we take advantage of it through pleas and repentance and other appeals one we admit to Him that we have sin or have been sinning.
Let’s step back and make some general assessments and then move forward.
First, whichever side you take as a Christian, the general meaning is plain – whether it’s in the past present or future tense or whether it is conditioned upon repentance or religious rites – the shed blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse all who walk in the light of sin.
There is no stain made by sin so deep that the blood of Christ either cannot or has not taken it entirely away from the soul.
Upon this first general principle most Christians agree.
The next principle we come to is one that causes extreme confusion –
Are Christians supposed to confess their sins to God as a means to be forgiven or are we to confess them because they have been forgiven or are we not to confess them at all?
Before we answer this we have to ask is there a difference between what John says here
“And if we confess our sins” and the word repent?
Many people, when they read this passage see repentance here instead of confess – and interpret it thusly. But if it was meant to be interpreted this way I think that John would have used repent. He doesn’t.
The word John uses is hom-a-log-gayo and it means to “assent to,” and to acknowledge.”
One translation puts it this way:
“If we openly acknowledge our sins.”
This is a VERY different word than the Greek word for repent – but I would say that they work hand in hand with each other.
Another thing to note. John does not say, “if we confess our sins to God” nor does he say, “If we confess our sins to man.” He simply says, “if we confess our sins.”
I am of the opinion he means both. Here’s why. A believer has been born from above and is a child of light. The Holy Spirit within us moves us to admit failures to anyone involved.
We don’t need to mince words here or split hairs. It is what is.
But the reason I’m taking some time here to make distinctions is because I’m trying to avoid a path that can exist in the faith to cause people to think that the sins of their flesh looms out over their head and the idea that comes right on in after it that says God has not forgiven them until they have repented or even openly acknowledged a wrong doing.
The fact of the matter is Christians have been forgiven past present and future of their sin AND those who have been born from above have no problem openly admitting to God or man their failures in the flesh.
But the heart that leads someone to openly acknowledge sin before God does not do it in order for them to be forgiven – they do it because they know (by faith) that they have been forgiven and because they are in relationship (fellowship) with the Lord and know when they have allowed their flesh to reign over their spirit and they experience remorse.
I would add one qualifier to this – an exception where there is almost an act of repentance that goes on within the heart of Christians.
It’s tied to the commandments that we have been given as children of light.
There does seem to be a confessional type of repentance that exists in the children of light when they have broken the command “to believe on the Son and to love, as He gave commandment.”
I would even go so far as to suggest that whatever sins of the flesh we commit as believers that such sins are directly tied to both a lack of faith (the first commandment) and a lack of love (the second) both for God and Man.
(beat)
I’ve done considerable counseling with believers in God and Christ.
I can tell you that there is a huge difference in the lives of people who understand the difference between constant confessionals before God as a means to obtain forgiveness and those who understand that they have been forgiven but they have failed to truly trust Him or love others.
In other words, daily (or hourly) confession in order to be forgiven of sin is akin to having bad acne and going to God for every blemish, blackhead, or subcutaneous cyst and trying to get him to forgive you for its presence.
It’s an attitude that lacks faith in the finished work of the author and finisher of our faith, Christ Jesus.
But openly and honestly confessing our failures to trust Him and love others as commanded KNOWING we HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN is a position of trust and relationship and reliance on God rather than one of fear.
In this scenario we go to the Lord and cry:
“I have acne. Clear my skin up, Lord. Increase my faith. Increase my love. When you do, my sin (I mean my skin) will clear up. I know this.”
See the difference?
John reiterates in the third instance of an “If we say” phrase, saying:
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
And with that, lets wrap it up and continue next week.
Q and A
4pm meeting tonight!
