Book of 1 John - Ch. 1, Vs. 8-Ch. 2, Vs. 11 (11/21/1999)

1 John 1:8–10 — Confession, Cleansing, and the Believer’s Sin

All right, uh, we're in the book of 1st John Chapter 1 and we left off last time with a verse 8. So that's where we'll start this time. John says to us if we say that we have no sin. We deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

This is worse than just being a liar. When you get to this place, there is absolutely no truth in you whatsoever. If you claim that you do not sin or if it you have no sin, this is a guarded lie. Which makes it even worse?

And you deceive only yourself. Joy, I guess one of the most difficult jobs that we have at least that I have is being being absolutely honest with myself. As I'll try to trick myself nearly every time if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned We make him a liar and his word is not in us. Greg is it possible to make God a liar? Well, what's this mean? If we say we have not said we make him a liar.

Russell, okay, so it does not make God a liar.

We are lying and Misleading and deceiving. When we take that position. Do not say do not ever use these two verses nine and ten. To try to lead a person to the Lord because that's not what it's talking about.

This is for the saved only. No place in God's Bible does he say that we must confess to be saved. That cannot be for several reasons. The first one is that that's something we can do and Salvation does not depend upon that.

The word confess let's look at it for just a moment. You know, the Bible is full of words that we've used all of our life. And I dare say that a lot of the words so common to us. We do not understand the meaning we use it incorrectly.

This word confess is made up of two Greek words. Homo lego. Lego means to say homo means the same. So to say the same. So when we confess we're saying exactly what God says about the sin. We move to his side and look back at it and say you're absolutely right.

I I will say the same thing you say about it and that is that it is a sin. So to confess means to say the same thing after we confess. What is the first thing God does to us. Do I remove guilt. David when the prodigal son finally come home.

What was the first thing that his father did. Was the second thing his father did. What was the third first thing he did to him. Now, where can I go? We know he put a robe on him. Didn't I. But what did he do before he put the robe on.

What you're getting silly now. Yeah, if you're a little child come in from outside. And I'm been watering in the pig pen and you's gonna clean him up put the clothes on him for Sunday. What would you do first?

You clean him. That's exactly what happened to the prodigal son. He had to take a bath. He had to be clean. So the robe of righteousness does not go on over dirt. We have to be clean and we cannot do it.

He does same way when we confess he cleaned cleanses us. Remember that I guess we'll move on. I had another note with it. It's already been covered. So come over to John. 1st John chapter 2. He says my little children.

These things. Write I unto you. That you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ is the righteous. The term that you sin not. Please learn to look for what is not said.

Not only what it does say, but what it does not say. He didn't he says that you sin not. He did not say. So that you may not sin. This is a difference. He did not say that you cannot sin, but he said that if and when you do.

Knowing that we all do at some time in our life fall short. Then we have an advocate. Advocate. Greg, what's the word advocate me? All right. Who is that? What if when we sin? We would lose our salvation.

Russell, what would that be like? You don't know do you? Why don't you know you don't know why you don't know. Russell are you here? Well There's lots of people to thank you do. I Had a dear brother-in-law that believed that He was as fine a Christians I ever met.

But he lived all of his life in fear of losing it. So consequently, that's all he thought about. We must know that it is a positive fact. Our salvation and we need to get on with the deeper things not Waller around in the front end of it all of the time.

Our sin is never seen by the Heavenly Father. Why David? He sees only The righteousness of us through the blood of Christ. So Russell, let me ask you another question then. Since you did so well on the last.

How much of our daily walk does he see if he sees only that part that is not? Sinful you can't answer for anybody but yourself. But I ask you to ask yourself. The Heavenly Father sees only that part of me.

That is walking in the footsteps of Christ. Covered by the blood. How many blanks places are there in my life. Something to think about. Verse 2. He is the propitiation For our sins. That's a big word.

It's always been hard for me to pronounce. There was times I couldn't and still times I can't once in a while and not for hours only but also The whole world. The statement or the words for the sins of is not supposed to be in there.

Doesn't make much difference but it's just not there. He is the propitiation. David you'll have to explain it to us. Okay. Okay, the atoning sacrifice the sacrifice that satisfied his justice. Another thought.

And I'm sure it was a good one. Oh Okay, we'll We'll take that that was the next thing on the agenda. The word Propitiation means appeasement or satisfaction the satisfaction of Jesus on the cross satisfied the demands of God of His holiness for the punishment of sin as we said in Sunday school this morning every sin Must be paid.

It was this atoning sacrifice that paid it for us. The Lord put on him there. The father put on our Lord on The cross the weight of every sin of all of his people past present and future. Russell that was a tremendous weight if we just looking at it in in that realm now the people that Were not included in that Jenny they will have to bear All of the weight of their own sin at judgment all at once.

That'll be a heavy weight. The meaning of the world as it is used here. Is his world of his people every place in the whole world. The statement is to show that his salvation is for not only the Jew, but the Gentile also.

It also shows that his people are scattered throughout the entire world. Please understand this statement is not talking about salvation for all people. Rather it is saying that his people are safe and will be called to him.

From wherever he has caused them to dwell. Now if you want to follow go over to the book of John chapter 17 verses 9 10 and 11. This is our Lord in the garden just before he was arrested. And this is a very small part of the prayer that is written down for us.

It's very interesting in the ninth verse. The Lord is speaking to the Heavenly Father. And he says I pray not for them. I pray not for the world. But for them which thou hast given me for they are thine.

So Steve We belonged to the Heavenly Father and he made a gift of us to his son Jesus and all of mine are thine and thine or mine and I am glorified in them and Now I am no more in the world. But these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thine own name.

Those whom thou has given me. That they may be one as we are one. Beautiful words verse 3. And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. Well now Greg that's rather difficult, isn't it for us to keep his commandments?

Well, this verse has nothing to do with security of the believer now. Believe it or not It's talking about obedience obedience unto Christ. Not the Ten Commandments, but rather this. Bear you one another's burdens.

Rejoice pray without ceasing. Quench not the power of the Holy Spirit. Do not do as you please. But rather as the Lord pleases. Do not quench the power of the Holy Spirit. Jeannie we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us that become a fact when he notified us.

He gave us the indwelling Holy Spirit and That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about same spirit. But not in the same aspect the indwelling Holy Spirit. Greg will never go away. Until we need it no longer.

Here he's talking about the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's be sure we understand the word quench. What's that mean? What's your name? Yes. Oh. All right. What's that mean to quench not the power all right.

Steve if you. If you were going to quench a fire, what would you do? Yeah, put it out. So quench not the power of the Holy Spirit. You remember our Lord told the disciples to tarry and Jerusalem until.

What's it say the? Holy Spirit come with power. And it was the power that did come not the indwelling spirit. It's the same spirit but with a different application. There have been times in each of your lives that you have felt closer to the Lord or.

You got a revelation of the Lord or you understood something. Maybe in class all of a sudden something just. See, what was it? You said this morning popped into mind. Well, that's the power of the Holy Spirit at that very moment.

So we know he was here this morning, don't we. David was sitting there having vision after vision so Do not quench this power. Don't ignore it. Don't turn it away. Don't make light or fun of it. Be very very cautious be very sensitive and The more you practice being sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit The easier it becomes to follow.

He who studies the word most Sets the closest to the gate of heaven. Therefore he hears more from the Lord. Philippians 2 13. For it is God Which worketh in you? Both To will and to do of his good pleasure.

So Greg it is God that is working in you not through you. He works in you in Order to display his will and in order for you to have For you to do those things which please him. It is he that is doing that in each one of us.

Don't ever think you're doing it because you're not. It is the power of the Holy Spirit God himself, that's Philippians 2 13 first John 2 and 5 which we have not. Well, let me read it. But whoso keepeth his word in him.

Verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him if we keep his word and if we live in him. In the book of John which we're in on Sunday nights at the house. Tonight he talks about the vine.

He is the vine where the branches. And as long as the branches in the vine it produces fruit. Let me relate a story to you To illustrate this love that we should have. The young boy lived on a farm and his father said to him one morning.

He said when you get home from school tonight I'd like for you to chop wood and bring it into the house stack it on the back porch. When I get in from the field, I'll melt the cow so. That's what they did for quite some time.

One morning after breakfast. The father said that he just didn't feel very good today, but he went on to field anyhow. When the boy got home from school. Knowing that his commandment was just to chop wood.

But because he loved his father he melts cow anyhow. Knowing that his father was ill. That's what we're talking about. It's not enough just to obey commandments. But we do it with love. Because of concern and love for our father.

That part is study of his word. June. I cannot believe That a Born-again person Will never have anything to do with his holy word. I just cannot believe that. Too many folks like to live as much like a sinner as they can and still be saved.

I had a person one time asked me. Can I do this and this and still be a Christian? Don't ever answer anybody like that. Because if they have to ask then they're not saved. And you don't need to waste your time talking to them in five again.

It says in him verily is the love of God perfected the one that keeps his word Perfected. Those that are saved will study the Bible. The love of God reaches its perfection in the one that keeps his word.

Sixth verse. And he saith He that abideth in him ought him himself also. So to walk even as he walked. The question is not whether you're committed to Christ, but whether do you love Christ? Do you love our Lord?

Jesus the Christ. Just to obey is not enough. That's where you start. Peter tells us in 2 17 first Peter honor all men love the brotherhood. Fear God honor the king. In John 13 34 a new commandment. I give unto you that you love one another.

As I have loved you that ye also love one another. My question is this. Why do you suppose the Lord had to command us to love one another? That's true. But you know, some of the brethren are not very lovable.

Some of them it's very difficult to love. Very frankly, there's some I love more than others. When we get to heaven we'll love everybody but Russell that's not what amazes me the most. It's when we get to heaven everybody I love me.

They don't hear He that saith he abideth in him ought also to work walk like that. We just served that didn't we. The fourth verse. He saith I know him and Keepeth not his commandments. He's a liar and the truth's not in him.

Don't ever take somebody's else someone else's word for what the Bible says. I tell the students all of the time don't believe it just because Otis Fisher said it. And whatever you do don't go out from here and ever quote Otis Fisher.

If you do they turn you off right quick. If you believe what I've said, that's fine. If you want to repeat it, that's fine. But don't tell the people that I said so tell them you said so. Because if you believe it then it's yours and you can say so.

Don't lay it off on somebody else. If you lay it on somebody else then you don't really believe it. The truth is not in him. State your question again. They don't know where if they speak the more we study the more ignorant we become.

And if you never study and never have studied you think you're pretty smart so study. Just reveals our ignorance. If it does it means we're learning. So these people that Never study the word. They don't know the word.

Yet they think they keep it, but they keep it by tradition or this is what grandpa did so it must be alright. Extremely dangerous and it's sloppy and lazy. No one can study the word for you. I can't study it for you.

I Have no choice, but to study and teach. I Love it. But I had no choice in the matter. That was it. David had no choice in what he does that was just it. Hereby I see that God's love is perfected and it can only be perfected in those that study his word.

Brethren I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment. Which you had from the beginning? The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Again a new commandment I write unto you.

Which thing is true in him and in you? Because the darkness is passed and the true light now shineth. The darkness has passed was on the other side of the cross. The true light now is on this side. God will never Hold you accountable for that which he has never permitted you to learn now.

I did not say that he is not Permitted you to not have opportunity to learn but in this different dispensations that David was talking about this morning Russell we're held more accountable today than the Saints of the Old Testament.

Why? Okay, we have more enlightenment. He will judge each person based upon the amount of light. That he revealed to that person not on what they should know but what they had opportunity to know. That's an awesome thought.

He that saith he is in the light and he hates his brother. Is in the darkness even till now. How can you be in the darkness and not know it. You've never seen a light. You go down in the lower depths of Carlsbad Cavern.

They turn all the lights off if that's where you'd been all of your life. You wouldn't even know what light meant. But once you see the light, then you know, that's darkness. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion Of stumbling and him and our time is up and they're blind.

It's impossible to love the Lord and hate your brother. Now there's some things that come from this pulpit that I just rather not hear or to love your brother and hate the Lord. It's impossibility. Those who profess to be Christians yet are characterized by hate.

Demonstrate by such action. That they have never been born again. And if things go as they're scheduled today David will start right there. But knowing him he won't. He'll have to go back and that's all right.

Walking in the Light, Loving the Brethren, and Obeying Christ

11 or 12 any questions or statements or thoughts. From anyone. Everybody understood everything. Stand with me, please. Our Heavenly Father. We thank you so much for the opportunity of teaching your word and the wonderful blessing of learning from you.

Go with each of us to our respective homes. Watch over and care for us as we know you do. And if possible, let us come together again all in the name of Christ.