1 João 1
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 1:2
MacArthur comments "Because of his widespread reputation as one who had been with Jesus as an apostle (cf. Jn 1:14, 16–18, 37–51), John was a true and credible witness (Jn 19:35–37). Other New Testament books written by apostles or their associates also present eyewitness accounts of Jesus and the truth of the gospel. The other Gospels do that (cf. Lk 1:1–4), as does the book of Acts (cf. 1:1–3) and the epistles (e.g., 2Pe 1:16–21). (1-3 John Commentary - Page 18) Seen… bear witness… proclaim - Vincent refers to these as "Three ideas in the apostolic message: experience, testimony, announcement." (
1 João 1:3
MacArthur - FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST (Borrow Strength for today) “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 Jn 1:3 Enjoying communion with both God and Jesus Christ is solid proof that one’s salvation is real. When we hold baptisms in the church I pastor, invariably every person who gives their testimony will describe the overwhelming sense of forgiveness they now feel and the new purpose they have for their lives. They are expressing a wonderful result of salvation in Christ, of which Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10). By saying that life could be abundant, Jesus was saying that salvation would result in more than a change of position—it is a change of experience! The Christian life is a rich life in which we are meant to experience joy, peace, love, and purpose. The abundant life in Christ begins with a close communion and fellowship with the living God and the living Christ. The apostle Paul says, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). In Galatians 2:20 Paul describes what that fellowship meant to him personally: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” Great intimacy with Christ belongs to all genuine believers. Have you experienced communion with God and Christ? Have you sensed Their presence? Does your love for Them draw you into Their presence? Have you experienced the exhilarating joy of talking in prayer to the living God? And have you experienced the thrill of discovering a new truth in His Word? If you have, then you have experienced the abundant life that Jesus promised to all who put their trust in Him. ✧✧✧ Suggestions for Prayer: Much like God asked Israel to recount the great works He had done for them, meditate on the many ways God has made your life richer as a result of knowing Him. For Further Study: Read Romans 8:15; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 5:19; Philippians 4:19; Hebrews 4:16; and 1 Peter 5:10. What does each verse teach about your relationship with God? ✧ In what ways is your life abundant as a result? F B Meyer Our Daily Homily The Communion of the Holy Ghost. How often these words are uttered without any real appreciation of their depth of meaning! The word communion signifies having in common. It is used of our fellowship with one another (1 Corinthians 10:16) and with God (1Jn 1:3). The bond of such fellowship is always through the Holy Spirit. As the ocean unites all lands, and is the medium through which they are able to exchange commodities, so does the blessed Spirit unite the Persons of the Blessed Trinity to each other, and us to them, and secures that oneness for which our Savior prayed. How wonderful it is to have the privilege of this Divine fellowship! That we need never be alone again; that we can at any moment turn to Him for advice and direction; that we may draw on his resources for the supply of every need; that it is impossible to exhaust or even tax his willingness to counsel and succour; that there is no kind of service or suffering into which He is not prepared to enter with us! Surely, if we would but give ourselves time to realize this marvellous fact, there would be no room for the despondency which at times threatens to deprive us of heart and hope. Of course, we must be very careful of the tender sensibilities and holy disposition of our divine Confederate. We cannot ruthlessly grieve Him by our harshness or impurity at one moment, and turn to Him for his succor and direction at the next. Such divine union as lies within our reach certainly demands on our part watchfulness, a tender conscience, a yielded and pliant will, a heart which has no other love, no affection nor idol inconsistent with the Spirit’s fellowship. Fellowship is the crowning purpose of God's revelation W H Griffith-Thomas - Fellowship is the crowning purpose of God's revelation (1 John 1:3). There is nothing higher than this, for man's life finds its complete realisation in union and communion with God. Notice the following elements:— 1. Sacred Intimacy.— The picture of God as the guest of Abraham is a symbol of that spiritual relationship which is brought very clearly and beautifully before us in the New Testament. What an unspeakable privilege it is to have God as our Guest, and for us to be His guests (John 14:23; Rev. 3:20.) 2. Genuine Humility.— Abraham's attitude on this occasion is noteworthy. He quickly realised Who had come, and although he had all the privileges of fellowship, he never forgot his own true place and position. So is it always with the true believer. He never forgets that, notwithstanding all the privileges of fellowship, God is God, and he himself is nothing. Reverence is never separated from the fullest, freest realisation of the Gospel of Grace. While we have 'access,' it is 'access into the Holiest' (Heb. 10:10). There is no incompatibility, but the most beautiful fitness in the freedom, freeness, and fulness of Divine grace, combined with the attitude of reverential awe in those who are partakers of grace. 'Holy and reverend is His Name' (Ps. 111:9). 3. Special Revelation.— Fellowship with God is always associated with the knowledge of His will. Servants do not know their master's purposes, but friends and intimates do (Amos 3:3, 7). Our Lord taught this plainly to His disciples (John 15:15). There is no position like that of fellowship with God for knowing fully our Master's will. (Cf. John 13:25, R.V.). 4. Unique Association.— The man who is in fellowship with God does not merely know the Divine will, but becomes associated with God in the carrying out of that will. God deliberately and definitely associated Abraham with the realisation of His purposes (Ge 18:17-19+), and this has ever been the case. The friends of God become His fellow-workers, and are used to carry out the wide-reaching purposes of His will to mankind. In view of all these glorious privileges and solemn responsibilities of fellowship with God, 'what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?' (2Pe 3:11+) (Genesis Devotional Commentary) Bible in a Year: Genesis 27-28; Matthew 8:18-34 When the Day of Discovery television crew interviews people for a biography, we especially enjoy talking with those who knew the person whose life-story we are telling. Over the years, we’ve talked with a man who roomed with Eric Liddell in an internment camp in China; a woman who as a teenager lived in the home of C. S. Lewis during World War II; and a man who chauffeured Dr. George Washington Carver on a speaking tour throughout the southern US. They all spoke freely and openly about the special person they knew. When John, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, was an old man, he wrote a letter in which his opening words established him as an eyewitness and close companion of Jesus: “The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:2). His goals in writing were “that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (v.3) and “that your joy may be full” (v.4). The eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ disciples help lead us to faith in Christ. Even though we have not seen Him as they did, we have believed. Thank You, Father, for the reliable eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life that we can read in Your Word. And thank You for people in our lives who know Him. They help us believe too. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. —Jesus That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. 1Jn 1:3 (Heb 10:25, Heb 3:13) We are hearing a lot these days about networking. This term refers to the people in our lives—relatives, friends, and associates—who are part of our emotional and physical support base. They are the people we can count on for help. When we're out of a job looking for an emergency loan, or grieving, they are the ones who stand by us. The idea of networking is closely akin to the Christian concept of fellowship. It transcends racial, social, economic, and sexual differences and unites a wide variety of people in the worship and service of Christ. The true nature of Christian fellowship may be clarified by contrasting the use of two German words. The first, gesellschaft, refers to people thrown together without deep ties, such as all the people riding the same bus. The second, gemeinschaft, refers to those with intimate ties of family or community. WE NEED ENCOURAGEMENT TO BUILD US UP AND SUPPORT TO HOLD US UP. In his classic commentary on First John Robert Candlish writes (albeit sometimes a bit difficult to grasp, necessitating reading very slowly-you may want to bypass his note)... The object of this fellowship is the Father and the Son. I say the object, for there is but one. No doubt the Father and the Son may be considered separately, as two distinct persons with whom you may have fellowship. And in some views and for some ends it may be quite warrantable, and even necessary, to distinguish the fellowship which you have with the Father from that which you have with his Son Jesus Christ. As Christ is the way, the true and living way, to the Father, so fellowship with Him as such must evidently be preparatory to fellowship with the Father. But it is not thus that Christ is here represented. He is not put before the Father as the way to the Father, fellowship with Whom is the means, leading to fellowship with the Father as the end. He is associated with the Father. Together, in Their mutual relation to One Another and Their mutual mind or heart to One Another, They constitute the one object of this fellowship. The Father and His Son Jesus Christ; not Each apart, but the Two—both of Them—together; with whatever the Spirit of the Father and the Son may be commissioned to show, and your spirits may be enabled to take in, of the counsel of peace that is between Them both; that is what is presented to you as the object of your fellowship. It is a great idea. Who can grasp it? A Father and a Son among men; both of Them wise, upright, holy, loving; of one mind and heart; perfectly understanding one another; perfectly open to One Another; perfectly confiding in One Another; together bent upon some one great and good undertaking; engrossed thoroughly in some one grand pursuit, characterized by consummate genius and rare benevolence;—that might be an impressive, an attractive picture. To be allowed to make acquaintance with Them in Their Own dwelling where They are at home Together; to be admitted into Their study where They consult together; to watch the Father's face when the Son goes out on any errand or for any work agreed upon between Them; to witness the embrace awaiting Him on His return; to go with the Son, as, through ignominy, and suffering, and toil, and blood, and loathsome contact with filth and crime, He makes His way to yonder outcast, and see how it is His Father's pity for that outcast that is ever uppermost in His thoughts, how it is His Father that He would have to get the praise of every kind word spoken and every sore wound healed; to sit beside the Father and observe with what thrilling interest His whole soul is thrown into what His Son is doing; and when They come to talk it all over Together, when Their glistening eyes meet, and Their bosoms bound to one another, to be there to see;—that were a privilege worth living for, worth dying for. Such as that, only in an infinitely enhanced measure of grace and glory, is the object presented to you for your fellowship. For the illustration so fails as to be almost indecorous. The Eternal Father and the Eternal Son; what the Father is to the Son and the Son to the Father from everlasting; the Father's purpose in eternity to glorify the Son as Heir of all things; the Son's consent in eternity to be the Lamb slain; the Covenant of electing love securing the fulfillment of the Father's decree and the Son's satisfaction in the seeing of His seed;—then, the amazing concert of that creation-week when the Son, as the Eternal Wisdom, was with the Father, being "daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth, his delights being with the children of men;"—then, the Son's manifold ministrations as the Angel of the Covenant (Mal 3:1 where "Messenger" = "Angel") on the Father's behalf among these children of men from age to age till His coming in the flesh;—and then, still further—more signal sight still—what the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are to One Another, how They feel toward One Another, what is the amazing unity between Them, all through the deep humiliation of the manger, the wilderness, the synagogues and sea of Galilee, the streets and temple of Jerusalem, the garden and the cross;—what, finally, is that sitting of the Son at the Father's right hand which is now (Heb 12:2-note), and that coming of the Son in His own glory (Mt 24:30 Mk 13:26, 16:27) and the Father's which is to be shortly;—such is the object of "the apostles' fellowship" and yours. It is fellowship "with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ." FELLOWSHIP...TRULY KNOWN ONLY BY EXPERIENCE 2. The nature of the fellowship can be truly known only by experience. In so far as it can be described, in its conditions, its practical working, and its effects, it is brought out in the whole teaching of this epistle, of which it may be said to be the theme. But a few particulars may here be indicated:— (1.) That it implies intelligence and insight I need scarcely repeat; such intelligence and insight as the Spirit alone can give. No man naturally has it; no man naturally cares to have it. You may tell me, in my natural state, of tangible benefits of some sort coming to me, through some arrangement between the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, of which somehow I get the good. I can understand that, and take some interest in that. The notion of my being let off from suffering the pains of hell, and of indulgence being extended to my faults and failings, in consequence of something that Christ has done and suffered for me, which He pleads on my behalf, and which God is pleased so far to accept as to listen favorably to His pleading,—is a notion intelligible enough, congenial and welcome enough, to my natural mind. But this is very different from my having fellowship in that matter, even as thus put and thus understood, with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Even while reckoning with reckless confidence on impunity coming to me in virtue of some transaction between the Father and the Son, I may be profoundly and most stupidly indifferent as to what that transaction really is, and what the Father and the Son are to One Another in it. In such a state of mind there can be no "fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." (2.) There must be faith: personal, appropriating, and assured faith; in order that the intelligence, the insight, may be quickened by a vivid sense of real personal interest and concern. There must be faith: not a vague and doubtful reliance on the chance, one might say, of some sort of deliverance turning up at last, through the mediation of the Son with the Father; but faith identifying me with the Son, and shutting me up into the Son, in that very mediation itself. There can be no fellowship without this faith; it is the ground and means of the fellowship; it is, in fact, the fellowship itself in essence;—in germ, embryo, or seed. For if I grasp Christ, or rather if He grasps me, in a close indissoluble union, I am to the Father, in a manner, what He is; and the Father is to me what He is to Him. What passes between the Father and the Son is now to me as if it passed—nay, as really passing—between the Father and me. It has all a personal bearing upon myself; I am personally involved in it. Is it then a kind of selfishness after all?—selfishness refined and spiritualized, the care of my soul rather than my body, my eternal rather than my temporal wellbeing,—but still the care of myself? Nay, it is the death of self. For, first, even in the urgency of its first almost instinctive and inarticulate cry for safety—"What must I do?"—it springs from such a sight and sense of sin and ruin as carries in it an apprehension of the holy and awful name of God and the just claims of God being paramount over all. Then, secondly, in its saving efficacy, it is a going out of self to God in Christ; an acceptance of God in Christ; an embracing of God in Christ; having in it as little of what is self-regarding and self-seeking as that little child's nestling in its mother's bosom has. And thirdly, as the preparation for the fellowship, or as being itself the fellowship, it is the casting of myself, with ever-increasing cordiality of acquiescence and consent, into that glorious plan of everlasting love, in which I am nothing and Christ is all in all;—of which, when I join the company of all the saved, it will be my joy and theirs to ascribe all the praise "unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever." (3.) This fellowship is of a transforming, conforming, assimilating character. In it you become actually partakers with the Father and the Son in nature (cp 2Pe 1:4) and in counsel. For fellowship is participation; it is partnership. The Father and the Son take you into partnership with Them. Plainly this cannot be, unless you are made "partakers of the divine nature;" unless your nature is getting to be molded into conformity with the nature of the Father and the Son. For this end in part, or chiefly, that "eternal life which was with the Father has been manifested to you" in your human nature, that through His dwelling in you by His Spirit (Ro 8:9-note),—and so being "revealed in you,"—that human nature may become in you what it was when He made it His. Not otherwise can there be community or identity of interest between Him and you; not otherwise than by there being community or identity of nature. ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS (4.) It is a fellowship of sympathy. Being of one mind, in this partnership, with the Father and the Son, you are of one heart too. Seeing all things, all persons, and all events, in the light in which the Father and the Son see them, you are affected by them and towards them, as the Father and the Son are (ED: Dear fellow follower of Christ, is this thought not a bit overwhelming?). Judging as They judge, you feel as They feel. You do so with reference to all that you come in contact with; all that concerns, or may concern, that great business in which you are partners or fellows, fellow-wishers and fellow-workers, with the Father and the Son. What the business is you know. It is that of which the child of twelve years spoke to His mother and Joseph, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke 2:49KJV, cp Jn 4:34, 5:17,6:38, 8:29, 9:4) In what spirit, and after what manner, the Father and the Son are "about that business," you also know (See note on "Experiencing God"). You know how, on the Father's behalf, and as having the Father always going along with Him, the Son went about it all His lifelong on earth. The Father and the Son welcome—nay, They solicit—your fellowship, partnership, co-operation, sympathy, in that business. The Spirit is manifesting in you that "eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us," for this very end, that you may enter with us (paraphrasing John) into that business which is the Father's and the Son's, with full sympathy and with all your hearts. It is the business of glorifying the Father. It is the business of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, comforting the sorrowful, speaking a word in season to the weary. It is the business of going about to do good. It is the business of seeking and saving the lost. It is the business of laying down life for the brethren." (5.) The fellowship is one of joy. (1Jn 1:4) Intelligence, faith, conformity of mind, sympathy of heart, all culminate in joy; joy in God; entering into the joy of the Lord (cp Neh 8:10). For there is joy in heaven. And if you, receiving what the apostles declare to you of what they have seen and heard,—receiving that Eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested to them,—have fellowship with them in their fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ; the end of all their writing to you is fulfilled, "that your joy may be full" (1Jn 1:4). Fulness of joy it well may be, if you share the joy of the Father and the Son: truly a joy that is "unspeakable and full of glory." (1Pe 1:8KJV-note) Into that joy, as the joy of ineffable complacency (feeling of satisfaction) between the Father and the Son from everlasting to everlasting,—in the counsels of a past eternity, in the present triumphs of grace, in the consummated glory of the eternity that is to come,—you are called to enter; you are to have fellowship in it with the Father and the Son. Is the thought too vast, indistinct, infinite? Nay then, in that "eternal life which was with the Father being manifested to you,"—in the Son coming forth from the Father,—you have the joy in which you are to have fellowship with Him and with the Father brought home to you with more of definiteness. When the earth was prepared for man, and for the acting out of all heaven's purpose of grace to man, "I was," says the Son, "by Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him." When He came in the flesh to execute that purpose, once at least in His humiliation it is testified of Him, that He "rejoiced in spirit;"—it was when He said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight" (Luke 10:21). Into that joy of holy acquiescence in the wise and holy sovereignty of the Father you can enter. And you can hear Him and obey Him, when bringing home one and another of the poor wandering sheep He came to seek, He makes his appeal to you as knowing His mind and entering into His heart;—"Rejoice with Me, for I have found that which was lost." Rejoice with Me. Yes! Rejoice with Me, as my Father calls Me to rejoice with Him! "It is meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this our brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found." (1 John 1 Commentary) FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER Albert Barnes elaborates on what it means and what it looks like to have fellowship...with the Father... That is, there was something in common with him (John) and God; something of which he and God partook together, or which they shared. This cannot, of course, mean that his nature was the same as that of God, or that in all things he shared with God, or that in anything he was equal with God; but it means that he partook, in some respects, of the feelings, the views, the aims, the joys which God has. There was a union in feeling, and affection, and desire, and plan, and this was to him a source of joy. He had an attachment to the same things, loved the same truth, desired the same objects, and was engaged in the same work; and the consciousness of this, and the joy which attended it, was what was meant by fellowship. 1 Corinthians 10:16; 2 Corinthians 12:14. The fellowship which Christians have with God relates to the following points: (1.) Attachment to the same truths, and the same objects; love for the same principles, and the same beings. (Ed: Have you ever met a total stranger who you discovered was a brother or sister in Christ? Did you not experience an immediate sense of a unique, even "mystical" bond with them because of the fellowship wrought by all being in an unbreakable union with Christ through the New Covenant of grace? I am sure you understand what I am talking about. This is surely an aspect of the "fellowship" John desires for the believers reading his first letter). (2.) The same kind of happiness, though not in the same degree. The happiness of God is found in holiness, truth, purity, justice, mercy, benevolence. (Ed: Happiness may not be the best word, for strictly speaking it depends on what "happens"! However, divine happiness is independent of the circumstances. Therefore for believers, such "happiness" is not natural but supernatural! Blessed be the Name of the LORD.) The happiness of the Christian is of the same kind that God has; the same kind that angels have; the same kind that he will himself have in heaven-for the joy (better word than "happiness") of heaven is only that which the Christian has now, expanded to the utmost capacity of the soul, and freed from all that now interferes with it, and prolonged to eternity. (3.) Employment, or co-operation with God. There is a sphere in which God works alone, and in which we can have no co-operation, no fellowship with Him. In the work of creation; in upholding all things; in the government of the universe; in the transmission of light from world to world; in the return of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the storms, the tides, the flight of the comet, we can have no joint agency, no co-operation with Him. There God works alone. But there is also a large sphere in which He admits us graciously to a co-operation with Him, and in which, unless we work, His agency will not be put forth. This is seen when the farmer sows his grain; when the surgeon binds up a wound; when we take the medicine which God has appointed as a means of restoration to health. So in the moral world. In our efforts to save our own souls and the souls of others, God graciously works with us; and unless we work, the object is not accomplished. This co-operation is referred to in such passages as these: "We are laborers together (sunergoi) with God," 1Cor 3:9. "The Lord working with them," Mk 16:20. "We then as workers together with Him," 2Cor 6:1. "That we might be fellow-helpers to the truth," 3 John 1:8. In all such cases, while the efficiency is of God-alike in exciting us to effort, and in crowning the effort with success-it is still true that if our efforts were not put forth, the work would not be done. (Ed: I would qualify this to say that whatever God has sovereignly decreed will come to pass whether we choose to submit to His will and work with Him or not. I think that is what Paul meant when he encouraged us to "redeem the opportunities" Eph 5:16 - The secular adages are true - "Seize the opportunity!" and "Opportunity is fleeting!" God graciously calls us to join Him in His work but He will not force us. In that sense we miss out on an aspect of "fellowship" with Him. See this juxtaposition of our part/God's part in Phil 2:12, Phil 2:13 - we cannot accomplish v12 without God's carrying out v13!)... (4.) We have fellowship with God by direct communion with Him, in prayer, in meditation, and in the ordinances of religion. Of this all true Christians are sensible, and this constitutes no small part of their peculiar joy. The nature of this, and the happiness resulting from it, is much of the same nature as the communion of friend with friend-of one mind with another kindred mind-that to which we owe no small part of our happiness in this world. (5.) The Christian will have fellowship with His God and Saviour in the triumphs of the latter day, when the scenes of the judgment shall occur, and when the Redeemer shall appear, that He may be admired and adored by assembled worlds. 2Th 1:10. See also Mt 19:28; Rev 3:21. Samuel Davies writes that If you love truly God and the Lord Jesus Christ—then you delight in communion (fellowship) with them. Friends, you know, delight to converse together, to unbosom themselves to one another, and to enjoy the freedoms of society. They are fond of interviews, and seize every opportunity for that purpose; and absence is tedious and painful to them. If you are so happy as to have a friend, you know by experience this is the nature of love. Now, though God is a spirit, and infinitely above all sensible converse with the sons of men—yet he does not keep himself at a distance from his people. He has access to their spirits, and allows them to carry on a spiritual communication with him, which is the greatest happiness of their lives. Hence God is so often said, in the Scriptures, to draw near to them, and they to him, James 4:8; Hebrews 7:19; Psalm 69:18; and 73:28; Hebrews 10:22; Lam. 3:57. And John, speaking of himself and his fellow-Christians, says, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:3. This divine fellowship is promised by Jesus Christ to all His friends... He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him."...23 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him. (Jn 14:21, 23) Ed comment: From Jesus' words, we see that our fellowship with God is clearly impacted by our obedience. The more we obey Him, enabled by His Spirit and His grace, the more intimate is our fellowship with the Father and His Son. Is this not enough to motivate in us a strong desire to obey? The next time you are sorely tempted by that sin which so easily entangles, recall this truth and ask "Do I want the empty, passing pleasures of sin or the unsearchable riches of fellowship with the Father and His Son?" This mystical fellowship is peculiar to the friends of God—and others know nothing of it. They are represented as rebellious strangers and aliens—who have no communication with God. Ephesians 2:12, Col. 1:21. He is shy of them, and they of him. They keep at a distance from one another like alienated people. This communion on God's part, consists in his communicating to his people the influences of his grace, to quicken them, to inflame their love, to give them filial boldness in drawing near to him, in assuring them of his love to them, and representing himself to them as reconciled and accessible. And on their part—it consists in a liberty of heart and speech in pouring out their prayers to him, a delightful freedom of spirit in all exercises of devotion, in returning him love for love, and dedicating themselves to him. Thus there is a kind of interchange of thoughts and affections, mutual freedoms and endearments, between them. And oh! how divinely sweet in some happy hours of sacred intimacy! This indeed is heaven upon earth: and, might it but continue without interruption, the life of a lover of God would be a constant series of pure, unmingled happiness! But, alas! at times their Beloved withdraws himself, and goes from them, and then they languish, and pine away, and mourn, like the mourning turtle-dove that has lost his mate. This fellowship with God may be a strange thing to some of you; and to vindicate the lack of it, you may give it some odious name, such as enthusiasm, fanaticism, or a heated imagination. But I must tell you, if you know nothing of it, your temper and experience is entirely different from all the friends of God, and, therefore, you cannot rank yourselves in that happy number. (The Nature of Love to God and Christ) ILLUSTRATION - Are You Playing "Spiritual Dominoes?" - In the 18th century, an abbot was disciplining two monks for some infraction of the rules. He imposed on them the rule of silence. They could not talk to one another. They tried to figure out some way to fill the long hours. Finally one of them gathered 28 flat stones from the court-yard. Putting different numbers on them, he devised a new game. By using gestures, the men agreed on certain rules, but the most difficult part was keeping silent when one of them scored a victory. Then they remembered that they were permitted to say aloud the prayer, “Dixit Dominus Domino Meo.” By using the one word of this Latin expression meaning “Lord,” the winner was able to signal his triumph by yelling, “Domino!” The monks gave the impression that they were praying, but really, they were playing. Thus the game of dominoes was born. Steven
1 João 1:5
MacArthur comments: Here the psalmist employed a Hebrew parallelism, using two statements to say the same thing. He equates light and life—God is light in the sense that He is life, and He is the source and sustainer of both physical and spiritual life… God, the Source of true light, bestows it on believers in the form of eternal life through His Son, Who was the light incarnate.
1 João 1:5
MacArthur - 1 JOHN 1:5 (Borrow Strength for today) God’s truthfulness and holiness are powerful motives not to sin. Light and darkness are familiar metaphors in Scripture. Intellectually, light refers to truth, and darkness to error; morally, light refers to holiness, and darkness to evil. Intellectually, the Bible reveals God as the God of truth. In Exodus 34:6 God described Himself to Moses as “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” Both Psalm 31:5 and Isaiah 65:16 refer to Him as the “God of truth.” In the New Testament, Jesus called Himself “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Not only is God true, but so also is His Word. In 2 Samuel 7:28 David exclaimed, “O Lord God, Thou art God, and Thy words are truth.” The Lord Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible, “the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), imparts the light of knowledge. In the familiar words of the psalmist, “Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). Morally, light describes God’s absolute holiness and separation from evil. Psalm 5:4 says of Him, “No evil dwells with Thee.” “Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil,” said the prophet Habakkuk to God, “and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor” (Hab. 1:13). Because God is light in the sense of truth, He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). When His Word promises that things will go well with the righteous (Isa. 3:10) and that sin brings consequences (Prov. 11:5), we can be certain that is exactly what will happen. Because God is moral light, we know that He is neither the cause of any evil we encounter, nor the source of our temptation (James 1:13). Understanding the truth that God is light is foundational to dealing with sin in our lives. Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God that He has revealed His truth in the Bible. ✧ Ask God to give you a deeper understanding of His holiness as you study the Scriptures. For Further Study: Read Proverbs 11:3; 19:3; James 1:13–15. Based on those passages, how would you answer someone who blames God for the bad things that happen to him or her? Warren Wiersbe (See Be Real : Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth - Page 184) - The world boasts of enlightenment, but a Christian walks in the real light, because God is light. The world talks about love, but it knows nothing of the real love which a Christian experiences because "God is love." The world displays its wisdom and learning, but a Christian lives in truth because "the Spirit is truth." God is light, love, and truth; and these together make a life that is real. But it makes no difference what a man believes so long as he is sincere!" This popular excuse hardly needs refutation. Does it make any difference what the pharmacist believes, or the surgeon, or the chemist? It makes all the difference in the world. Shed a tear for Jimmy Brown; Poor Jimmy is no more. For what he thought was H2O Was H2SO4 (H2O is water. H2SO4 is sulfuric acid.) A Christian has "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God" (1 Thes. 1:9). Idols are dead, but Christ is the living God. Idols are false, but Christ is the true God. This is the secret of the life that is real! So John's admonition, "Keep yourselves from idols," can be paraphrased, "Watch out for the imitation and the artificial and be real!" James Smith - GOD John 4:24; 1 John 1:5; 4:8, 16 How simple is the language of the Book. Some of the greatest possible Biblical truths God has written in monosyllables. The simplicity of Holy Writ is so appealing and satisfying. On the mysteries connected with the Being of God we have three profound monosyllables. These contain more information about God than all the sacred books of the East put together. I. “God is a Spirit.” The Spirituality of His Being (John 4:24). 1. This is one of the most sublime revelations in the Bible of the nature of God. 2. It really could be written: “God is Spirit,” not a, nor the, but Spirit. II. “God is Light.” The Brilliancy of His Being (1 John 1:5). 1. Not a light, nor even the light, but Light. 2. Strictly speaking, white is no colour, but combination of all colours. When the Apostle wrote, “God is Light,” he meant that God is not a hue, nor a colour, not a tone, nor a shade. He is the combination of all colours, all shades, all hues. III. “God is Love.” The Warmth and Attractiveness of His Being (1 John 4:8, 16). 1. Not “God loves,” though of course He does. Not that He shows love, but that He is love. 2. We usually say that Love is one of the Divine attributes. Strictly speaking, this is hardly correct. He is Love. Love is His very Being. 3. He is Love to us because He is essentially and eternally Love in Himself. John Butler - GOD IS LIGHT 1 John 1:5 The message John would proclaim is “God is light.” Such a message will involve many things. Light speaks of what God is and does for us. We note four things which come from the fact that God is light. FIRST—THE HONOR FOR GOD “God is light.” Light is associated with the glory of God. “Brightness of his glory” (Hebrews 1:3) and “Great is the glory of the LORD” “The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens” (Psalm 113:4). The glitter of this world pales into nothing in the light of the glory of God. SECOND—THE HOLINESS OF GOD “God is light … in him is no darkness at all” Light speaks of the holiness of God. God is absolute holiness. “There is none holy as the Lord (1 Samuel 2:2); “He loveth righteousness” (Psalm 33:5). Where sin abounds, the lights go out. Pushing God out of our land, as our courts and the ACLU are doing, is like turning off the lights. We live in dark days because we live without God. You will note that taverns and bars and dens of iniquity do not have high light bills because they turn off or dim the lights. What they do not realize is that the conduct they advocate is darkness compared to God. THIRD—THE HELP FROM GOD “God is light.” Light illuminates. Without light we walk in the darkness and will not know where we are going and will stumble over objects and fall and injure ourselves. But God will give us light so we will know where our soul is going and He will provide us light to keep us from falling and injuring ourselves. Our trouble is that we do not want the light of God. We want to walk on the path of life without God. But you will never walk on the path of life without the light from God. We think we know more than God and do not need illumination from him about what is right and what is wrong and perilous. God has given us a book which gives us the light of God about life. But if we do not read or study it to be illuminated and thus instructed regarding the ways of God it will not do us any good. FOURTH—THE HAPPINESS FROM GOD “God is light.” Without light nothing will grow properly. Crops must have the light of the sun or they will not produce. Life comes from light. And what is life without happiness. If you want true happiness, you need true light. When the lights go out people scream, panic, and mourn. Darkness does not bring happiness. It may bring a superficial joy, but it will not last. But as long as their is light, and God is the eternal light, there will be eternal joy. With God the light is always on and happiness reigns in contrast to darkness. True joy is when we can say, “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). (Butler's Sermon Starters) Hymns Related to 1 John 1:5 Blessèd Sunlight Father of Light, We Sing in Thy Praise Father of Lights Heavenly Sunlight Holy Spirit, Lord of Light Light of Light, Enlighten Me Lord of True Light O God of Light O Light That Knew No Dawn O Unity of Threefold Light Once More Our Grateful, Strengthened Hearts There’ll Be No Shadows Thou Lord of Light, Across the Years AND IN HIM THERE IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL: kai skotia en auto ouk estin (3SPAI) oudemia.: 1 John 1 Resources ABSOLUTELY NO DARKNESS IN GOD And in Him (God) there is (present tense) (ouk - absolutely) no darkness (skotia) at all (oudeis = absolutely nothing at all) - John uses two negatives, both negatives being the strongest available in the Greek language. He could have used just one, but instead couples them for greater emphasis! "Ou" means absolutely not. "Oudeis" literally means "but absolutely not one." More literally this phrase could be read "And darkness there is not in Him, no, not in any way" or "In Him is no darkness at all, not even the smallest portion of it." The Greek does not translate well into English, but John's point is to refute in the strongest way the teaching that God had even one iota of darkness in Himself! In other words, God is the very essence and nature of Light, perfect Light, Light without defect of any kind!
1 João 1:5
MacArthur notes that "Scripture reveals two fundamental principles that flow from the foundational truth that God is light. First, light represents the truth of God, as embodied in His Word. The psalmist wrote these familiar words: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path…The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps 119:105, 130; cf. Pr 6:23; 2Pe 1:19). The light and life of God are inherently connected to and characterized by truth. Second, Scripture also links light with virtue and moral conduct. The apostle Paul instructed the Ephesians, “You were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth)” (Eph 5:8,9; cf. Isa. 5:20; Ro 13:12; 1Th. 5:5, 6). Those two essential properties of divine light and life are crucial in distinguishing genuine faith from a counterfeit claim. If one professes to possess the Light and to dwell in it—to have received eternal life—he will show evidence of spiritual life by his devotion both to truth and to righteousness, as John writes later in this letter (1Jn 2:9, 10, 11) If truth and righteousness are absent from one’s life, that person, no matter what he or she says, does not possess eternal life (Matt. 7:17, 18, 21–23; 25:41-46). They cannot belong to God, because in Him there is no darkness at all. God is absolutely perfect in truth and holiness (Ex. 15:11; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps 22:3; 48:10; 71:19; 98:2; Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8; 15:4). Obviously, believers fall far short of that perfection, but they manifest a godlike desire for and continual striving toward heavenly truth and righteousness (cf. Phil. 3:7–16). (See 1-3 John - Volume 5 - Page 24) J M Gibbon comments on "God is light" as symbolic of His "holiness and love. Do you say, “It is a message that crushes”? Nay, it consoles too, it inspires. There is a gospel in it. The sun looking down at the green wheat blade, says, “You must be like me.” But how? “By looking at me. I, by shining on you, will make you to be what I want you to be.” God is light! If He is holiness without spot, He is also love without measure. He gives Himself away like the light. Dwight M. Pratt - The origin of light finds its explanation in the purpose and very nature of God Whom John defines as not only the Author of light but, in an all-inclusive sense, as light itself "God is light" (1John 1:5)....An Attribute of Holiness: (1) God."God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 Jn 1:5). Darkness is the universal symbol and condition of sin and death; light the symbol and expression of holiness. "The light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame" (Isa 10:17). God, by His presence and grace, is to us a "marvellous light" (1 Pet 2:9). The glory of His holiness and presence is the "everlasting light" of the redeemed in heaven (Isa 60:19,20; Rev 21:23,14; 22:5). (2) Christ. Christ, the eternal Word (logos, Jn 1:1), who said "Let there be light" (Gen 1:3), is Himself the "effulgence of (God's) glory" (Heb 1:3), "the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world" (Jn 1:9) (compare the statements concerning Wisdom in The Wisdom of Solomon 7:25 f and concerning Christ in Heb 1:3; and see CREEDS; LOGOS; JOHANNINE THEOLOGY; WISDOM). As the predicted Messiah, He was to be "for alight of the Gentiles" (Isa 42:6; 49:6). His birth was the fulfillment of this prophecy (Lk 2:32). Jesus called Himself "the light of the world" (Jn 8:12; 9:5; 12:46); As light He was "God .... manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16 the King James Version). "The Word was God" (Jn 1:1). Jesus as logos is the eternal expression of God as a word is the expression of a thought. In the threefold essence of His being God is Life (zoe) (Jn 5:26; 6:57); God is Love (agape) (1 Jn 4:8); God is Light (phos) (1 Jn 1:5). Thus Christ, the logos, manifesting the three aspects of the Divine Nature, is Life, Love and Light, and these three are inseparable and constitute the glory. which the disciples beheld in Him, "glory as of the only begotten from the Father" (Jn 1:14). In revealing and giving life, Christ becomes "the light of men" (Jn 1:4). God gives "the light of the knowledge of (his) glory in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6), and this salvation is called "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Cor 4:4). Christ is thus the Teacher, Enlightener ("Christ shall give thee light," Eph 5:14 the King James Version), Guide, Saviour of men. (ISBE - "Light" in Scripture) Beloved, contemplate the phrase "God is light" and then read the familiar and famous Aaronic blessing in that "light"… The LORD bless you, and keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ -- Numbers 6:24-26+ While we can easily become sidetracked trying to comprehend and comment on the simple but profound phrase "God is light", it is worthwhile seeing how David made this truth practical and personal writing… The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? (Ps 27:1) Comment: Are David's words not too wonderful for words, God Who is light is my light! My personal light! This truth is surely worthy of pausing to praise Him this very moment beloved! The Infinite One has taken a personal interest in us, and we now can call our Beloved "mine"! Hallelujah! Amen! C H
1 João 1:6
MacArthur - CHILDREN OF DARKNESS (Borrow Strength for today) “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” 1 John 1:6 Those who deny the reality of their sin affirm the unreality of their salvation. Ours is a society that rejects the concept of individual responsibility. People blame society, their parents, their genes—anything but their own actions and choices—for their problems. The biblical teaching that all people are responsible for breaking God’s holy law is scoffed at as primitive, unsophisticated, and harmful to a healthy self–esteem. Even some who claim to be Christians refuse to acknowledge their sin. They say, “I make mistakes. But I’m a good person. Surely God won’t reject me!” Such people are tragically deceived and will miss out on salvation; those who don’t see themselves as lost will not seek God’s gracious salvation. In the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). The apostle John gives three characteristics of those who deny their sin. First, they walk in darkness (1 John 1:6). That reveals that they are not saved, since only those who “walk in the light” are cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). Second, they are self–deceived (1 John 1:8). The Bible makes it unmistakably clear that all people are sinners (2 Chron. 6:36; Rom. 3:23); there are no exceptions (Rom. 3:12). Third, they defame God, making Him out to be a liar (1 John 1:10) by denying what His Word affirms—that they are sinners. That is a serious, blasphemous accusation to make against the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), whose word is truth (John 17:17). In Luke 18, Jesus described two men praying in the temple. One, a proud, self–righteous Pharisee, denied his sin. The other, a despised tax–gatherer, cried out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Which of the two do you identify with? Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God, “who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). For Further Study: Read the following passages: John 8:12; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:1–2, 8; Colossians 1:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:4–5. Is it possible for a Christian to habitually walk in darkness (lead a life of continuous, unrepentant sin)? Explain. John MacArthur - CHILDREN OF DARKNESS (Borrow Strength for today) “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”1 Jn 1:6 Those who deny the reality of their sin affirm the unreality of their salvation. Ours is a society that rejects the concept of individual responsibility. People blame society, their parents, their genes—anything but their own actions and choices—for their problems. The biblical teaching that all people are responsible for breaking God’s holy law is scoffed at as primitive, unsophisticated, and harmful to a healthy self–esteem. Even some who claim to be Christians refuse to acknowledge their sin. They say, “I make mistakes. But I’m a good person. Surely God won’t reject me!” Such people are tragically deceived and will miss out on salvation; those who don’t see themselves as lost will not seek God’s gracious salvation. In the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). The apostle John gives three characteristics of those who deny their sin. First, they walk in darkness (1 John 1:6). That reveals that they are not saved, since only those who “walk in the light” are cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7). Second, they are self–deceived (1 John 1:8). The Bible makes it unmistakably clear that all people are sinners (2 Chron. 6:36; Rom. 3:23); there are no exceptions (Rom. 3:12). Third, they defame God, making Him out to be a liar (1 John 1:10) by denying what His Word affirms—that they are sinners. That is a serious, blasphemous accusation to make against the God who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), whose word is truth (John 17:17). In Luke 18, Jesus described two men praying in the temple. One, a proud, self–righteous Pharisee, denied his sin. The other, a despised tax–gatherer, cried out, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Which of the two do you identify with? Suggestions for Prayer: Thank God, “who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). For Further Study: Read the following passages: John 8:12; Acts 26:18; Ephesians 5:1–2, 8; Colossians 1:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 5:4–5. Is it possible for a Christian to habitually walk in darkness (lead a life of continuous, unrepentant sin)? Explain. F B
1 João 1:7
MacArthur explains that "Those who walk in the Light do so because the power of God has regenerated them. As “new creature[s]” for whom “new things have come” (2Co 5:17+), they will behave in a way that reflects the power of God’s righteous life in them, just as God Himself is in the Light… The general pattern of their day-to-day actions and attitudes will be godlike. (See The MacArthur New Testament Commentary ) John Stott notes that "John now affirms a complementary truth. He has shown the consequence of walking in darkness; he now describes what happens if we walk in the light. We must walk in the light of His holy self-revelation, and in His presence, without deceit or dishonesty in our mind or consciously tolerated sin in our conduct. ‘Walking in the light’ describes ‘absolute sincerity … to be, so to speak, all of a piece, to have nothing to conceal, and to make no attempt to conceal anything’.(BORROW The Letters of John : an introduction and commentary) Bruce Barton writes that "To “live (walk) in the light” requires constant contact with God and (BORROW The Letters of John : an introduction and commentary) for dishonesty, hypocrisy, or sin. Living in the light pictures a life of complete transparency, with no attempts to conceal anything from “the Light.” To “walk in the light” (as it is translated in NIV and NKJV) cannot come from imitating other Christians; instead, it comes from continuous effort to take on Christ’s qualities (ED: AND CONTINUALLY RELYING ON HIS SPIRIT'S ENABLING POWER). (BORROW Life Application Bible Commentary) Sam Storms says to walk in the light "At minimum, it refers to a desire or a yearning for truth and righteousness in one's life. This is not sinlessness, but it does mean that we will sin less. It is a life characterized by "a conscious sustained endeavor to live a life in conformity with the revelation of God, who is light" (Brooke, 15). It means living with an open heart before God, honest and vulnerable, quick to confess and repent. (1 John 1 Sermon Notes)(1 John Sermon Comments) Imitation of God is the test of fellowship with Him. -- Johann Bengel Alexander Maclaren on walking in the light… In all languages, light is the natural symbol for three things: knowledge, joy, purity. The one ray is broken into its three constituent parts. But just as there are some surfaces which are sensitive to the violet rays, say, of the spectrum, and not to the others, so John’s intense moral earnestness makes him mainly sensitive to the symbolism which makes light the expression, not so much of knowledge or of joy, as of moral purity. And although that is not exclusively his use of the emblem, it is predominately so, and it is so here. To ‘walk in the light’ then; is, speaking generally, to have purity, righteousness, goodness, as the very element and atmosphere in which our progressive and changeful life is carried on… So, then, the essential of a Christian character is that the light of purity and moral goodness shall be as the very orb, in the midst of which it stands and advances. That implies effort, and it implies activity, and it implies progress. And we are only Christians in the measure in which the conscious activities of our daily lives, and the deepest energies of our inward being, are bathed and saturated with this love of, and effort after, righteousness. It is vain, says John, to talk about fellowship with God, unless the fellowship is rooted in sympathy with Him in that which is the very heart of His Being, the perfect light of perfect holiness. Test your Christianity by that. (1 John 1:7 Walking in the Light) Spurgeon on what it means to walk in the light… There is a very strong description given here-”If we walk in the light as He is in the light.” Beloved, the thought of that dazzles me. I have tried to look it in the face, but I cannot endure it. If we walk in the light as God is in the light. Can we ever attain to this? Shall poor flesh and blood ever be able to walk as clearly in the light as He is Whom we call “Our Father,” of Whom it is written “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” Let us say this much, and then commend this wonderful expression to your meditations. Certainly, this is the model which is set before us, for the Savior Himself said, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect;” (Mt 5:48+) and if we take anything short of absolute perfection as our model of life, we shall certainly, even if we should attain to our ideal, fall short of the glory of God. Beloved, when a schoolmaster writes the copy at the head of the page, he does not expect that the boy will come up to the copy; but then if the copy be not a perfect one, it is not fit to be imitated by a child; and so our God gives us himself as the pattern and copy, “Be ye imitators of God as dear children,” (Eph 5:1+) for nothing short of Himself would be a worthy model. Though we as life-sculptors may feel that we can never rival the perfection of God, yet we are to seek after it, and never to be satisfied until we attain to it. The youthful artist, as he grasps his early pencil, can hardly hope to equal Raphael or Michelangelo, but still, if he did not have a noble beau (French for "beautiful") ideal before his mind, he would only attain to something very mean and ordinary. Heavenly fingers point us to the Lord Jesus as the Great Exemplar of His people, and the Holy Spirit works in us a likeness to Him. LIKENESS BUT NOT DEGREE But what does it mean, that the Christian is to walk in light as God is in the light? We conceive it to signify likeness, but not degree. We are as truly in the light, we are as heartily in the light, we are as sincerely in the light, as honestly in the light, though we cannot be there in the same degree. I cannot dwell in the sun, it is too bright a place for my residence, unless I shall be transformed, like Uriel, Milton’s angel (in Paradise Lost, Book III), who could dwell in the midst of the blaze of its excessive glory, but I can walk in the light of the sun though I cannot dwell in it; and so God is the light, He is Himself the sun, and I can walk in the light as He is in the light, though I cannot attain to the same degree of perfection, and excellence, and purity, and truth, in which the Lord himself resides. Trapp is always for giving us truth in a way in which we can remember it, so he says we are to be in the light as God is in the light for quality, but not for equality; we are to have the same light and as truly to have it and walk in it as God does, though as for equality with God in His holiness and perfection-that must be left until we cross the Jordan and enter into the perfection of the Most High. (1 John 1:7 Walking in the Light and Washed in the Blood) THE PATTERN FOR OUR WALK IN THE LIGHT As He Himself is in the light - Referring to God. "As" is a term of comparison (specifically a simile) which tells us what is to be the standard and pattern of the believer's walk. In 1Jn 1:5 John stated that God is light but here he writes that God is (estin) in the light. The verb is (estin) is present tense indicating God is continually in the light. That is our lofty pattern in this life. See also discussion of The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! Pulpit Commentary adds that John's "change of verbs is significant: we walk, God is, in the light. We move through time; He is in eternity. Our activity involves change; His does not. Like the sun, He both is Light and dwells in the light. (1 John Commentary) Vincent agrees adding that "God is forever and unchangeably in perfect light." (cp 1Ti 6:16). (
1 João 1:7
MacArthur writes that.. It does mean that a sinning Christian can lose the joy of communion with God. "a believer’s fellowship with God is never broken because it is an eternal partnership (John 10:28–29). But because God is holy, sin destroys the joy of the believer’s fellowship.If we sin willfully and continually, we have purposely broken trust with God and have willfully spurned His love. Sin doesn’t change God’s love, nor does it mean the one who sins doesn’t love Him. It does mean that a sinning Christian can lose the joy of communion with God. Usually our prayer life goes, our Bible reading goes, and we drift away from relating to other Christians—all because we don’t want to be confronted with God.....Sin also breaks the joy of a Christian’s fellowship with other believers. It shatters the unity of the Body. Your sin affects me because it limits my fellowship, and it limits the use of your gifts on my behalf. A Christian can’t say, “I can do what I want; it won’t affect anyone else.” Pride, lust, materialism, failure to minister one’s gift, ceasing to pray, spiritual laziness, not yielding to the Holy Spirit—all these sins and others destroy fellowship within the Body. When a believer acknowledges his or her sin and confesses it to God, that sin will not become a pattern. Therefore, it will not affect the fellowship of the Body the way continual, prolonged sin does. When I sin and immediately confess it and repent of it, I find the joy of my fellowship is unbroken. But when sin persists, the joy of fellowship is destroyed. The danger to fellowship, then, is sin without repentance. As an aside I did find a place where even Dr MacArthur used the term "fellowship with God" the way I have used it for years, commenting on Ps 51:7 in his book 2 Samuel: David's Heart Revealed" PURGE ME WITH HYSSOP: Hyssop was an aromatic plant used by priests to sprinkle blood or water on a person during ceremonial cleansing (see Leviticus 14:6). David was yearning for a complete cleansing from the defilement of his sin. A PRAYER FOR RESTORATION: David’s concern is not that he will suffer punishment but that he is out of fellowship with God. His desire is to be restored. In his commentary on 2 Corinthians Dr MacArthur wrote "No pastor, of course, realistically expects his people to be sinless. Yet when they do sin, his heart yearns for them to repent and be restored to fellowship with God and other believers (cf. Gal. 6:1)" In his commentary on 1 Corinthians (published in 1984) Dr MacArthur wrote "In a believer sin is evidence of disobedience and broken fellowship with God." And again in his commentary on Matthew 5:9 he wrote... Because peace is always corrupted by sin, the peacemaking believer must be a holy believer, a believer whose life is continually cleansed by the Holy Spirit. Sin breaks our fellowship with God, and when fellowship with Him is broken, peace is broken. The disobedient, self-indulgent Christian is not suited to be an ambassador of peace. (See Matthew 1-7 MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Page 215) Comment - This was published in 1985-1989 whereas Body Dynamic was published in 1996. It seems that Dr MacArthur reversed his interpretation of fellowship with God after later studies. Interesting! I had this misconception for 40 years but he seems to have had it for 30 years or so as estimated from the publishing dates of his books. I am not trying to demean him but to the contrary, commend him for seeing this truth in a new light which I think is Biblically sound. None of us are too old to learn are we?) From the preceding explanation, Dr MacArthur focuses on the Greek word koinonia and makes the point that although we translate that word as "fellowship," we are misled in thinking it relates to experiential intimacy and sense of nearness to God. In other words koinonia represents a supernatural sharing of lives and as such can never be broken. I can accept that Biblical rationale. In conclusion, it seems I have misused the phrases "fellowship with God" and "being out of fellowship with God" for the last 40 years, thinking that koinonia or "fellowship" could be used to describe my sense of loss of intimacy and communion with God in those times when I sinned against Him (all sin is against God) and did not quickly confess and repent. Clearly I have been influenced by men I greatly respect such as pastor Adrian Rogers who wrote the following ... What do the following men have in common: Jacob, David, Samson, Simon Peter, John Mark, and Adrian Rogers? Well, I'll tell you what they all have in common: they're all men of God who love God, who have gotten out of fellowship with God, and who've been brought back into fellowship with God. And, you could add your name to that list, too. It is the nature of a sheep to wander and to stray; it is the nature of a sheep sometimes to get away from the Shepherd.....But, it is the nature of the shepherd to restore his sheep. No wonder David exalted—that David who got so far away from God. No wonder he gloried to write Psalm 23: "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want... He restoreth my soul" (Psalm 23:1-3). I want to talk to you today about how to get right with God and how to stay right with God—how to get right with God, if you're not right with God; how to get right with God; and if you are right with God and when you do get right with God, how to stay right with God. Now, many of us become what the Bible calls backsliders. Now, a backslider is not lost. A backslider is a saved person who is out of fellowship with God—a somebody who's already been saved. You have to go somewhere before you can slide back. But, he's not lost. The Bible says God speaks of Himself as being married to the backslider; there is a bond there that cannot be broken (ED: AND THIS STATEMENT WOULD SUPPORT MACARTHUR'S STATEMENT). But, while that relationship with God cannot be broken, that fellowship with God can be broken (ED: SO IT IS AN ISSUE OF SEMANTICS) and the joy can be lost; and therefore, David prayed in Psalm 51: "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation" (Psalm 51:12). He didn't say, "Lord, restore Thy salvation." He never lost his salvation. He lost the joy of his salvation, and he wanted to be restored' and God did restore him, and David could say, "He restoreth my soul" (Psalm 23:3). So Dr Rogers is saying essentially what Dr MacArthur is saying, except that Dr Rogers used the term "out of fellowship with God." THOUGHT - Henceforth, I will speak more descriptively of my loss of an experiential sense of intimacy and communion with My Father when I knowingly sin against Him. And I pray that I will be quick to confess that sin or sins so that my joy might be restored. I think the old saying is not far from the truth which says when we don't feel close to God, guess who moved (me, not Him)! Forgiven! I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant. Psalm 119:176 Today's Scripture & Insight : 1 John 1:1-10 My friend Norm Cook sometimes had a surprise for his family when he arrived home from work. He would walk through the front door, and shout, “You’re forgiven!” It wasn’t that family members had wronged him and needed his forgiveness. He was reminding them that though they doubtless had sinned throughout the day, they were by God’s grace fully forgiven. The apostle John supplies this note about grace: “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin [no inclination to sin], we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7–9). To “walk in the light” is a metaphor for following Jesus. Imitating Jesus with the Spirit’s help, John insists, is the sign that we have joined with the apostles in the fellowship of faith. We are authentic Christians. But, he continues, let’s not be deceived: We will make wrong choices at times. Nevertheless, grace is given in full measure: We can take what forgiveness we need. Lord, I know I’m not even close to being perfect. That’s why I need You and Your cleansing in my life. I’m lost without You. Monitor your heart daily to avoid wandering from God’s wisdom. 1 John 1:7 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. SPENCER When a man walketh in the sun, if his face be toward it, he hath nothing before him but bright shining light, and comfortable heat; but, let him once turn his back to the sun, what hath he before him but a shadow? And what is a shadow but the privation of light, and heat of the sun? Yea: it is but to behold his own shadow, defrauding himself of the other. Thus there is no true wisdom, no true happiness, no real comfort, but in beholding the countenance of God: look from that, and we lose these blessings. And what shall we gain? a shadow, an empty image,—instead of a substantial, to gain an empty image of ourselves, and lose the solid image of God. TALMAGE. You have seen two thunderclouds meet. One cloud from this mountain, and another cloud from that mountain, coming nearer and nearer together, and responding to each other, crash to crash, thunder to thunder, boom! boom! And then the clouds break and the torrents pour, and they are emptied perhaps into the very same stream that comes down so red at your feet, that it seems as if all the carnage of the storm-battle has been emptied into it. So in this Bible I see two storms gather, one above Sinai, the other above Calvary, and they respond one to the other—flash to flash, thunder to thunder, boom! boom! Sinai thunders, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die;” Calvary responds, “Save them from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom.” Sinai says, “Woe! woe!” Calvary answers, “Mercy! mercy!” And then the clouds burst, and empty their treasures into one torrent, and it comes flowing to our feet, red with the carnage of our Lord—in which, if thy soul be plunged, it shall go forth free—free! Hymns Related to 1 John 1:7 Blood Is All My Plea (Baker), The Blood Is All My Plea (Eisenbeis), The Blood of Jesus, The Blood of the Crucified One, The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, The Christian’s Pentecost, The Cleansed in Our Savior’s Precious Blood Cleansing Blood (Aultman), The Cleansing Blood (Miller), The Cleansing for Me Cleansing in the Blood Deeper Yet Don’t You Want to Go? Glad Welcome We Sing Half Has Never Been Told, The He Saves Me Through and Through He Who Once in Righteous Vengeance His Blood Has Made Me Whole I Cannot Walk in Darkness Long It Cleanseth Me It Is the Blood That Washes White Jesus Saves Me Jesus, Thy Blood and Name Jesus Will Walk with Me Marching Song, A O That My Load of Sin Were Gone! Penitent’s Plea (Booth), The Saved by the Blood (Crosby) Step Out on the Promise (Potter) Sunlight All the Way Sweeping Through the Gates Thank God for the Blood There Is Cleansing in the Blood There’s Cleansing in the Precious Blood There’s Power in Jesus’ Blood To Be Lost in the Night Under the Blood (Guirey) Under the Blood (Hewitt) Under the Blood (Hoffman) Walk in the Light Walking in the Good Old Way Walking with Jesus Washed in the Blood We Will Walk in the Light Yes, I Know! John Butler - QUALIFICATIONS 1 John 1:7 The qualification or requirements for Christian fellowship and the qualification or requirements for cleansing from sin are stated plainly in this text. FIRST—THE MESSAGE ABOUT COMPANIONSHIP “If we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another.” This message has to do with fellowship with the godly not the carnal. • The consecration required. “If we walk in the light.” To walk in the light means here to walk a holy life in conduct. An unholy walk will unfit you for fellowship with God’s people. When in the Navy, I noticed that the ungodly fellowshipped with the ungodly but those who lived a more nobler life would find their friends among a more nobler group of sailors. If you wanted to have companionship with the godly group, you had to live a godly life. Some sailors unfortunately drifted into the world and unholy conduct, and in so doing they no longer were in fellowship with the godly group of sailors. The key to good fellowship was one’s conduct. • The comparison required. “As he is in the light.” In case you do not know what walking in the light means here, John say we are to walk as Jesus walked. That is a pretty tall order, but He is the great standard by which all things are measured. It is not the rules of the church or other organization or even the rules of the home that we are to compare our conduct to, but it is the walk of Christ that is the criteria for our behavior. SECOND—THE MESSAGE ABOUT CLEANSING “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.” We note three things about this cleanser. • Its cost. “Blood of Jesus Christ.” There are many cleansers on the market. Many of us buy the cleanser that is the cheapest. But the blood of Jesus Christ is not cheap. It is the most costly cleanser known to man. It cost our Lord reproach, abuse and His life. If you are looking for a cheap cleaners, this is not the one. It is the most expensive of all the cleansers. But it is by far the best of all cleansers. • Its character. “Cleanses us from all sin.” We read the small print on the cleanser package to see what the cleanser will do. First, this cleanser is inclusive. “All sin.” There is not a sin that this cleanser cannot remove. Second, this cleanser is imperative. “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). If you want your sins washed away, you must have the blood of Jesus Christ to wash them away. No other cleanser will do the job. • Its condemnation. This cleanser says sin dirties and dirties really bad. Nothing dirties and stains like sin. (Butler's Sermon Starters) John MacArthur - CHILDREN OF LIGHT (Borrow Strength for today) “If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” God is light, and His children share His nature. First John 1:5 aptly describes God’s nature as “light” (truth and holiness). Because they partake of His nature (2 Peter 1:4), His children also walk in the light. It must be understood that we don’t become God’s children by walking in the light, but rather we walk in the light because we are His children. The Greek verb describes continuous action and could be translated, “If we habitually or continuously walk in the light….” It’s an indicator of character; a definition of a true Christian, just as walking in the darkness characterizes unbelievers. Two significant benefits come to believers because they walk in the light. These are privileges granted only to Christians; unbelievers who think they possess them deceive themselves. First, believers experience fellowship with God. “One another” in 1 John 1:7 does not refer to other Christians. Although it is certainly true that believers enjoy fellowship with each other, that is not what this verse is teaching. The use of the pronoun “his” later in the verse makes it clear that the fellowship in view here is with God. That fellowship is mutual, “with one another.” Believers share a common life with God, experience His presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and commune with Him through prayer and the reading of His Word. Second, believers experience cleansing from sin. “The blood of Jesus His Son” is the agency of that cleansing. Christ’s blood is symbolic of His sacrificial death on the cross, where full payment was made for believers’ sins. Once again it must be noted that walking in the light does not earn forgiveness; rather, forgiveness is freely granted to those who walk in the light (who are Christians). In view of those glorious truths, I would leave you today with the challenge of the apostle Paul: “Now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). Suggestions for Prayer: Ask God to help you “let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). For Further Study: Look up the following passages, noting what each teaches about forgiveness of sin: Ephesians 1:7 Hebrews 9:14; 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18–19; Revelation 1:5–6. F B
1 João 1:9
MacArthur - Confession of sin is absolutely crucial to entering the Light (justification) (cf. Mark 1:15; Luke 18:13–14) and walking in it (sanctification). 1 John 1:9 fits this pattern with perfect consistency, when rightly interpreted. Because John is writing to believers (“my little children,” 2:1), to those who are antinomian it appears to make forgiveness conditional (i.e., if believers confess, God will forgive; if they do not confess, He will not forgive). This confusion is easily cleared away, first of all by noting that the verse is actually a reiteration of God’s faithfulness to His New Covenant promise of salvation in the Old Covenant: “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:34; cf. Luke 1:77–78; Heb. 9:13–14). The reminder that He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness reemphasizes the truth John had just stated in 1Jn 1:7, that God will, because of His character, secure their eternal glory by continuing to cleanse believers from all future sin. He is faithful to His promise and always does what is righteous. (The aorist tense of the verb aphiemi [forgive] carries a past connotation and further demonstrates that God’s forgiveness derives from a historical event, the atonement, which has lasting benefits for all who believe.) In chapter 2 John writes, “your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1Jn 2:12). Forgiveness is consistent with Who Jesus Christ is and with what the Father promised, according to His perfectly faithful (Isa. 49:7; 1 Cor. 1:9; Heb. 2:17; Rev. 19:11), righteous (Ps. 7:11; Isa. 53:11), just (Ge 18:25; Col. 3:25), holy (Ex. 15:11; Rev. 4:8), and loving (Jer. 31:3; 1 John 4:8) nature. Forgiveness is not incomplete or dependent in the saving sense on believers’ confessing. With that established, it is possible to understand the place of ongoing confession. The word translated confess (homologeo) means “to say the same thing.” Thus believers are those who confess their sins, agreeing with God about their sin—they acknowledge its reality and affirm that it is a transgression of His law and a violation of His will, the presence of which the truly penitent seek to eliminate from their lives (1Jn 3:4; James 2:10–11; 4:17; cf. Rom. 7:24). What John is actually saying here about confession is that since believers are forgiven, they will regularly confess their sins. Stated another way, their forgiveness is not because of their ongoing confession, but their ongoing pattern of penitence and confession is because of their forgiveness and transformation. As the Holy Spirit sanctifies believers, He continually produces within them a hatred for sin (Ps. 97:10; Pr 8:13; Ro 7:15–25; Phil. 3:8–9; cf. Ps. 1:1–2), which results in penitent hearts and a sincere acknowledgment of their sins. The more believers grow in Christ, the greater their hatred of sin becomes and the deeper is their penitence. Paul, the most devout and dedicated Christian, at the end of his earthly sanctification, saw himself as the foremost of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). The time lag between the moment of sinning and the moment of forsaking and confessing is a sure indication of the true nature of a man's walk with God. -- Alan Redpath 🙏 THOUGHT: Practically speaking beloved, how long does it take you to recognize your sin and agree with God that it is sin and that you have willfully rebelled against His grace and light and holiness and you now desire to repent of it? "COVER" YOUR SINS BY "UNCOVERING" THEM WITH CONFESSION Robert Candlish writes "As to the confession, it is the confession of men “walking in the light, as God is in the light”; having the same medium of vision that God has; it is the continual confession (present tense) of men continually so walking and so seeing." Comment: Candlish makes an excellent point - as we walk in the light of God's Word, continually yielding to His Spirit, the Spirit of Truth will make us aware of sins of which we were otherwise not aware. And the same Spirit Who expose our sins, will give us the grace to confess those sins. Amazing grace indeed! To reiterate, it is important to understand that when we confess sins the confession includes an appropriate action - in other words it is saying and doing -- it is saying the same thing about our sins and it includes a forsaking of our sin. Why? Because that is God's attitude concerning sin (cp Pr 28:13). Guzik recalls an illustrative passage - When we confess our sin, we are willing to say (and believe) the same thing about our sin that God says about it. Jesus’ story about the religious man and the sinner who prayed before God illustrated this; the Pharisee bragged about how righteous he was, while the sinner just said God be merciful to me a sinner. (Luke 18:10-14) The one who confessed his sin was the one who agreed with God about how bad he was. Homologeo is present tense denoting continuous action. In other words confession of our sins is to be a marker of our new life in Christ. This clearly refutes the position that a Christian can obtain sinless perfection in this present life. Remember that John's epistle is addressed to genuine believers and his point is that genuine believers will willingly confess their sins as their "lifestyle." Wuest agrees writing that the present tense "teaches that the constant attitude of the saint toward sin should be one of a contrite heart, ever eager to have any sin in the life discovered for him by the Holy Spirit, and ever eager to confess it and put it out of the life by the power of that same Holy Spirit. David wrote concerning that kind of heart when he penned the words: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17)." Paul Apple - Look at the Present tense of the verb - coordinate with the Present tense of "walking in the light" -- if we are characterized by taking sin seriously in terms of confessing sin on an ongoing basis as the Holy Spirit convicts us in our Christian walk, that practice of confession marks us as a true believer and God is faithful (He keeps His Word) and righteous (He honors the atonement) to forgive us our sins (not just in a legal sense in terms of justification but in a practical sense in terms of not letting anything come between and interrupt our relationship) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This confession of sins (like John Bunyan in Pilgrim's Progress as he walks along the path towards heaven and needs to be recovered from the pitfalls of life) is a fruit of initial repentance and a proof of our fellowship with God whose standard of holiness provides the basis for our confession. David in the Psalms spoke often about the opposite of confession of sin -- describing his spiritual torment when he tried to hide his sins or rationalize or explain away his behavior. (1 John - Tests of Eternal Life) 🙏 THOUGHT - How seriously are we taking sin in our life? Do we remember that it it our sin that caused Christ to have to shed His blood on the cross to suffer in our place in order to provide us with forgiveness and cleansing? Hiebert states that "The corrective for such self-deception (confession of sin) is stated without a connective particle. The hypothetical form, “If we confess our sins”, implies that believers must be willing to meet the stipulated condition. More is involved than a general acknowledgment of one’s sinfulness; it is the confession of sinful deeds to God. To “confess” means literally “to say the same thing, to agree with.” A believer must frankly be willing to say the same thing about his sins (the sins he is conscious of having committed) that God says about them. Christians must acknowledge their sins for what they are, rather than using some flowery designation that conceals their true character. The present tense calls for such confession as their standing practice. The confession should be as wide as the actual guilt. Charles Simeon - The “confession” which characterizes a true penitent, of course is not to be understood of a mere acknowledgment, but an acknowledgment accompanied with suitable contrition, and with a humble faith in the Lord Jesus. David’s prayer in Psalm 51 is one of the clearest pictures of confession in the Bible. According to Psalm 51:1–3, David takes personal responsibility for his sins (as deduced from his repeated use of the first-person pronoun). In Ps 51:4, David agrees that God has the ultimate authority in our lives and that He is right to judge, and we deserve His judgment. In Ps 51:5 David confesses that he is a sinner by nature, from the womb. In Ps 51:7–10, David expresses his need to God to cleanse him and change his heart. THOUGHT - Have you ever personalized Psalm 51? It would be a good exercise for all of us to place ourselves in David's position, as if all that he is saying is true of us as well (because it is!) Adam
1 João 1:9
MacArthur - 1Jn 1:9 (borrow Truth for today) The apostle John wrote his first epistle to define the difference between a Christian and an unbeliever. Our verse for today indicates that confession characterizes the former. The next verse says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar” (v. 10). Unregenerate men deny their sin, but Christians take responsibility for it and confess it. Confession of sin doesn’t take place only at salvation. It continues, as faith does, throughout the life of a believer. A willingness to confess sin is part of the pattern of life that characterizes every believer. That pattern also includes love (1 John 3:14), separation from the world (1Jn 2:15), and instruction by the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:27). Of course there are varying degrees of confession—sometimes we don’t make as full a confession as we should—but a true believer eventually acknowledges his sin. THE PREREQUISITE FOR CLEANSING - John MacArthur - (Borrow Strength for today) Continuous confession characterizes Christians. Yesterday we learned that the only condition for receiving God’s gracious forgiveness is to “walk in the light”—in other words, to be a true Christian (1 John 1:7). At first glance, today’s verse appears to contradict that truth by adding a condition—namely, confession of sin. Such is not the case, however. First John 1:9 could be translated, “If we are the ones confessing our sins, He is forgiving us.” This verse looks at salvation from man’s perspective and defines Christians as those who are continually confessing their sins. Confession, like saving faith, is not a one–time act but a continuous pattern throughout our lives. What is confession? The Greek word means “to say the same thing.” Confession, then, is agreeing with God about our sin. Confession affirms that God is just when He chastens us for our sins. It also restores us to the place of His blessing—something He is always “faithful” to do. Proverbs 28:13 reinforces that truth, promising that “he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” Some may question how a holy God can be “righteous” and still forgive sins. John has already answered that by noting in verse 7 that forgiveness comes through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul declares that “God displayed [Christ] publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith … for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom. 3:25–26). True confession involves sorrow because sin has offended God (2 Cor. 7:10)—not mere remorse because of its negative consequences in one’s life (as was the case with Saul [1 Sam. 15:24] and Judas [Matt. 27:3]). It also involves repentance—turning away from sin and no longer embracing it (cf.Acts 19:18–19; 1 Thess. 1:9). Is there a sin you’ve been clinging to? If so, confess and forsake it today, and experience God’s blessed forgiveness. Suggestions for Prayer: Praise God for being “good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon [Him]” (Ps. 86:5). For Further Study: Memorize Psalm 139:23–24 to remind you of the need for God’s help in confessing your sins. J.C. Philpot, Ears from Harvested Sheaves. 1Jn 1:9 Has the Lord made sin your burden? Has He ever made you feel guilty before Him? Has He ever pressed down your conscience with a sight and sense of your iniquities, your sins, your backslidings? And does the Lord draw, from time to time, honest, sincere, unreserved confession of those sins out of your lips? What does the Holy Ghost say to you? What has the blessed Spirit recorded for your instruction, and for your consolation? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Not merely on a footing of mercy; still less because you confess them. It is not your confessing them, but it is thus—your confessing them is a mark of divine light; your confessing them springs from the work of grace upon your heart. If, then, you possess divine life, if you have grace in your soul, you are a child of God, Jesus obeyed for you—Jesus suffered for you—Jesus died for you—Jesus has put away your sin. And, therefore, you being a child of God, and Jesus having done all things for you, God is now “faithful” to His promise that He will receive a confessing sinner; and “just” to His own immutable and veracious character. And thus, from justice as well as mercy, from faithfulness as well as compassion, He can, He will, and He does pardon, forgive, and sweetly blot out every iniquity and every transgression of a confessing penitent. A W Tozer - GOD HAS A REMEDY (See Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings - Page 2) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. 1 John 1:9 Seekers and inquirers have often voiced this deep question of concern: “Why does God forgive? And how does God forgive sin?” There is plain teaching throughout the Old and New Testaments concerning God’s willingness to forgive and forget. Yet there are segments of the Christian church which appear to be poorly taught concerning God’s clear remedy, through the atonement of Christ, for the believer who has yielded to temptation and failed his Lord. God knows that sin is the dark shadow standing between Him and His highest creation, man. God is more willing to remove that shadow than we are to have it removed! He wants to forgive us—and that desire is a part of God’s character. In the sacrificial death of a lamb in the Old Testament, God was telling us that one day a perfect Lamb would come to actually take away sin. That is how and why God forgives sin now. In John’s words: “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1–2). CLEANSE ME J. Edwin Orr, 1912–1988 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) The inspiration of a thrilling revival in New Zealand prompted the late J. Edwin Orr to blend the 23rd and 24th verses of Psalm 139 with a lovely Polynesian melody that has since become one of our most challenging hymns of revival. Dr. Orr’s text opens with the prayer that the revival begin in him. Then he reminds us that revival begins only after God’s people recognize their sin, receive cleansing from it and surrender their “will, passion, self and pride.” The hymn ends appropriately with the assurance of knowing that God will hear and supply our needs. J. Edwin Orr has been widely known as a challenging evangelist and a noted scholar of historical revival movements. He has written many textbooks and was a professor of world missions. He also lectured and held workshops throughout the world while visiting 150 countries. “Cleanse Me” was written in 1936 after a stirring Easter convention in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand. Fervent meetings sprang up throughout the city. Inspired by this intense movement of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Orr took time as he left New Zealand to write the verses of “Cleanse Me” on the back of an envelope in the post office. The tune he used was the lovely Maori Song of Farewell, sung to him by four Aborigine girls as he was leaving. In following campaigns in Australia and other parts of the world, Dr. Orr often used this hymn to encourage new spiritual awakenings. His ceaseless prayer was that the people of God would be stirred to pray for yet another world-wide awakening. Play Cleanse Me Search me, O God, and know my heart today; try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free. I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin; fulfill Thy Word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame; grant my desire to magnify Thy name. Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine; fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine. Take all my will, my passion, self and pride; I now surrender, Lord—in me abide. O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee; send a revival—start the work in me. Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need; for blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead. For Today: Leviticus 19:2; Psalm 51:7, 10; 85:6; 139:23, 24; Ephesians 1:4 Ask God to reveal any attitudes or actions that may be displeasing to Him. Confess each specific one, then claim His cleansing forgiveness and go forth with His joy and power. Use the words of this hymn to guide you—(BORROW Amazing grace : Kenneth W. Osbeck) ILLUSTRATION - There are two ways to keep a diesel truck running. The first is called “trouble-shoot and repair” and involves waiting for a breakdown and then trying to fix the problem. It involves so much down-time, however, that most truckers now use the “preventive maintenance” approach, in which problems are anticipated and thus solved before they occur. It is good to be reminded by 1 John 1:9 that forgiveness is there when we sin. But how much better to maintain such a life of faith and discipline that the breakdown never occurs! DEALING WITH SIN BY THEODORE EPP In Strength for the Journey Joshua 7:13-26 Several steps were involved in this account that are a guide with regard to the handling of sin and the cure of it in the believer's life. First of all, the stolen goods were brought out from hiding. Sin, whatever its nature, has to be brought into the open. The person who attempts to hide his sin cannot prosper. In the second place, they brought Achan to Joshua, who in this case stands in the position of Christ. Our Lord is both the Saviour from sin and the Judge of sin. In the third place, this sin of Achan's was laid before the Lord, for all sin is directed against Him. If in the process of our sin we have affected others, then they, too, should hear our confession. Public sin should be publicly confessed. It was only after this that Achan and his family were taken and stoned to death; then their bodies and possessions were burned. It is clear from this that the family was party to the father's sin, not innocent victims of it. God's way of curing sin among believers in our day is given in 1 John 1:9. There we read, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The word "confess" means to "bring out into the open." We lay our sins out before the Lord and agree with Him concerning them. So we lay our sin out before the Lord completely and judge it. Thus the word "confess" also means "I agree with the Lord in this matter." "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5:7). The Valley of Vision has a Puritan prayer we would all do well to ponder (and even to pray) that we might have a godlike view of our sin… HEART CORRUPTIONS O God, May thy Spirit speak in me that I may speak to thee. I have no merit, let the merit of Jesus stand for me. I am undeserving, but I look to thy tender mercy. I am full of infirmities, wants, sin; Thou art full of grace. I confess my sin, my frequent sin, my willful sin; All my powers of body and soul are defiled: A fountain of pollution is deep within my nature. There are chambers of foul images within my being; I have gone from one odious room to another, walked in a no-man’s-land of dangerous imaginations, pried into the secrets of my fallen nature. I am utterly ashamed that I am what I am in myself; I have no green shoot in me nor fruit, but thorns and thistles; I am a fading leaf that the wind drives away; I live bare and barren as a winter tree, unprofitable, fit to be hewn down and burnt. Lord, dost thou have mercy on me? Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before thee. But thou hast given me another Master and Lord, thy Son, Jesus, and now my heart is turned towards holiness, my life speeds as an arrow from a bow towards complete obedience to thee. Help me in all my doings to put down sin and to humble pride. Save me from the love of the world and the pride of life, from everything that is natural to fallen man, and let Christ’s nature be seen in me day by day. Grant me grace to bear thy will without repining, and delight to be not only chiseled, squared, or fashioned, but separated from the old rock where I have been embedded so long, and lifted from the quarry to the upper air, where I may be built in Christ for ever. Andrew
1 João 1:10
MacArthur concludes chapter one noting that "All three categories of false claimants to fellowship with God (1Jn 1:6, 8, 10) fail John’s second doctrinal test by denying sin’s certainty. Thus they prove that His word [truth] is not in them. Anyone, even a professed believer seeking to cover up his or her sin, is in the depths of spiritual darkness and deception, and blasphemes God. Conversely, when those truly in the fellowship fall into sin, they do not deny sin’s presence or their propensity toward it (Ro 7:14–25; 1Ti 1:12-15; cf. Ps 32:5; 51:1, 3; Pr 28:13). Instead, they openly and honestly confess their sins before the Lord and repent of them… Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee (Lk 18:13, 14, cp Pr 26:12, 1Cor 6:9, 10, Gal 5:19-21, Eph 5:5) and the publican (tax collector) makes clear that one cannot be justified apart from an honest confession of his or her sinfulness (Macarthur J. 1-3 John Moody) Hiebert adds that "God’s Word as “the truth in the concrete form of the Scriptures, the inspired utterances of God’s mind,” (and) has found no place in (these individual's) inner life and being. (They have) rejected the most elemental application of God’s Word on (their) own heart and conscience. (1 John 1:5-2-6 Exposition)
1 João 1:10
MacArthur - A SENSITIVITY TO SIN (Borrow Strength for today) True believers are sensitive to their sin and confess it. Throughout Scripture, light is used as a metaphor for truth—both intellectual and moral truth (cf. Ps. 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23). When the apostle John writes, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5), he is stating that the Lord is absolutely sinless since light and darkness cannot coexist. Some claim to have fellowship with God (v. 6), to have no sin (v. 8), and even to have never sinned (v. 10). But they are living in darkness; it is characteristic of unbelievers to be oblivious to the sins in their lives. But that is not true of genuine believers. They have a right sense of sin: they “walk in the light as He Himself is in the light” (v. 7), and they “confess [their] sins” (v.9). True believers know that if they want to commune with God, they need to confess their sins and turn to Christ as their “Advocate” before God (2:1). The apostle Paul was very sensitive to the sinful realities of his life (Rom. 7:14–25). What about you? Are you aware of the spiritual battle raging within you? Do you realize you must live a holy life to have fellowship with God? Are you willing to confess and forsake any sin in your life? Do you realize you can choose not to sin? Are you weary of doing battle with the sin in your life (cf. Rom. 7:24)? If these things are true of you, rejoice in the assurance of your salvation. Suggestions for Prayer: Confess any known sin to God right now, then forsake it. For Further Study: Read Romans 7:14–25. Make a list of all the ways Paul was sensitive to his sin. ✧ How many of those can you relate to? ✧ How should you respond? An Insult To God He who does not believe God has made Him a liar. —1 John 5:10 Today's Scripture : 1 John 1:1-10 A woman who was extremely upset phoned me several years ago. She said she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Apparently she had strayed far from the Lord, but now had returned to Him and truly wanted to do His will. The memories of her days of spiritual wandering, however, kept haunting her. She somehow couldn’t accept the fact that God had forgiven her sins, and she had no peace or joy. But worse than that, by her attitude she was saying to God, “I don’t believe You. You don’t mean what You say!” I said to her, “Suppose that one of your dearest friends was careless and broke a piece of your best china. Feeling very sorry, she sincerely apologized for not being more careful. You assured her that you would not hold it against her. Now, what would you think if every time you saw that person, she recalled how foolish she had been and again asked for forgiveness? After a while you would probably become exasperated and say, ‘Listen, put the matter out of your mind. I have sincerely forgiven you, and I don’t want you to mention it again!'” In the deep, silent depths, far away from the shore Where they never may rise to trouble me more— God has buried my sins where no mortal may see; He has cast all of them in the depths of the sea. —Anon. Having given your sins to God, don't try to take them back.