Last night we looked at how John describes what our relationship with sin should be as believer’s in Christ. We mainly focused on 1:5-2:2.
First, in 1:8 & 10, we looked at John’s description of people who are claiming to not have any sin, and not to have ever sinned. Basically, John says that if we say these things, we are basically saying that we do not need Jesus, specifically His work on the cross. It is to look at Jesus and say He was meaningless as far as we are concerned. We don’t need forgiveness. His death was a waste, at least on us. “To say ‘we have no sin’ is to conceive of oneself as at least somewhat free from transgression and its penalty despite failure to give full acknowledgment to Jesus.” (Yarbrough 60)
The opposite of this would be what John describes in 1:9, “confessing” our sin. If we see the connection between 1:7 (“walking in the light”) and 1:9 (“confessing our sin”), as we discussed in the group time, we see that to “confess” means the same thing as “walk in the light” –it means we are acknowledging our sin (to God and people). This leads to: 1. forgiveness 2. cleansing
The connection can be illustrated in a chart:
Bad Condition Good Condition Outcome/Verdict
| (v.6) walk in darkness | we lie and do not practice the truth. | |
| (v.7) | we walk in the light | the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin |
| (v.8) say that we have no sin | we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us | |
| (v.9) | confess our sins | [He will] forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness |
| (v.10) say that we have not sinned | make Him a liar, and His word is not in us |
Then we looked at 2:1-2 and saw how Jesus is the remedy:
- He is our propitiation: that is, the wrath of God was taken for us. It is settled in the past.
His Sacrifice is big enough for all your sins—it’s big enough for the whole world! - He is our advocate: that is, He is presently working on our behalf in Heaven.
(see Rom 8:34, 1 Tim 2:5, Heb 7:24-25, 9:24)
The righteous one is our advocate before the Father. God is 100% for you!
Applications:
1. For those who say they can live the way they want don’t need God’s forgiveness, (becasue they don’t really have sin that needs to be forgiven): God’s word, here 1 John, says they are self-deceived (because they’re just wrong) and they are calling God a liar (because He’s said they do have sin.) They are calling Christ’s work on the cross meaningless, or a deception. Conversely, this is also what we’re saying by saying “I don’t need Jesus.” (1:8&10)
2. For those who say they can continue to sin because, “nobody’s perfect, and everyone sins” : they are (at best) out of step with God.
– So, what is the believer’s relationship with sin?
- We confess it when it happens. (1:9)
- We can know that this leads to being cleansed and knowing they’re forgiven.
- As much as the Holy Spirit is working in us, we desire, like the Holy Spirit who inspired John, “that we would not sin.” (2:1)
- We know that “walking in darkness” (1:6, which is parallel to not “confessing sin”) or if we will not keep his commandments (2:4) makes our life a lie. Walking openly (“in the light”) with freely confessed and forsaken sin shows we really know God. (1:7, 2:5)
- The believer wants no relationship with sin at all! Jesus suffered God’s wrath for sin (2:2). He came to take it away (3:7).
3. For those who worry about the fact that, even though they are believers, they still find sin in their lives, you can know this: The punishment for sins has already been suffered (2:1). You have Jesus Himself pleading your case before the father, and on the basis of His righteousness (not yours). You can simply walk in the light, hating sin (2:1) and confessing it whenever it occurs (1:9). You can know that you are forgiven and constantly being cleansed by the power of what Jesus did on the cross.