{"id":3548,"date":"2016-06-03T15:43:01","date_gmt":"2016-06-03T15:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/christian-gospel.info\/?p=3548"},"modified":"2016-06-03T15:43:01","modified_gmt":"2016-06-03T15:43:01","slug":"1-john-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/?p=3548","title":{"rendered":"1 JOHN 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLE<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Emphasis of the epistle<\/span><\/strong>
\nJohn and Peter were with the Lord Jesus when He ministered amongst men.\u00a0 They emphasise that believers have eternal life.\u00a0 The moment they are born again, they begin to share in the life of God.\u00a0 The Son of God gave full expression to eternal life when He lived on earth.\u00a0 So much so, that John calls Him “that Eternal Life”, He perfectly made it known, both by word and by deed.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThe apostle Paul, however, emphasises the consequences of the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus, hence he mainly writes of life as resurrection life, which is lived the other side of death.\u00a0 This is the way Paul came to know God, through a risen and glorified Christ, therefore he writes about matters from that angle.\u00a0 There is no discrepancy between these two approaches, for the life lived by the Lord Jesus when here in the flesh was a life suitable for His resurrection state.\u00a0 We see this illustrated in the meal offering, which brings before us features of Christ that marked Him in His life down here.\u00a0 One aspect of the meal offering is that of the first-fruits, which tells us that the Man who lived on earth was fit to live in resurrection too, Leviticus 2:12-15.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThe apostle Peter combines these two ideas when he writes that believers are “begotten again to a living hope by the resurrection from the dead”, 1 Peter 1:3.\u00a0 The resurrection of Christ enables the life of God to be infused into the souls of those who believe.\u00a0 The Lord Jesus must die to deal with Adam and his life as it is duplicated by unsaved men, so that when they believe they may be introduced to God’s life.\u00a0 Of course, Old Testament saints must have had eternal life or else they could not have had communion with the living God, but they were given it in anticipation of the death and resurrection of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Purpose of the epistle<\/span><\/strong>
\nJohn tells us that he wrote his gospel so that we “might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and believing might have life through His name”, John 20:31.\u00a0 He wrote his epistle, however, to those “that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye might know that ye have eternal life, and that ye might believe on the name of the Son of God”, 1 John 5:13.\u00a0 He writes to achieve two ends.\u00a0 The first, “that ye might know ye have eternal life”.\u00a0 The second, “and that ye might believe on the name of the Son of God”.\u00a0 So John’s gospel is written so that we might believe and receive the gift of eternal life, the epistle is written so that we might know we have eternal life.\u00a0 Having come to know, we keep on believing on the name of the Son of God.\u00a0 We shall never discover anything subsequent to initial faith which will give us reason to not believe on Him any more.\u00a0 John needs to speak of believing, because their faith would be under attack, and they must not falter in their faith.<\/span>
\nBefore he can assure his readers, however, he must test them as to their profession.\u00a0 This is the character of the books of the New Testament from Hebrews onwards; they test whether their readers are genuine believers.\u00a0 So it is that John applies two sets of three tests.\u00a0 The first set, 1:6-2:2 is for those who claim to be in relationship with God, to see whether they are or not.\u00a0 The second set, 2:3-11, is for those who seem to pass the first tests, and is designed to confirm the genuineness of their claim.\u00a0 The first tests begin with “If we say”, 1:6,8,10, a statement of profession, and is countered by “if we walk”, 7; “if we confess”, 9; “and if any man sin”, 2:1.\u00a0 The second tests begin with “He that saith”, in verses 2:4, 6, and 9.\u00a0 In the first tests the apostle includes himself, emphasising that no-one, not even an apostle can avoid the test.\u00a0 (After all, Judas was an apostle, but proved to be unreal).\u00a0 The second tests do not include the apostle, for he is content to now teach his readers and instruct them, as they show themselves to be genuine.\u00a0 They assure themselves of their genuineness, however, by living lives in fellowship with God.<\/span><\/p>\n

STRUCTURE OF THE CHAPTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
(a)<\/span><\/td>\n Verse 1<\/span><\/td>\nEternal Life personified<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(b)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 2<\/span><\/td>\nEternal Life manifested<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(c)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 3<\/span><\/td>\nEternal Life shared<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(d)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 4<\/span><\/td>\nEternal Life enjoyed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(e)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 5<\/span><\/td>\nEternal Life’s message- God is light<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(f)\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 6<\/span><\/td>\nFalse profession<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(g)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 7<\/span><\/td>\n True position
\n<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(h)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 8<\/span><\/td>\nFalse declaration<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(i)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 9<\/span><\/td>\nTrue confession<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(j)<\/span><\/td>\nVerse 10<\/span><\/td>\nFalse estimation<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 1, VERSES 1 TO 4:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:1\u00a0 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:2\u00a0 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:3\u00a0 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:4\u00a0 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

(a)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal Life personified<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: Verses 1-3 are one complicated sentence, with the main verb being the word “declare” in verse 3.<\/span><\/p>\n

1:1\u00a0 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1:1 That which was from the beginning-<\/span> <\/strong>in the first verse of the Bible Moses takes us to the beginning of the universe, and then in subsequent verses brings us forward through time.\u00a0 In the first chapter of his gospel John also takes us to the beginning of the universe, and then in the same verse takes us backward into eternity.\u00a0 Then he proceeds to show in verses 4-14 how the One who inhabits eternity manifested Himself in different ways in time, culminating with the Word becoming flesh, and dwelling amongst men.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nIn this epistle, however, that same apostle shows the results of that manifestation.\u00a0 Christ came into flesh at His conception, but the beginning of the public manifestation of eternal life through Christ began on the banks of the Jordan, as He emerged from the waters of baptism.\u00a0 Acts 13:24 refers to John the Baptist preaching before the coming of Christ, which cannot mean before He was born, but rather before He was introduced to the world.\u00a0 This introduction was by way of the word from heaven declaring Him to be God’s beloved Son, and the testimony of John the Baptist to the same effect, John 1:32-34.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nIsaac, Abraham’s only-begotten son, had three manifestations to the world; at his birth, Genesis 21:1-7, at his weaning when he was presented to the world of men as Abraham’s son and heir, Genesis 21:8, and then on Moriah, as the appointed sacrifice, Genesis 22.\u00a0 So Christ was born, was baptised, (at which point the word came from the Father that He was His Beloved Son), and went to the place of sacrifice, all to manifest Himself, and His Father, to the world.<\/span>
\nJust as the ark of the covenant introduced the people of Israel into the promised land where their lives could be lived to the full, and have “as the days of heaven upon the earth”, Deuteronomy 11:21, so Christ the true ark has crossed the Jordan in baptism, and introduces His people to heavenly truth, enabling them to have meaningful fellowship with God.<\/span>
\nMoses wrote of the beginning of all things, and then spoke of seven days of formation and filling.\u00a0 John wrote in his gospel of the one who was responsible for the beginning of all things, then spoke of seven days of fellowship he had with the Son of God, culminating in the wedding at Cana of Galilee.\u00a0 John is now writing this epistle so that we may share in the fellowship he enjoyed from the beginning, so that just as Christ brought the wine of holy joy to the guests at the wedding in Cana, so we may have full joy through fellowship with Him.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nIt was the prime qualification of an apostle that he should have been with the Lord Jesus for the whole time of His public ministry.\u00a0 As Peter said, when a replacement for Judas was needed, “Wherefore of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection”, Acts 1:21,22.<\/span>
\nThe apostle uses the impersonal pronoun “that”, rather than “He”, because he tells us at the end of the verse he is writing concerning, or about, the word of life.\u00a0 Since the words “word” and “life” are abstract and not personal, he must use the impersonal word “that” at the beginning of the sentence.<\/span>
\nWhich we have heard-<\/span><\/strong> the apostle is telling us of the word of life, or in other words, one who in His capacity as the Word, spoke words that were “spirit and life”, John 6:63. As the Word, He is the embodiment of all that God has ever had to say.\u00a0 John the Baptist was a voice, John 1:23, but he announced the one who is the Word, the expression of God’s thought.\u00a0 His ministry may be summed up as “words and works”.\u00a0 In other words, what was to be heard, and what was to be seen.\u00a0 And what was seen by way of miracles was of deep significance, (hence John calls the miracles signs), and furthered and complemented the doctrine.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThis is one reason why the Lord Jesus could claim to have done works that none other man did, John 15:24, for His works were accompanied by unique and ground-breaking teaching.\u00a0 This could not be said of any other, whether prophets in the Old Testament, or apostles in the New Testament who worked miracles.\u00a0 For them, miracles were simply acts of power by which Christ was glorified; the miracle drew attention away from themselves and towards Christ.\u00a0 As Peter said after the healing of the lame man, “why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power of holiness we had made this man to walk”, Acts 3:12.\u00a0 And he went on to make it clear that it was by the name of Jesus, God’s Son, that the man was made strong, verse 16.<\/span>
\nAnother reason why Christ’s works were unique was because He was acting of His own will, as the Son of God.\u00a0 As He Himself said, “The Son quickeneth whom He will”, John 5:21.\u00a0 This does not mean independence on His part, but rather the reverse, for He did what He saw, (in the sense of “had full insight into”) the Father doing.\u00a0 He did the same, in like manner, as equal with Him, John 5:19. <\/span>
\nSo John is speaking for the apostolic band when he uses the word “we”.\u00a0 Luke tells us that many had undertaken to write some sort of account of the life of Christ, Luke 1:1.\u00a0 But only the four gospels have been preserved.\u00a0 Luke does not disparage honest attempts by sincere believers to record the things they saw.\u00a0 Who would not want to preserve the impressions gained about Christ?\u00a0 But even these have disappeared.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nBut what shall we say of the fantasy-writings of wicked men who wrote what are known as the Apocryphal gospels?\u00a0 There are those who believe these writings have equal weight with Scripture.\u00a0 They must have forgotten that the Lord Jesus promised His apostles that they would be led into all the truth, so we may rest assured that nothing that is outside of the canon of Scripture, as these writings are, had the approval of the apostles.\u00a0 John is writing as the last-surviving apostle, and in the wisdom of God he was allowed to live for a long time, so that the last writings of the New Testament were completed by the time he passed from this scene.\u00a0 In fact, as he closes the canon of Scripture he records the curse that the Lord Jesus pronounced on any who added to or took away from the word of God, Revelation 22:18,19.\u00a0 Those who wish to elevate spurious writings to the level of Scripture would do well to take note and be warned, for it is not a matter of indifference to God.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nWhich we have seen with our eyes-<\/span><\/strong> John does not write of a mystical Christ, who only seemed to have a body, (which is what some heretics, called Docetists, were teaching in John’s day), but one who was really to be seen with the human eye.\u00a0 But there was more than this, for He performed miracles which John calls signs, being acts of great significance, and a visible expression of the truth He taught. The Lord rebuked those of His day who did not believe even though they were able to see and hear, declaring that many prophets and righteous men had desired to see the things they were seeing, and to hear the things they were hearing, but had not done so.\u00a0 Eternal life was manifesting itself in the world of men, and they refused to see and hear, Matthew 13:14,15.\u00a0 As a result, judicial blindness descended upon the nation, Romans 11:8,25.\u00a0 This blindness is only in part, however, for some individuals of the nation of Israel have seen and heard, but it is only a remnant, and it is by grace.<\/span>
\nNot only does John refer to his eyes because Christ was physically present to view, but also to emphasise that he was not using his imagination to construct a scenario, but was recording what he actually saw.\u00a0 As he said of his record of the crucifixion, “And he that saw it bear record, and his record is true:\u00a0 and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe”, John 19:35.\u00a0 It is a great mercy that we have the eye-witness record of sincere, honest and sane men, so that we may know the certainty of the things we most surely believe.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nJohn has told us so far of what he heard by way of teaching, and what he saw by way of miracles under-girding that teaching.\u00a0 The signs were doctrine in action, and the words were His person in manifestation, for He is the Word, and they were also His Father in manifestation, for the Word is the expression of His thought.<\/span>
\nWhich we have looked upon-<\/span><\/strong> John now changes from the perfect tense for “seen” and “heard”, (emphasising that these were real-life historical events), to the aorist tense for “looked upon” and “handled”, (emphasising the deliberate action which is needed to gain the benefit of what Christ came to manifest).\u00a0 The word for look means to contemplate, to gaze upon, denoting a sustained and earnest appraisal on the part of one who has been attracted to the one in view.\u00a0 It is possible to hear and see things accidentally, (although that was not the case with John), but is not possible to contemplate and handle anything without purposing to do so.\u00a0 And this is what John is encouraging us in.\u00a0 He had “looked upon Jesus as He walked”, John 1:35-39, and impressed with the sight, desired to abide with Him to know more.\u00a0 John wants us to be like him in this.<\/span>
\nAnd our hands have handled-<\/span> <\/strong>again there is the mention of the physical action of handling with the hands, reinforcing the lesson as to the reality of the body of the Lord Jesus.\u00a0 The mention of hands reminds us of the meal offering, and the offerer taking his handful of the offering and putting it upon the altar so that God might be satisfied, Leviticus 2:2.\u00a0 The extent of the satisfaction depended on the measure of the man’s grasp.\u00a0 So the more we get to know about God’s Son, the more we shall be able to offer to God in worship.<\/span>
\nHands speak of fellowship and identification in Scripture, and what John had fellowship in and identified with is available to God’s people as a whole.\u00a0 This is emphasised in verse 3.<\/span>
\nThe ark of the covenant could not be seen, for the veil covered it from sight when it rested, Exodus 40:3, and when it moved through the wilderness it was out of sight beneath its coverings.\u00a0 It was not to be touched, either, hence the provision of staves by which it was to be carried.\u00a0 And the blood-sprinkled mercy seat covered over the tables of the law, so that their condemning voice was not heard.\u00a0 But because the one the ark typified has come in grace, we can see, hear and handle Him.<\/span>
\nJust as seeing and hearing involved more than physical actions, but included the seeing and the hearing of the significance of what was seen and heard, so with the word handled.\u00a0 The Lord in resurrection said to His disciples “handle Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have”, Luke 24:39, but we do not read that the disciples actually did this.\u00a0 Even Thomas, when invited to put his fingers into the nail-prints, and thrust his hand into the spear-wound, does not seem to have needed to do so, for he immediately exclaimed, “My Lord and My God”, John 20:28.\u00a0 In fact, the Lord said to him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed”.\u00a0 So he seems to have believed without physically touching, just as many others have done.\u00a0 But for all that, they could have handled Him, and by this know that His resurrection body was also real.\u00a0 It is a spiritual body, but not a spirit-body.<\/span>
\nOf the word of life-<\/span><\/strong> the word “of” is the preposition otherwise translated “concerning”, indicating that life and its communication through Him who is the Word, is John’s theme.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nIn John’s Gospel, the Son of God is simply the Word, who was with God, equal with God, and was made manifest in flesh, 1:1,14.\u00a0 So the focus is upon His person.\u00a0 In the epistle, the focus is upon His people, and these are they who have life from Him initially, and who need to grow in the knowledge of Him continually, hence He is the one in view when John writes about the word of life.\u00a0 In the Book of the Revelation, He is called the Word of God, 19:13, for all that He spoke when here the first time, (which men either rejected because they did not believe it was the Word of God, or rejected because they knew it was the Word of God but were not prepared to believe it as such), will be vindicated when He comes the second time to the world that rejected Him.<\/span><\/p>\n

(b)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal Life manifested<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1:2\u00a0 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1:2 (For the life was manifested-<\/span><\/strong> this verse is in a parenthesis, as John pauses to make clear that the “that” of verse 1 refers to the one who is eternal life personified.<\/span>
\nJohn was privileged to be one of Christ’s chosen apostles, and to see and hear Him at close quarters.\u00a0 This is why he was able to see, hear, look upon and handle.\u00a0 His desire is that we might do the same.\u00a0 He wrote, “And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth”, John 1:14.\u00a0 So he saw one who dwelt amongst men full of grace and truth.\u00a0 There was no deficiency with Him; He was full of grace, and equally full of truth.\u00a0 Grace is an expression of love, and truth is an expression of light.\u00a0 The reason there was fullness was that all the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in Him, Colossians 2:9.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nAnd we have seen it- <\/span><\/strong><\/span>John and his fellow apostles saw with calm and detailed scrutiny the glory of Christ, He giving them ample opportunity to do so.\u00a0 With this we may compare the experience of Moses when he requested a sight of the glory of God.\u00a0 He was put in the cleft of the rock, covered with God’s hand, and only saw the back parts or afterglow of God\u2019s glory, Exodus 33:12-23.\u00a0 There were no views of Christ’s glory barred to the apostles, however, for the knowledge of the glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6, and that face is not veiled.<\/span>
\nIf an earthly only begotten son and his father were to manifest their relationship in an ideal way, there would be a glory about that relationship.\u00a0 How much more so when the Son and the Father are both Divine persons.\u00a0 And this is precisely the glory that John saw and wrote about.\u00a0 As God’s only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus is deeply loved of His Father, and stands in dignified and intimate relationship with Him.\u00a0 This relationship is expressed in mutual affection, complete unity of intention, and absolute confidence.\u00a0 These features are glorious, and John was privileged to see the glory of them.\u00a0 Thereafter he recorded what he saw and heard, so that others might have a share in the sight of the glory too. <\/span>
\nAnd bear witness-<\/span><\/strong> John is careful to tell us he writes as an eye-witness of the things he saw and heard.\u00a0 Witness is one of John’s keywords, sometimes translated “testimony”, or “record”.\u00a0 He is emphasising that he is not writing as a casual bystander, but a chosen testimony-bearer, who took note of what he saw, and was infallibly guided by the Spirit of God to record what he saw.\u00a0 The promise of the Lord Jesus to His apostles in the upper room was that the Spirit of truth would guide them into all truth, John 16:13, and this He has done.\u00a0 He also brought things to their remembrance, John 14:26, so that the gospel records are not guesswork, but the result of the Spirit working to ensure that all was true and accurate.<\/span>
\nAnd shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)-<\/span><\/strong> the word shew does not mean to demonstrate, but has the idea of announcing, so not only did the apostles bear witness to what they saw and heard, but ensured that we are aware of it by announcing it.\u00a0 The reason there is something to announce is because He who is eternal life personified has come out from His eternal place with the Father, and has been manifested in the world of men.\u00a0 If He was with God as Father, then He must have been the Son before He came.\u00a0 It was the Son of God who was sent when the fulness of the time was come, Galatians 4: 4.\u00a0 God is love, but love must have an object.\u00a0 Who was it that the Father loved in eternity?\u00a0 Let the Son Himself give us the answer, “For Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world”, John17:24.\u00a0 And since He spoke as the Son of the Father in that chapter, then it was as the Son of the Father that He was loved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(c)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal Life shared<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1:3\u00a0 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you-<\/span><\/strong> we now come to the main verb of John’s complicated sentence which consists of verses 1-4.\u00a0 The two major acts on John’s part are the seeing and hearing. The looking upon and handling are developments of this, and all believers, having “seen and heard” through the writings of the apostles, can go further, and look upon and handle.\u00a0 They become involved by taking an interest in the writings of the apostles.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThat ye also may have fellowship with us-<\/span><\/strong> the purpose of the granting of eternal life to those who believe is that they might not only initially know God, but that they might progressively know Him too. The word “that” in John 17:3 involves both thoughts.\u00a0 Seeing and hearing what the apostles saw and heard is the same as having fellowship with the apostles.<\/span>
\nAnd truly-<\/span><\/strong> because this concept might seem incredible, the apostle assures us it is true and real.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nOur fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ-<\/span><\/strong> all believers have a share in the eternal life which Divine persons possess eternally, and which is granted to those who believe. This gives them the capacity to enjoy the things which Divine persons enjoy.\u00a0 That which the Father and the Son enjoy between themselves, we may now share.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThe believers of the Day of Pentecost and after, continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, Acts 2:42.\u00a0 Note that both “doctrine” and “fellowship” are governed by the word “apostles”.\u00a0 So they continued to believe what the apostles taught, and they continued to share in what the apostles had fellowship with.\u00a0 This made their lives very simple.\u00a0 They had only to ask themselves the question, “Do the apostles believe this?”, and “Do the apostles have fellowship in this?”\u00a0 <\/span>
\nJohn had spoken of the Word in abstract terms in John 1:1-3, and did not refer to Him in personal terms until verse 17.\u00a0 It is the same here, for he has referred to the Son as the Word, and “that eternal life”, and now, without explanation, refers to Him as the Son.\u00a0 For John it goes without saying that the one who was with the Father must be the Son.<\/span><\/p>\n

(d)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal Life enjoyed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1:4\u00a0 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full-<\/span><\/strong> in the Old Testament, the burnt offering was accompanied by the meal offering and the drink offering, see Numbers 15:1-10.\u00a0 The drink offering was an expression of holy joy, Psalm 104:15.\u00a0 However, the amount of wine to be brought was to be commensurate with the size of the sacrifice offered, but never exceeded half a hin of wine. This is typical of circumstances under the law, which could not make perfect, Hebrews 7:19.\u00a0 There was no possibility of full joy under the law. What Christ brings in, however, is fulness of joy, a “full hin of wine”, so to speak.<\/span><\/p>\n

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN CHAPTER 1, VERSES 5 TO 10:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:5\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:6\u00a0 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:7\u00a0 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. <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:8\u00a0 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. <\/span><\/strong>
\n 1:9\u00a0 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. <\/span><\/strong>
\n1:10\u00a0 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(e)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eternal Life’s message- God is light<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:5\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This then is the message which we have heard of Him-<\/span><\/strong> having set out his purpose in writing, the apostle now develops his theme, hence the “then”.\u00a0 Nowhere in the gospel records does the expression “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” occur, but John is not quoting a sentence uttered, but is summarising a deep impression gained.\u00a0 That general view which comes over through the manifestation of Christ to His own is that God is light, so this is the message that came to the apostles.<\/span>
\nAnd declare unto you-<\/span> <\/strong>so the message Christ brought was declared by the apostles, and they did it not only orally, but by writing.\u00a0 So we have in the pages of God’s word the very message of Christ.\u00a0 If we are to have fellowship with Him, therefore, it will be through reading what is written.\u00a0 Fellowship is not a mystic thing, open only to dreamers.\u00a0 Current thinking in the New Age movement is the same as with the Gnostics of John’s day, who despised written revelation.\u00a0 True fellowship with God involves the reading and assimilation of the written word, given by inspiration of God for our learning and encouragement.\u00a0 The fact that it is written means it is settled, and no development is to be expected.<\/span>
\nThat God is light-<\/span><\/strong> this is one of the two definitions John gives us of God, the other being, “God is love”, 1 John 4:8.\u00a0 Now light and love are the expression of the life of God, so the three-fold emphasis of the epistle is coming into view here.
\n<\/span>
\nLight does at least four things:<\/span>
\nLight radiates.\u00a0<\/strong> So God beams forth His glory for those enabled to see it.\u00a0 Christ is the brightness of God’s glory, and the express image of His person or essence, Hebrews 1:3, and is uniquely fitted to display God, and this He has done.\u00a0 So by seeing and hearing God’s Son when He was here, those who had an interest could see the glory of God.\u00a0 An illustration of this is His very first miracle, for John writes that “Jesus manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him”, John 2:11.\u00a0 When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God expressed His glory in words telling of His character, Exodus 34:5-8.\u00a0 Only a partial view of that glory was seen by Moses however.\u00a0 But believers see the full glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 4:6.\u00a0 What God expressed Himself to be to Moses could be summed up in the words grace and truth, and the Lord Jesus was full of grace and truth, expressing them, not just in words, but deeds and attitudes too.<\/span>
\nLight illuminates.\u00a0<\/strong> As the Lord Jesus said, “I am the light of the world”, John 8:12.\u00a0 This was spoken after the great lampstands in the temple had been dismantled, another Feast of Tabernacles over.\u00a0 They represented the pillar of fire that had led Israel through the trackless desert.\u00a0 Now Christ presents Himself as the one the pillar of fire typified, which would never be dismantled.\u00a0 Those who believe may have the light of life, and walk in the light of His presence now and for ever.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nLight investigates.<\/strong>\u00a0 When light shines, things become apparent.\u00a0 Men loved darkness rather than light, and refused to come to the light, lest their deeds should be exposed.\u00a0 Those who sought after God, however, and in that sense did the truth, came to Christ, and still do, John 3:19-21. <\/span>
\nLight discriminates.<\/strong>\u00a0 When light was caused to be in Genesis 1:3, then immediately there was a division between day and night.\u00a0 As the Saviour said, “For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not may see; and that those which see might be made blind”, John 9:39.
\n<\/span>
\nAnd in Him is no darkness at all-<\/span> <\/strong>there is no darkness with God, so He is not a mixture of light and dark.\u00a0 He does not compromise with the unfruitful works of darkness, as the false professors John will address in the next verses seemed to think.\u00a0 If we have fellowship with God then sin in its entirety must be thoroughly dealt with.\u00a0 His nature must be satisfied.\u00a0 After all, as Amos said, “Can two walk together unless they be agreed?”, Amos 3:3.\u00a0 Those who have any sin upon them at all are disqualified from walking with God, whatever they may claim.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nSo Christ was manifest here as one in whom there was no sin at all, to provide the test.\u00a0 He is the standard by which God judges men; if they come short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23, it is because they are not in harmony with the character of Christ.\u00a0 In Old Testament times the test was whether men had kept the law.\u00a0 Now it is whether they are like Christ.\u00a0 By nature and practice they are not, which is why the apostle will go on to speak of the blood of Christ and propitiation.\u00a0 These are the means whereby men may come into harmony with God and be fitted for the light.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tests the apostle applies may be summarised as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

First test<\/span><\/strong>
\nFALSE PROFESSOR, verse 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
\nClaims to have fellowship with God.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
\nWalks in darkness.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
\nLies, does not the truth, <\/span>
\nContinues uncleansed.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

TRUE BELIEVER, verse 7<\/span>
\nWalks in the light<\/span>
\nHas fellowship with the Father and the Son.<\/span>
\nThe blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses from all sin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Second test<\/span><\/strong>
\nPHILOSOPHER, verse 8<\/span>
\nSays he has no sin.<\/span>
\nDeceives himself.<\/span>
\nThe truth is not in him.<\/span>
\nContinues unforgiven.<\/span><\/p>\n

TRUE BELIEVER, verse 9<\/span>
\nConfesses he has sin.<\/span>
\nGod is faithful and just to forgive his sins, and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Third test<\/span><\/strong>
\nINFIDEL, verse 10<\/span>
\nSays he has not sinned<\/span>
\nMakes God a liar<\/span>
\nShows God’s word not in him.<\/span>
\nHas not gained the benefit of the propitiation and the advocacy of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

TRUE BELIEVER, verses 1,2 of chapter 2<\/span>
\nIf any man sin.\u00a0 The apostle, by not offering a real contrast to the infidel’s position, treats with contempt the idea that no-one has sinned.<\/span>
\nWe have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.\u00a0 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only.<\/span><\/p>\n

(f)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 False profession<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If we say that we have fellowship with Him-<\/span><\/strong> the apostle now begins to test whether his readers do in fact have fellowship with God.\u00a0 He does not do this by asking if they have believed, although that would have been one way, but he insists that the claim to be in fellowship with God will be shown by being comfortable in His presence, who is the light.\u00a0 Not only will a believer be comfortable in the presence of God, but will enjoy being there.\u00a0 It was a feature of Adam that, having sinned, he no longer wanted to be in God’s presence.\u00a0 In fact, the prospect caused him to be afraid, Genesis 3:10.\u00a0 He was full of fear, whereas before, when walking with God, he must have been full of joy.<\/span>
\nAnd walk in darkness-<\/span><\/strong> to have fellowship with the God who is light, and to walk in darkness, are mutually exclusive positions. Darkness is ignorance, and in this setting the very worst ignorance of all, namely ignorance of God.\u00a0 This leads to the works of darkness.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nSince there is no darkness with God, as John has made clear, a person walking in the darkness cannot be walking with God.\u00a0 God does not come into our darkness to walk with us, but we have to go into His light, but on His terms.\u00a0 The man in this verse is trying to set the conditions for fellowship with God.<\/span>
\nWe lie, and do not the truth-<\/span><\/strong> note that to make the claim, “we have fellowship with Him”, and not do so really, is to lie, and is also an offence against the truth. What we say and what we do must be in harmony. Those who walk in darkness are unbelievers, who have never gone to Christ for eternal life, and are not fit therefore for fellowship with God.<\/span>
\nJust as the One who expressed the light of God not only spoke the truth but acted it out to perfection, so here we have the reverse, the speaking of a lie and the acting out of a lie.\u00a0 Both are contrary to the light.\u00a0 Notice that the apostle includes himself in these tests of genuineness.\u00a0 After all, one of the apostles had gone out, “and it was night”, John 13:30.\u00a0 Judas went out from the apostolic band because he was not of them, not a genuine believer.\u00a0 If he had been, he would have remained with them, as John wrote later about those like him, 1 John 2:19.\u00a0 Peter denied his Lord, but he remained with the apostles, showing that his lapse, although sad, was not the lapse of an unbeliever.\u00a0 When Mary Magdalene came with the news of the empty tomb, both John and Peter ran together to the tomb, showing where their interests lay.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nIt is important to see that John is writing about great principles here.\u00a0 He is not commenting on the degree of spirituality of a person, though that will come later in the epistle once he has made it clear what marks a true believer and what marks a false professor.\u00a0 He is not dividing between different sorts of believers, but between professed believers who are not real, and genuine believers.\u00a0 The contrast is between light and dark, not between shades of grey.<\/span><\/p>\n

(g)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 True position<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:7 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.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But if we walk in the light-<\/span><\/strong> that is, govern our lives by what God has shown Himself to be in Christ, namely, light.\u00a0 John is now writing about a true believer.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nAs He is in the light-<\/span><\/strong> God dwells in the light of what He is in Himself, in all His glory.\u00a0 He does not need an external light to reveal Him, least of all to enhance Him..\u00a0 And the Son has revealed Him to perfection when here.\u00a0 We simply have to move, with repentance and faith, into the light.\u00a0 Having done so, we then live in that light, allowing it to govern our lives and conduct.\u00a0 We are to walk in the light as He lives in the light.\u00a0 In other words, just as God is consistently in the light, and never moves out of it, then we should constantly live as those who are in the light.<\/span>
\nWe have fellowship one with another-<\/span> <\/strong>instead of making a false claim about having fellowship with God, the true believer really does have fellowship with God.\u00a0 Before, John had spoken of believers having fellowship with the apostles, whose fellowship was with the Father and the Son, verse 3, as they enjoyed the contemplation of the life of Christ.\u00a0 Now the emphasis is on the direct fellowship that a true believer has with God.\u00a0 It might seem a very bold statement to say we and God have fellowship “one with another”, for that might seem to suggest that the fellowship is between equals.\u00a0 But then to say we have fellowship with the apostles is a bold claim too, because although we have the same faith as they do, they had the privilege of being with the Son of God when He was earth, and so have that advantage over us.\u00a0 So it is not presumption to say we have fellowship with God on a “one with another” basis, for we are sharing together in a mutual interest in God’s Son.\u00a0 The believer is doing the same thing as the Father; but of course the Father’s appreciation of His Son is complete, whereas ours is not.<\/span>
\nAnd the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin-<\/span><\/strong> it is the common condition of all who believe, whether apostles or not, that they are constantly kept fit for the light of God’s presence by the blood of Christ.\u00a0 It is not that the blood needs to be constantly applied.\u00a0 There is no such idea in the New Testament that the blood of Christ needs to be re-applied; that every time we are conscious of failure we need to “go back to the blood” as some speak.\u00a0 If that were the situation, we would be in no better position than men under the law, who feared lest they died before they could offer a fresh sin offering.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNo such legal fears need torment the minds of God’s people, for God has seen to it that there is provision so that His people are kept right in His sight.\u00a0 It is grace wherein we stand, Romans 5:2, and not law.\u00a0 The very Jesus Christ who came to give the message that God is light, is the one who has gone to Calvary to ensure that His people are kept fit for that light after they have believed.\u00a0 And He is God’s Son, so we can rely on the work He did, for He has Divine competence.\u00a0 He purged sins in full knowledge of God’s mind about the matter, and has sat Himself down at the right hand of God in all His Majesty, confident that the demands of the Majesty of a sin-hating God have been fully met, Hebrews 1:3.<\/span>
\nOn Israel’s Day of Atonement we read that “on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord”, Leviticus 16:30.\u00a0 The only conditions were that the national cleansing that the high priest made that day would be forfeited by individuals if there was not cessation from work, (in other words, faith), and affliction of soul, (or in other words, repentance), Leviticus 23:26-32.\u00a0 Now these two vital things were missing in the hearts of the false professors John is concerned about in these verses, and as a result they were outside of the blessing the cleansing blood of Christ brings.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThe fact is that the blood of Christ is here said to have particular character, namely that it cleanses.\u00a0 The time of cleansing is not in view; it is the constant virtue of the blood that the apostle is emphasising.\u00a0 Far from being effective for only a year, as was the case with the blood of the Day of Atonement, the blood of Christ has eternal efficacy, and at any moment is preserving God’s people in a state of cleansing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(h)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 False declaration<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If we say that we have no sin-<\/span><\/strong> having been presented with the fact that nothing contrary to God can be in His presence, and therefore sins must be answered for, the false professor now claims that he has no sin of the sort that bars Him from God’s presence. He persists in His claim that he is walking in the light, but has a distorted view of sins which deludes him into thinking that some sins are not serious enough to need to be forgiven.\u00a0 He thinks fellowship with God is possible without a thorough dealing with sins.\u00a0 Perhaps he is a religious person, who attends “Christian” services, and thinks he is thereby having fellowship with God, without having had dealings with God about his sins. <\/span>
\nPart of Christendom teaches that some sins are not so serious as others, and do not need the same severity of judgement.\u00a0 This is foreign to the Scriptures, for all sin is obnoxious to God.\u00a0 It is true that judgement will be in proportion to the severity of the transgression, but all sins will be dealt with severely.<\/span>
\nThe Gnostic heretics of John’s day were teaching that knowledge was everything, and the body was worthless, and could not get any worse than it was.\u00a0 So they taught that the body may engage in anything, however sinful, so that further experiences, and hence further knowledge, might be acquired.\u00a0 They believed that the soul could not be polluted.\u00a0 We can see how that a person, infected by these errors, might cling on to them, whilst at the same time professing to be a Christian.\u00a0 He would deny that the sins he had committed were sinful, since they were committed for the worthy end of gaining knowledge, and in that sense would say “I have no sin”.<\/span>
\nWe deceive ourselves-<\/span> <\/strong>even if an apostle said that, he would be deceiving himself, for God’s word clearly states that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.\u00a0 He may deceive himself, (for the human heart is “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”, Jeremiah 17:9), but he does not deceive his fellow-men, and least of all does he deceive God. <\/span>
\nAnd the truth is not in us-<\/span><\/strong> it is not only that the specific truths in God’s word about sins are not in us, but the truth as a mode of thinking is not in us.\u00a0 We have gone over to lies and deception, and begun to think in a perverted way.<\/span><\/p>\n

(i)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 True confession<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If we confess our sins-<\/span> <\/strong>John now turns to the opposite attitude.\u00a0 Instead of denial of sins, there is confession that they exist.\u00a0 This is one of the characteristic features of a true believer, that he does not deny sins, but confesses to having them.\u00a0 There was no mention in verse 7 of confession being the condition on which cleansing from sin is known.\u00a0 There was the assurance in that verse that if we are true believers, (that is, walk in the light), then the cleansing is ours.\u00a0 Building on that, we may say that confession is not the itemising of a list of sins in the presence of God so as to confess them one by one.\u00a0 If that were the situation, what if we miss one?\u00a0 Just one sin is enough to render us unrighteous, for “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”, James 2:10.\u00a0 To confess our sins therefore means the opposite of saying “we have no sin”; it is a constant attitude of mind that admits to failure, thinks the same as God does about sins, (as explained in the Word of God), yet rests on the precious blood of Christ.<\/span>
\nAfter all, when a sinner turns to God, he is not expected to list his sins one by one, stretching back, it may be, for many years.\u00a0 It is the attitude of mind which readily confesses to having sinned that matters.\u00a0 God knows each sin, even though we may have forgotten.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nHe is faithful and just to forgive us our sins-<\/span><\/strong> God’s attitude to those who admit that their failures do amount to sin, (and who thereby show that they are believers), is one of forgiveness.\u00a0 He forgives the moment the sin is committed because He is faithful to His promise that “their sins and iniquities I will remember no more”, Hebrews 10:17.\u00a0 The New Covenant is unconditional, and does not depend on any input on the part of the believer, for Christ is the surety or guarantee of its blessings, Hebrew 7:22.\u00a0 It is the blood of Jesus Christ His Son that enables God to forgive in this way.\u00a0 As the Lord Jesus said to His disciples, referring to the cup of the Lord’s Supper, “this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many, for the remission of sins”, Matthew 26:28.\u00a0 And in Luke’s account He adds, “shed for you”, Luke 22:20. <\/span>
\nHe is also faithful in the sense that even whilst forgiving, He is true to Himself.\u00a0 The apostle Paul wrote, “He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself”, 2 Timothy 2:13.\u00a0 This assures us that God is always faithful to what He is in Himself.\u00a0 He is true to Himself even when forgiving.\u00a0 For God to have fellowship with one whose sins had not been confessed and forgiven would be to undermine His very Being, and this is something He cannot do, for He is unchanging.<\/span>
\nHe is also just when He forgives.\u00a0 He behaves righteously to the believer, for He does not condone sin because it is one of His children committing it.\u00a0 Would we want it otherwise?\u00a0 Would be easy in our minds if we thought for a moment that our sins were not taken account of righteously? So the sin is forgiven, and the relationship with the Father is maintained, in full recognition of what Christ did at Calvary.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThere is no suggestion here that the relationship a child of God has with his Father is broken by sin, or else it would be all over as far as security is concerned.\u00a0 What if the believer dies in that state?\u00a0 The truth is that the apostle Paul can write of any believer, without qualification, (and without mentioning confession), that he has, (in the present), “redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins”, Ephesians 1:7.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNotice that God is faithful and just to forgive.\u00a0 The idea is that He is faithful and just in order that He may forgive.\u00a0 It is not that He forgives despite His faithfulness and justice, but because of them.\u00a0 He has found a means whereby He may maintain His justness, and yet justify and forgive the sinner.\u00a0 As Paul wrote, “that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus”, Romans 3:26.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nThe blessing of the forgiveness of sins, like all the other blessings listed in that chapter, is vested in Christ.\u00a0 So the apostle goes on to write that we are forgiven for Christ’s sake, Ephesians 4:32.\u00a0 What God thinks of the blood, and what He thinks of His Son, are the determining factors.\u00a0 The apostle John can write without reserve later on, (once he has established he is writing to believers), “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake”, 1 John 2:12.<\/span>
\nAnd to cleanse us from all unrighteousness-<\/span><\/strong> not only is there need for forgiveness when a believer sins, there is also need for cleansing, for sins defile us, as well as offend God.\u00a0 God said about sinners, that “they are altogether become filthy”, Psalm 53:3.\u00a0 This cleansing is found in the blood of Christ.\u00a0 Just as forgiveness is based on it, cleansing is done by it.\u00a0 John himself wrote, as he ascribed praise to Christ, “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests to God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen”, Revelation 1:6.\u00a0 Just as water has the power to wash away literal defilement, so the blood of Christ has the power to wash away moral defilement.\u00a0 Dirt is washed in water, sin is washed in blood.<\/span>
\nGod dwelt in the midst of the camp of Israel as they travelled to the land of Canaan.\u00a0 He did not dwell on the perimeter of the camp, but in the centre.\u00a0 This raised a question.\u00a0 How could He do this, considering that the people were constantly sinning?\u00a0 What did this tell onlookers about the character of God?\u00a0 In order to defend His honour, God ordained that once in the year there should be a Day of Atonement, the purpose of which was to “make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgression in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness”, Leviticus 16:16.\u00a0 And again, “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year”, 16:34.\u00a0 Notice it is “for” all their sins; in other words, because of their sins.\u00a0 The presence of their sins, and the presence of God, were incompatible, hence the need for blood to intervene and cleanse.<\/span>
\nWe might have expected John to write, “cleanse us from all unholiness”, but he uses the word unrighteousness.\u00a0 This alludes to the fact that God is just to forgive sins, as the beginning of the verse states, so sins are described in relation to the righteousness of God in His forgiving capacity.\u00a0 Despite the sins being an offence to His righteousness, they are nonetheless righteously forgiven.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nNone of this should make the believer complacent about sin.\u00a0 Just because forgiveness is ongoing does not excuse sin, or make committing it of no account.\u00a0 Far from it; the believer has an enhanced sense of the heinousness of sin to God, and will do his best to avoid committing it.\u00a0 Should he do so, then the attitude of confession should be sustained.\u00a0 So the forgiveness and cleansing are in the present, and so should the confession be.\u00a0 This is reinforced in the first verse of the next chapter, where the apostle assures us he is writing so that we sin not, not that we regard sinning as of no importance and seriousness.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nWe should beware of thinking in a legal way about sin.\u00a0 By giving the law in awe-inspiring circumstances, God brought fear into their hearts so that they feared to sin, Exodus 20:20.\u00a0 Christians should fear to sin, also, but not because of the law of God, but the grace of God.\u00a0 Impressed with the grace of God expressed through Christ at Calvary, we have the greatest possible incentive to not sin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(j)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Verse 10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 False estimation<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If we say that we have not sinned-<\/span><\/strong> those who deny that they have done anything to offend divine righteousness, must have a gravely faulty view of what sin really is.\u00a0 They have never considered it in the light of God’s glory.\u00a0 <\/span>
\nWe make Him a liar-<\/span><\/strong> it is God’s estimate of actions that matters, and He has clearly set out the truth about sin.\u00a0 To go against that is to reckon God to be a liar.\u00a0 Of course, no-one can make God a liar in fact, but a man may so speak that he makes God out to be a liar.\u00a0 He has made His thoughts about man and his sin very clear in the gospel, yet this man rejects that testimony, and by so doing sets his opinion against God’s word.\u00a0 He clearly is not a believer.<\/span>
\nAnd His word is not in us-<\/span> <\/strong>the thinking is contrary to the Word of God, plainly set out.\u00a0 First the practice is wrong, “we do not”, verse 6; then the thinking is wrong, “the truth is not in us”, verse 8; then the very means of regulating our practice and thinking is lacking, “His word is not in us”, verse 10.\u00a0 If we do not allow God’s word its rightful place in our hearts, then our thinking will be astray.\u00a0 If our thinking is astray, then our practice will be too.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLE Emphasis of the epistle John and Peter were with the Lord Jesus when He ministered amongst men.\u00a0 They emphasise that believers have eternal life.\u00a0 The moment they are born again, they begin to share in the life of God.\u00a0 The Son of God gave full expression to eternal life when He […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[323,357,413,442,717],"class_list":["post-3548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1-john-1","tag-blood-of-jesus-christ","tag-cleansing","tag-eternal-life","tag-forgiveness","tag-son-of-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3548\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christiangospel.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}