1 João 1
R.C.H. Lenski · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 1:3
Lenski has an interesting insight asking "Why does John not say at once “that you, too, may be having fellowship with the Father and his Son”? Why does he insert the apostles and say with whom their fellowship is to be enjoyed? Because of the antichrists, Cerinthus and his separatist following. In the first advanced circle of thought (1Jn 1:5–10), in 1Jn 1:6, 7 the true fellowship is set over against the false claim of fellowship with God. Cerinthus repudiated the testimony of the apostles regarding the Logos and the efficacy of His blood and thus scorned fellowship with John and with any of the apostles. Cerinthus claimed fellowship with God without the cleansing blood of Jesus, in his estimation only a man (Not the God-Man) died on the cross. That is why John introduces the fellowship already here....Throughout the past centuries even as today those who reject the testimony of the apostles have no fellowship with them, have no fellowship with the Father and with his Son, who is none other than Jesus Christ. Although they may preach God and fellowship with God as much as they please they are antichrists (4:3) and deny the Father as well as the Son. “Everyone denying the Son, neither has the Father” (2:23), may he claim what he will. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God” (4:15), which alone is fellowship with God. All this is basic for the entire epistle and thus appears in John’s basic statement (v. 1–4). (BORROW The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John) Burdick notes that John's designation "His Son Jesus Christ" "leaves no room for any kind of Gnostic distinction between the divine Son and the human Jesus." (The Letters of John the Apostle: An In-depth Commentary) This sweet communion with God is kept up by holy meditation... Communion with God is kept up by prayer. Simon Kistemaker comments on John's use of Son (huios) "emphasizes the basic confession of the church: “Jesus is the Son of God.” Throughout his epistle he mentions the fellowship of the believer with the Father and the Son (1Jn 1:7), the redeeming work of the Son (1Jn 1:7; 4:10), the mission of the Son (1Jn 3:8), God’s testimony about the Son (1Jn 5:9), the gift of the Son in terms of eternal life (1Jn 5:11, 13), and last, the coming of the Son (1Jn 5:20). (New Testament Commentary - James, Epistles of John, Peter, and Jude) With His Son (huios) Jesus (Iesous) Christ (Christos) - John uses this full title, Jesus Christ, 6 times, at least once in every chapter (1Jn 1:3, 2:1, 3:23, 4:2, 5:6, 5:20). Note that in this epistle, John also has two uses of Jesus and Christ in the form of a "confession" (1Jn 2:22, 1Jn 5:1). The Name Jesus (means "Jehovah is salvation" cp Mt 1:21+) emphasizes His humanity, while Christ emphasizes His deity. Indeed John's goal in manifold ways is that his readers know that the human Jesus is also the heavenly, divine Messiah, the Christ ("The Anointed One"). Recall that John is confronting false teaching that taught Jesus did not come in the flesh (2Jn 1:7), which of course means that His death had no efficacy in atoning for sin, for His blood was only a man's blood. Keep in mind that the focal point of almost every cult is some foundational aspect of the Person and/or work of Jesus Christ, with the result that they teach "another Jesus" which results in damnation for all who believe in this "Jesus." (cp Paul's denunciation of "another Gospel" Gal 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 2Co 11:4) John is determined that his readers know the real Jesus Christ as the Son of God, for only in and through Him is their salvation assured. David Guzik amplifies the truth of a shared life with the Father and His Son writing that... The kind of relationship John described is only possible because Jesus is who John says He is in 1 John 1:1-2. If someone invited you to have a “personal relationship” with Napoleon, or Alexander the Great, or Abraham Lincoln - or even Moses or the Apostle Paul - we would think them foolish. One cannot even have a genuine “spiritual” relationship with a dead man. But with the eternal God who became man, we can have a relationship. The word fellowship has in it not only the idea of relationship, but of sharing a common life. When we have fellowship with Jesus, we will become more like Him. The disciples did not have the close fellowship with Jesus when He walked this earth with them. As Jesus said to Philip at the very end of His earthly ministry, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?" (John 14:9) Their true fellowship was not created by material closeness to the material Jesus, but by a work of the Holy Spirit after the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Therefore we can enter into the same fellowship with God that the Apostles could enter. We have the potential of a relationship of a shared life with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. It is as if the Father and the Son agree together to let us into their relationship of love and fellowship. This idea of a shared life is essential. This doesn't mean that when Jesus comes into our life He helps us to do better what we did before. We don't add Jesus to our life. We enter into a relationship of a shared life with Jesus. We share our life with Him, and He shares His life with us. True Christianity is an experience rooted in revelation and realized in relationship—with God and with other believers Son (huios) refers to a male offspring which Paul uses of mature believers (Gal 4:5), but is used by John only to refer to Jesus. Even though he refers to believers as children (teknion or teknon) of God, John never uses huios of believers and thus he makes a fundamental distinction between Jesus as the Son (huios) of God (7X - 1Jn 3:8, 4:15, 5:5, 10, 12, 13, 20) and believers as the children of God (1Jn 3:1, 3:2, 10, 5:2). Son is clearly a key word in this letter for John uses it in every chapter, for a total of 22x in 18v - 1 John 1:3, 7; 2:22, 23 (2x), 1Jn 2:24; 3:8, 23; 4:9, 10, 14, 15; 5:5, 9, 10 (2x), 1Jn 5:11, 12 (2x), 1Jn 5:13, 20 (2x). Steven Cole draws a practical application from this passage noting that "true Christianity is an experience rooted in revelation and realized in relationship—with God and with other believers. This two-dimensional fellowship should always be deepening in both directions. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, you should know and enjoy fellowship with God better than before. And, you should be deepening your relationships with God’s people. This is to say that unless you are in solitary confinement, you cannot be a growing Christian in isolation from other Christians. True Christianity is an experience of fellowship with God and with His people. (1 John 1:1-3 The Tests of True Christianity) Ray
1 João 1:8
Lenski observes that John is saying in essence that when we deny sin we "are not only not doing the truth (1Jn 1:6) but are wholly devoid of it, “the truth is not in us.” This is the same aletheia that was mentioned in 1Jn 1:6, the saving Gospel truth or reality, the light that delivers from the darkness. When “the truth” is not in us, we are not by any means empty but are full of fictions, fables, myths, self-made fancies, notions that are not so. (BORROW The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John) Sam Storms says John "is not saying merely that the truth is "not interwoven into the fabric of their thoughts," as some suggest. Rather, the truth is not in them. Period. As Marshall says, "This doesn't mean simply that they are telling a lie, but that they have no share in the divine reality despite their claim to the contrary". (1 John Sermon Comments) John Stott explains that "not only do we fail to do the truth (1John 1:6); we are void of it. For if it did indwell us we should inevitably be aware of our sinfulness. John's affirmation is equally applicable today to those who deny the fact or guilt of sin by seeking to interpret it solely in terms of physiological, psychological or social causes." (BORROW The Epistles of John : an introduction and commentary) Alford on the truth in this passage "The truth respecting God's holiness and our sinfulness, which is the very first spark of light in us, has no place in us." John
1 João 1:9
Lenski adds that adikia is "anything contradicting the divine norm of right; the abstract noun (adikia) is not to be restricted to actual sins." (BORROW The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John) Brooke writes that adikia "denotes injustice, failure to maintain right relations with other men or with God." (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Johannine Epistles) Adikia is used by John elsewhere only twice All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. (1Jn 5:17) He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. (John 7:18) ILLUSTRATION OF THE POWER OF SIN - A few years ago while on an airplane, I read a fascinating but rather unpleasant story. It had all the qualities of a good mystery. A frantic 911 call brought the local police to a home. The caller had only been able to communicate that she needed help and that she was being killed. When the police arrived, they found a bloody knife beside her lifeless body on the kitchen floor. Blood was spattered across the room, yet when the police examined the body, they found to their amazement not a single cut or puncture wound. The only evidence on her body was a large mark across her chest and neck. They then noticed a trail of blood leading into the next room. Following the blood they found a dying boa constrictor. The woman had apparently raised the snake as a pet. On this particular day, the snake had apparently wrapped itself around the woman as she prepared food in the kitchen. For whatever reason, she had allowed the snake to entwine her body. Once the muscular snake began to constrict itself, the woman had apparently sensed the danger. In a panic, she had grabbed a knife and began to slash away. She managed to mortally wound the snake, but she was killed in the process. This story is an incredible example of the power of sin in our lives. We often take subtle compromises into our lives like an innocent pet. We think we can handle the snake without any real risk. Although we hear stories about the destruction of other people, we rationalize that they were simply weak. We can handle it! We think we know how far we can go. Thus we deal with sin flippantly and lightly. (The Name of God) (See also The Deceitfulness of Sin) CLEAN FROM THE INSIDE OUT - Dr. Walter Wilson was visiting in a home and the members of the family were asked to quote Bible verses. One little girl quoted John 3:16 as follows: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have internal life." The point is well stated: if you walk in the light of Christ, actively confessing your sins, His blood will cleanse you from the inside out. Thank God for internal life! (Practical Illustrations) ILLUSTRATION OF FORGIVENESS - When missionaries in northern Alaska were translating the Bible into the language of the Eskimos, they discovered there was no word in that language for forgiveness. After much patient listening, however, they discovered a word that means, “not being able to think about it anymore.” That word was used throughout the translation to represent forgiveness, because God’s New Covenant promise to repentant sinners is, “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jer. 31:34) QUOTATIONS ON CONFESSION Source: Completed Gathered Gold by John Blanchard - highly recommended resource - book copy or digital copy Confessing your sins is no substitute for forsaking them. Anon. Confession of sin puts the soul under the blessing of God. Anon. Confession must be salted with contrition. Anon. Before God can deliver us we must undeceive ourselves. (ED: I AM NOT 100% SURE THIS IS ACCURATE! I BELIEVE ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL TRUTH TO OUR HEART BY HIS SPIRIT AND WORD AND THEREBY "UNDECEIVE" OUR HEARTS - see Jeremiah 17:9) Augustine When man uncovers his sin, God covers it. When man cloaks, God strips bare. When man confesses, God pardons. Augustine Acknowledging that one is a sinner is no more conviction of sin than believing the truth about Jesus is saving faith. John Blanchard Sins concealed by man are never cancelled by God. John Blanchard Concealed sins on earth are open scandal in heaven Bruce Hurt Confessing sin is not informing God, it is agreeing with him. Derek Cleave Confession is the first step to repentance. Edmund Gayton How easily sin gets into the heart; how hardly it gets out of the mouth. Joseph Hall A great part of our worthiness lies in an acknowledgement of our own unworthiness. Matthew Henry Little credit is to be given to confessions upon the rack (AKA "TORTURE"). Matthew Henry For him who confesses, shams are over and realities have begun. William James The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation. Martin Luther Wounds cannot be healed until they are revealed and sins cannot be forgiven until they are confessed. (ED: BE CAREFUL WITH THIS QUOTE! WHEN CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS ALL OUR SINS WERE PAID IN FULL! ALL WERE FORGIVEN! LUTHER SEEMS TO IMPLY THAT CONFESSION IS MERITORIOUS OR THAT CONFESSION MERITS GOD'S FORGIVENESS. THIS IS A CATHOLIC APPROACH BUT IS NOT BIBLICAL. OUR CONFESSION DOES NOT RESULT IN OUR FORGIVENESS, BUT IT DOES RESULT IN RESTORATION OF OUR JOY, INTIMACY AND COMMUNION WITH A HOLY GOD.) Martin Luther Confession is, as it were, the vomit of the soul. (WOE!) Thomas Manton Many blush to confess their faults who never blush to commit them. William Secker Confession is verbal humiliation. Richard Sibbes The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession. Richard Sibbes You can pray till doomsday for revival, but you will never get it without repentance and confession of sin in the Christian life. Erlo Stegan Do not give fair names to foul sins. Call them what you will, they will smell no sweeter. C. H. Spurgeon It does not spoil your happiness to confess your sin. The unhappiness is in not making the confession. C. H. Spurgeon John 1:7-9 Andrew Murray. The New Life THE CLEANSING OF SIN ‘If we walk in the light, the blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ -- 1 John 1:7-9. The same God that forgives sin also cleanses from it. Not less than forgiveness is cleansing a promise of God, and therefore a matter of faith. As it is indispensable, as it is impossible for man, so is cleansing as well as forgiveness certain to be obtained from God. And what now is this cleansing? The word comes from the Old Testament. While forgiveness was a sentence of acquittal passed on the sinner, cleansing was something that happened to him and in him. Forgiveness came to him through the word: in the case of cleansing, something was done to him that he could experience. (Lev. 8:13; 14:7-8; Num. 19:12, 31:23, 24; 2 Sam. 22:21, 25; 2 Chron. 5:10; Neh. 13:30; Ps. 21:4; Mal. 3:3) Consequently with us also cleansing is the inner revelation of the power of God whereby we are liberated from unrighteousness, from the pollution and the working of sin. Through cleansing we obtain the blessing of a pure heart; a heart in which the Spirit can complete His operations with a view to sanctifying us, and revealing God within us. (Ps 51:12; 73:1; Matt. 5:8; 1 Tim 1:5; 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Pet. 1:22) Cleansing is through the blood. Forgiveness and cleansing are both through the blood. The blood breaks the power that sin has in heaven to condemn us. The blood thereby also breaks the power of sin in the heart to hold us captive. The blood has a ceaseless operation in heaven from moment to moment. The blood has likewise a ceaseless operation in our heart, to purify, to keep pure the heart into which sin always seeks to penetrate from the flesh. The blood cleanses the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God. The marvelous power that the blood has in heaven, it has also in the heart. (John 13:10-11; Heb. 9:14; 10:22; 1 John 1:7) Cleansing is also through the word, for the word testifies of the blood and of the power of God. (John 14:3) Hence also cleansing is through faith. It is a divine and effectual cleansing, but it must also be received in faith ere it can be experienced and felt. I believe that I am cleansed with a divine cleansing, even while I still perceive sin in the flesh; through faith in this blessing, cleansing itself shall be my daily experience. Cleansing is ascribed sometimes to God or the Lord Jesus; sometimes to man. (Ps. 51:3; Ezek 30:25; John 13:2; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1Ti 5:22; 2Ti 2:21; James. 4:8; 1John 3:3) That is because God cleanses us by making us active in our own cleansing. Through the blood the lust that leads to sin is mortified, the certitude of power against it is awakened, and the desire and the will are thus made alive. Happy is he that understands this. He is protected against useless endeavours after self-purification in his own strength, for he knows God alone can do it. He is protected against discouragement, for he knows God will certainly do it. What we have now accordingly to lay the chief stress upon is found in two things, the desire and the reception of cleansing. The desire must be strong for a real purification. Forgiveness must be only the gateway or beginning of a holy life. I have several times remarked that the secret of progress in the service of God is a strong yearning to become free from every sin, a hunger and thirst after righteousness. (Ps. 19:13; Matt. 5:6) Blessed are such as thus yearn. They shall understand and receive the promise of a cleansing through God. They learn also what it is to do this in faith. Through faith they know that an unseen, spiritual, heavenly, but very real cleansing through the blood is wrought in them by God Himself. Beloved child of God, you remember how we have seen that it was to cleanse us that Jesus gave Himself. (Eph. 5:26; Titus 2:14) Let Him, let God the Lord, cleanse you. Having these promises of a divine cleansing, cleanse yourselves. Believe that every sin, when it is forgiven you, is also cleansed away. It shall be to you according to your faith. Let your faith in God, in the word, in the blood, in your Jesus increase continually: ‘God is faithful and righteous to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Lord Go, I thank Thee for these promises. Thou givest not only forgiveness, but also cleansing. As surely as forgiveness comes first, does cleansing follow for every one that desires it and believes. Lord, let Thy word penetrate my heart, and let a divine cleansing from every sin that is forgiven me be the stable expectation of my soul. Beloved Saviour, let the glorious, ceaseless cleansing of Thy blood through Thy Spirit in me be made known to me and shared by me every moment. Amen. 1. What is the connection between cleansing by God and cleansing by man himself? 2. What, according to 1 John 1:9, are the two things that must precede cleansing? 3. Is cleansing, as well as forgiveness, the work of God in us? If this is the case, of what inexpressible importance is it to trust God for it. To believe that God gives me a divine cleansing in the blood when He forgives me, is the way to become partaker of it. 4. What, according to Scripture, are the evidence of a pure heart? 5. What are ‘clean hands’? (Ps. 24+) 1 John 1:8-9 Ray Stedman The Person Who Denies Sin If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9). The word confess does not mean to ask for forgiveness. Christ's work for us upon the cross has already done all that is necessary to forgive us. What God wants us to do is to look at the sin before us and call it what He calls it. That means to agree with God about it, and that is what the word confess means: Fess comes from a root which means “to say,” and con means “with.” “To say with” God what He says about something is confessing sin. There is a popular song that you sometimes hear in Christian circles: “If I have wounded any soul today, If I have caused one foot to go astray, If I have lived in my own selfish way, Dear Lord, forgive.” That is not a confession at all. Do not say “if,” say, “Lord, I have caused some foot to go astray, I have lived in my own selfish way.” That is confession, agreeing with God. The cleansing is not based upon God's mercy or His kindness or His love or, least of all, His caprice; it is based on the work of Jesus Christ. On that basis God is faithful and just to forgive, and He would be utterly unjust if He refused to forgive a penitent sinner. God Himself would be wicked if He refused, on the basis of the work of Christ, to forgive a penitent sinner. That is how certain we can be of the cleansing that comes when we agree with God about these things. Whenever we are aware of having fallen into a fleshly reaction, into sins, then let us stop right there, and in our hearts agree with God about it and experience anew this wonderful cleansing, this faithful and righteous cleansing of our lives, “[purifying] from all unrighteousness.” Do you know what happens when you do not confess? You become very unpleasant to live with. As a schoolboy in Montana I endured many bitter winters when the temperature would sometimes go down to sixty degrees below zero for a week at a time. In our homes, where we had no running water, no indoor plumbing, and no electricity, taking a bath was relatively akin to major surgery. In that painful setting, we performed our ablutions. It was difficult enough that some people did not think it necessary to bathe at all during the winter months. If you went into the heat of a one-room schoolhouse on a cold winter's day, with about fifty or sixty sweating bodies there, you became very much aware of this fact. Now I do not mind living with someone who knows he or she is dirty and therefore frequently washes, but it is terribly distressing to live with someone who thinks he or she never gets dirty. That is what John is saying. If we say we cannot get dirty, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we face up to it and confess it, then the cleansing that the Lord Jesus has fully and abundantly provided for on the cross is immediately ours, and we are as though we had never sinned. Father, in such practical terms does this reveal the tendency of my own heart to deceive myself and also the readiness of Your heart to cleanse me? May I learn to walk in agreement with You. TEN WRONG WAYS OF DEALING WITH SIN! Yoho is quoted by Paul Apple regarding the importance of dealing correctly with sin… (1) The Gnostics taught that all evil is in matter, for which man is not personally responsible. Moreover, they believed that their own true selves, their enlightened spirit, could not be contaminated by material. They claimed, therefore, to be sinless. All Gnostics knew that sin was not their problem -- only ignorance. True, the Gnostics lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago, but what about today? Today men are claiming the exact same lie. Let's make a list: (2) The Evolutionist: 'What men call sin is nothing more than the residue of their animal ancestry. Besides, it's got to be good because it feels so natural.' (3) The Pantheist: 'Since everything is part of God; then what men call sin is part of God; therefore, sin is part of God and not sinful.' (4) The Behaviorist: 'There is no such thing as personal responsibility since a man becomes just what his environment makes him.' (5) The Psychoanalyst: 'Guilt is unhealthy.' (6) The Sociologist: 'Collectively we bear the blame for the ills of society.' (And if everyone is to blame in general, then no one is to blame in particular.) (7) The Alcoholic: 'I'm not a drunkard; I'm an alcoholic. It's not a sin, it's a disease.' (8) The Christian Scientist (Cultist): 'The concept of sin is only an illusion of mortal mind.' (9) The Holiness Perfectionist: 'I have reached sinless perfection and don't sin anymore. I just make mistakes.' (10) The Relativist: 'Since there are no absolute values, then by definition there can be no right or wrong.' Surely, a primary part of the Protestant pulpit must include a sharp confrontation between the listeners and their sins. Christianity does not teach that guilt is unhealthy; rather, it insists that confession is healthy. Christianity first looks at sin right in the face and then socks it right in the jaw. Jesus Christ did not excuse sin; He expiated it. We must deal with the problem, not deny it. The Christian faith does not deny guilt -- it removes guilt." (1 John - Tests of Eternal Life) On the basis of the truth in 1John 1:9, how confident can we be that God will grant forgiveness and cleansing in our own life? What is the extent of God's forgiveness and cleansing? Finally what are the conditions? It is our duty to feel sin, to fear sin, and to fly sin as far as we can. -John Boys Forgiven! Read: 1 John 1:1-10 | Bible in a Year: Psalms 46–48; Acts 28 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant. Psalm 119:176 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). Monitor your heart daily to avoid wandering from God’s wisdom. 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. Not perfect; just forgiven by Jesus! That’s the good word for today. 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 1:8-9 Mistakes – Jim Wilson Automobile manufacturer Toyota has recently taken a big hit after recalling millions of cars worldwide over concerns of faulty accelerators. After months of investigation safety officials say they have not found any problems other than concerns the manufacturer expressed. Their research found that in more than half of the crashes blamed on sudden acceleration, data from the “black boxes” in the vehicle showed the driver was not stepping on the brake at the time of the accident, indicating the problem might have been driver error. Though officials stress the investigation in continuing, they say the data supports Toyota’s assertion that electronic defects were not to blame for the incidents. The report does not specify driver error as a cause of unintended acceleration, but officials familiar with the research say the findings point to pedal misapplication, mistakenly hitting the gas instead of the brakes. In other words, the data suggests the biggest problem with the cars was the driver, not the equipment. http:online.wsj.comarticleNA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748704164904575421603167046966.html Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. We all make mistakes. 1 John 1:8-9 Forgiveness – Jim Wilson A 19-year-old Ohio woman was sorry for cheating on her boyfriend, and decided to ask for support from her community to get a second chance. Jess Dutry’s boyfriend took back their engagement ring and ended the relationship on their one year anniversary after Dutry confessed to cheating on him earlier in the summer. She regretted her mistake so much that she desperately searched for a way to repent of her misdeeds. After reading a news story online, Dutry decided to stand on a street corner holding a sign which read, “I cheated. Honk if I deserve a second chance.” Passing drivers beeped their support for the woman. Dutry said, “I’ve gotten 57 honks in the last hour and a half. I’ve had people come out of their cars and hug me, tell me ‘Good luck.’” Dutry hopes the public support may convince her fiancée to give her a second chance. She added,”I just want a chance to redeem myself. I honestly feel bad, if I have to stand out here in the rain for him to take me back, I will.” ‘Cheater’ wants to reunite with boyfriend, http:www.sanduskyregister.comarticles20090918front1619893.txt; September 20, 2009; Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell. What would you do in this situation? 1 John 1:9 Confession of sin Dr. Mark Laaser, a former pornography addict, sees the Internet as a key factor in America's moral decline. It has made pornography more widely, easily, and privately available, pulling many into a “downward spiral” and hooking “a lot of people who might not otherwise have degenerated so rapidly.” Through workshops, books like Faithful and True, and the ministry he leads, the Christian Alliance for Sexual Recovery, Laaser now helps individuals and churches deal in biblical ways with issues of sexual immorality. 1 John 1:8-9 CONSISTENCY - Jim Wilson – Fresh Illustrations Two French government ministers traveling to the unveiling of a new radar speed trap outside Paris were caught exceeding the speed limit as they went to the event. Reporters using handheld radar guns recorded Transport Minister Gilles de Robien's car traveling through Paris at 62 mph in a 43 mph zone. Meanwhile the Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who is in charge of the current law and order drive in France, was clocked at 64 mph in the same zone. Sarkozy's office later issued a statement pleading special circumstances, but not admitting the car's speed. The statement aid, "The minister's vehicle was traveling in a secured environment behind two police motorcycles who fixed the speed." Excuses and explanations aside, it is poor leadership to break the very laws you are charged with enforcing. None of us, not even government officials are above the law. —Reuters, Ministers Fall to Own Road Safety Push, November 11, 2003. Submitted by Jim Sandell F B
1 João 1:10
Lenski: If we say that we have not been sinning, a liar are we making him, and his Word is not in us. NLT: If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. (NLT - Tyndale House)
1 João 1:10
Lenski comments that "To have God's Word "in us" is to have received it in the heart, to hold it in faith, to be governed by it and by all it says to us sinners. It is not in us when we close our hearts to it and believe, hold, follow something else. This is making God a liar. There is a formal acceptance of the Word, but this alone does not place his Word "in us," the truth "in us" (1Jn 1:8).