1 João 1
F.B. Meyer · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 1:5
Meyer: How many-sided is God! He is "light," "salvation," and "strength (defense)." The trusting soul lives behind a triple door. We may shrink from uttering the desire to dwell evermore in Jehovah's house. Yet there is a sense in which even busy people can do this by the grace of the Holy Spirit. God's presence is God's house. Abide in Him! You are "in Him" unless you consciously go out. Warren
1 João 1:6
Meyer - 1 John 1:6, 7 Our Daily Homily F B Meyer If we say, . . . but if we walk. - 1 John 1:6-7 In three marked passages, the beloved apostle guards against what men are apt to say, and indicates to them what it would be better for them to substitute in thought and speech. Men are apt to say that they have fellowship with Christ and yet continue to walk in darkness. - It arises sometimes from their desire to stand well with their fellows, or because they do not realize how much darkness is still in their lives. But whichever be the cause, they lie and do not the truth. It is better far to walk quietly in the light, so far as we have it; and thus we shall secure His blessed fellowship, and His blood will be continually cleansing us from sin, removing. all hindrance on Christ's side to the free communication of His choicest gifts. Again, men are apt to say that they have no sin (1Jn 1:8). - It is a profound mistake on their part, arising from defective ideas of what sin is, or from self-ignorance. If they realized what God's standard of holiness and sinlessness is; if they understood that sin consists in coming short of His glory as much as in distinct violation of His will; if they knew that there may be sin in motive as much as in act, and even in want of love-they would not speak thus. As it is, they deceive themselves, though no one else. It is better to confess our sins and seek cleansing, even for those of ignorance, in the precious blood of Jesus. Again, men, are apt to say that they have not sinned. - Though they have fallen below their own standard, they do not like to admit it, and cling tenaciously to their position of having got beyond the range of sinning. Much better to admit it, and obtain forgiveness through the one Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 John 1:5-9 Transformation – Jim Wilson Scientists claim they have a new state of matter by creating a form of aluminum that is transparent to extreme ultraviolet radiation. The study detailed in the journal, Nature Physics, sound like something from science fiction lore. To create the new state of matter, a short pulse of high intensity laser light “knocked out” a core electron from every aluminum atom in a sample without destroying the metal’s crystalline structure. Professor Justin Wark of Oxford University’s Department of Physics says the new form of transparent aluminum only existed for a short time, but could lead to new insight into the nature of matter, and harnessing the power of nuclear fusion. Wark said, “What is particularly remarkable about our experiment is that we have turned ordinary aluminum into this exotic new material in a single step by using this very powerful laser For a brief period, the sample looks and behaves in every way like a new form of matter.” Wark added, “What we created is a completely new state of matter nobody has seen before. …it’s almost as surprising as finding that you can turn lead into gold with light.” Scientists Claim New State of Matter Created,http:www.livescience.comtechnology090728-new-state-matter.html, July 28, 2009, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell Exposure to the Light transforms lives too! The Truth About Sin We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. — 1 John 2:1 Today's Scripture : 1 John 1:1-10 A man rebuked me for admitting that I still sin and often need forgiveness. He quoted verses 6 and 9 of 1 John 3 and said that a Christian does not sin, implying that I was not a Christian. I assured him that I don’t want to sin, but that I can’t say I’m Christlike in everything I think, say, and do. I suggested that the verses in 1 John 3 refer to a sinful lifestyle, and I pointed him to other verses in 1 John which teach that Christians still need forgiveness (1:8-10; 2:1). Becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. Only in heaven will we be without sin. I believe that’s why John warned us to beware of three lies about sin: First, saying “we have fellowship with [Christ]” while we “walk in darkness” (1 Jn. 1:6). Second, saying “we have no sin” (v.8). And third, saying “we have not sinned” (v.10). Following each lie he gave us the truth. First, if we walk in the light, Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all sin (v.7). Second, if we confess our sins, He forgives and cleanses us (v.9). And third, if we sin, Jesus speaks in our defense before the Father (2:1). Please help me, Lord, in all I do To act and think with motives true; And by Your love reveal to me Those sins that only You can see. —DJD Christians are not sinless, but they should sin less. Celebrate the Man - A survey of visitors at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, revealed that many of the park’s guests under the age of 15 didn’t know that Walt Disney was a real person. They thought that “Disney” was just a company name. When corporate officials planned the celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth, they made a special effort to highlight the life and impact of the real man. With Christmas still a few weeks away, it’s not too early to ponder how we can celebrate the Savior’s birth in a way that helps others know that Jesus lived on this earth as a real man. What can we do to communicate that a baby born in Bethlehem was the one and only Son of God who gave His life to save us from sin? The apostle John, a companion of Jesus, taught that to live as a forgiven, transformed person is the best testimony we can give that Jesus was truly the Son of God, a real person. He wrote, “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1Jn 1:7). And “He who loves his brother abides in the light” (1Jn 2:10). Putting It Into Practice What does it mean to "walk in the light"? Review these verses for insight: Ephesians 5:8-10; Colossians 3:12-15; James 3:17; 1 Peter 1:15-16. Does your life shed light or cast shadows?
1 João 1:7
Meyer - 1 John 1:6–7 If we say ... but if we walk. In three marked passages, the beloved apostle guards against what men are apt to say, and indicates to them what it would be better for them to substitute in thought and speech. Men are apt to say that they have fellowship with Christ, and yet continue to walk in darkness. — It arises sometimes from their desire to stand well with their fellows, or because they do not realize how much darkness is still in their lives. But whichever be the cause, they lie and do not the truth. It is better to walk quietly in the light, so far as we have it; and thus we shall secure his blessed fellowship, and his blood will be continually cleansing us from sin, removing all hindrance on Christ’s side to the free communication of his choicest gifts. Again, men are apt to say that they have no sin (1 John 1:8). — It is a profound mistake on their part, arising from defective ideas of what sin is, or from self-ignorance. If they realized what God’s standard of holiness and sinlessness is; if they understood that sin consists in coming short of his glory as much as in distinct violation of his will; if they knew that there may be sin in motive as much as in act, and even in want of love — they would not speak thus. As it is, they deceive themselves, though no one else. It is better to confess our sins and seek cleansing, even for those of ignorance, in the precious blood of Jesus. Again, men are apt to say that they have not sinned. — Though they have fallen below their own standard, they do not like to admit it, and cling tenaciously to their position of having got beyond the range of sinning. Much better to admit it, and obtain forgiveness through the one Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. C H
1 João 1:7
Meyer - Learn a lesson from the eye of the miner, who all day long is working amid the flying coal dust. When he emerges in the light of day his face may be grimy enough; but his eyes are clear and lustrous, because the fountain of tears in the lachrymal gland is ever pouring its gentle tides over the eye, cleansing away each speck of dust as soon as it alights. Is not this the miracle of cleansing which our spirits need in such a world as this? And this is what our blessed Lord is prepared to do for us by His cleansing blood, if only we will trust Him. James Smith - FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER 1 John 1:7 Here are several powerful reasons why believers ought to keep in fellowship with one another:— 1. All are born of the same Father (John 1:13). 2. All are bought with the same Price (1 Cor. 6:20). 3. All are members of the same Body (Col. 1:18). 4. All are taught by the same Spirit (John 16:13). 5. All are walking in the same Path (2 Cor. 5:7). 6. All are serving the same Master (Matt. 23:8). 7. All are heirs of the same Inheritance (Rom. 8:17). James Smith - DIVINE CLEANSING 1 John 1:7 The Disease, “Sin.” The Remedy, “The Blood of Jesus.” The Result, “Cleansing.” Kenneth Osbeck - WALK IN THE LIGHT Bernard Barton, 1784–1849 (borrow Amazing grace) But 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 every sin. (1 John 1:7) How beautiful to walk in the steps of the Savior Led in paths of light. —E. Hewitt Walking in the light means walking as Christ walked while here on earth—seeking to imitate His life style in all that we do. When we walk in the light, our paths become illuminated and purposeful, and there is a glow of warmth and love in our lives that makes us want to care for the needs of others. This life of love is not merely a soft sentimental feeling—but rather a life of action. Sometimes we as Christians seem to minimize this basic quality in our lives. We spend our time seeking the unusual and “deep” truths of the Scriptures or arguing with those with whom we may differ. A life devoid of Christ’s tender love for others, both fellow-believers and non-believers, can negate much of our Christian witness. The Bible teaches that a life without love, counts for nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1–3). Walking in the light is in the present tense. It is a new experience with God each day. It is always helpful to recall God’s faithfulness and leading in the past. But our past blessings must always be blended into the present wonder of walking this day with the Lord. The author of “Walk in the Light,” Bernard Barton, was known as England’s “Quaker Poet.” Although he never rose above the position of a bank clerk, his reputation as a man of letters was recognized by many literary leaders of his day. In all, Barton had 10 books of verse published, from which about 20 hymns came into usage. “Walk in the Light” first appeared in Barton’s Devotional Verses, published in 1926. Make walking in the light your experience today. Walk in the light! So shalt thou know that fellowship of love His Spirit only can bestow, who reigns in light above. Walk in the light! And thou shalt find thy heart made truly His, who dwells in cloudless light enshrined, in Whom no darkness is. Walk in the light! And thou shalt own thy darkness passed away, because that light hath on thee shone in which is perfect day. Walk in the light! And thine shall be a path, though thorny, bright: For God, by grace, shall dwell in thee, and God Himself is light. For Today: Psalm 36:9; John 8:12; Romans 12:10; 2 Corinthians 4:6 Consciously leave time in your schedule to be responsive to the needs of another. Share Christ and His love with them. Robert Hawker - The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.—1 John 1:7. MY Soul, sit down for a while by this crimson fountain, and duly ponder over this glorious property of thy Redeemer’s blood. Oh, the sovereign efficacy of it! For it not only cleanseth sin, but all sin: not only others’ sins, but our sins: not only the present evil of sin, but the everlasting evil of it: not only now, but for ever. It cleanseth from all sin. Pause, my soul! Is there any other laver to wash away sin? Can prayers, or tears, or repentance, or ordinances, or communions, or duties, or alms? Oh no. We must say of every thing, and of all things, out of Christ, and void of Christ, as Job did concerning his friends, Miserable comforters are ye all; physicians of no value. Here then, my soul, seek thy cleansing, and here only. And while to this fountain thou art daily brought by the Holy Ghost, look up and behold the whole assembly of the redeemed above, who are now standing around the throne, owing their bliss and their cleansing to the same source. Listen to their songs of joy, and catch the notes, to sing even now the same song of rejoicing. They have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore it is, and for no other cause, that they are now before the throne, and serve the Lord in his temple day and night. (Poor Man's Morning Portion) Spurgeon's Devotional on the Cleansing Power of the Blood of Jesus (from Morning and Evening - 1John 1:7) - "Cleanses," says the text-not "shall cleanse." There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a sense of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of Christian experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing-a privilege for this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts Jesus he is fully forgiven. The text, being written in the present tense, also indicates continuance; it was "cleanses" yesterday, it is "cleanses" to-day, it will be "cleanses" tomorrow: it will be always so with you, Christian, until you cross the river; every hour you may come to this fountain, for it cleanses still. Notice, likewise, the completeness of the cleansing, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin"-not only from sin, but "from all sin." Reader, I cannot tell you the exceeding sweetness of this word, but I pray God the Holy Ghost to give you a taste of it. Manifold are our sins against God. Whether the bill be little or great, the same receipt can discharge one as the other. The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity is gone, all gone at once, and all gone for ever. Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon as one gives himself to sleep. Sins against a holy God; Sins against His righteous laws; Sins against His love, His blood; Sins against His name and cause; Sins immense as is the sea- From them all He cleanses me. ALL SIN All sin - This is a glorious phrase. THOUGHT - Beloved of God, what sin are you dealing with that you think is too great for God to forgive? The blood of Jesus is continually (as noted above cleanses is present tense) effective for all sin for all time, past, present and future. C H Spurgeon gives us an encouraging reminder of the thoroughness of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ by first reminding us that… Our sins are great; every sin is great; but there are some that in our apprehension seem to be greater than others. There are crimes that the lip of modesty could not mention. I might go far in this pulpit this morning in describing the degradation of human nature in the sins which it has invented. It is amazing how the ingenuity of man seems to have exhausted itself in inventing fresh crimes. Surely there is not the possibility of the invention of a new sin. But if there be, ere long man will invent it, for man seems to be exceedingly cunning, and full of wisdom in the discovery of means of destroying himself and the endeavour to injure his Maker. But there are some sins that show a diabolical extent of degraded ingenuity—some sins of which it were a shame to speak, of which it were disgraceful to think. But note here: "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin." There may be some sins of which a man cannot speak, but there is no sin which the blood of Christ cannot wash away. Blasphemy, however profane, lust, however bestial; covetousness, however far it may have gone into theft and rapine; breach of the commandments of God, however much of riot it may have run, all this may be pardoned and washed away through the blood of Jesus Christ. In all the long list of human sins, though that be long as time, there stands but one sin that is unpardonable, and that one no sinner has committed if he feels within himself a longing for mercy, for that sin once committed, the soul becomes hardened, dead, and seared, and never desires afterwards to find peace with God. I therefore declare to thee, O trembling sinner, that however great your iniquity may be, whatever sin you may have committed in all the list of guilt, however far you may have exceeded all your fellow-creatures, though you may have distanced the Pauls and Magdalenes and every one of the most heinous culprits in the black race of sin, yet the blood of Christ is able now to wash your sin away. Mark! I speak not lightly of your sin, it is exceeding great; but I speak still more loftily of the blood of Christ. Great as are thy sins, the blood of Christ is greater still. Thy sins are like great mountains, but the blood of Christ is like Noah's flood; twenty cubits upwards shall this blood prevail, and the top of the mountains of thy sin shall be covered. Just take the word "all" in another sense, not only as taking in all sorts of sin, but as comprehending the great aggregate mass of sin. Come here sinner, you with the grey head. What are we to understand in your case by this word all? Bring hither the tremendous load of the sins of your youth. Those sins are still in your bones, and your tottering knees sometimes testify against the iniquities of your early youth; but all these sins Christ can remove. Now bring hither the sins of your riper manhood, your transgressions in the family, your failures in business, all the mistakes and all the errors you have committed in the thoughts of your heart. Bring them all here; and then add the iniquities of your frail and trembling age. What a mass is there here! What a mass of sin! Stir up that putrid mass, but put your finger to your nostrils first, for you cannot bear the stench of it if you are a man with a living and quickened conscience. Could your bear to read your own diary if you had written there all your acts? No; for though your were the purest of mankind, your thoughts if they could have been recorded, would now if you could read them, make you startle and wonder that you are demon enough to have had such imaginations within your soul. But put them all there, and all these sins the blood of Christ can wash away. … Remember, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses from all sin. Let but the blood be applied to our consciences and all our guilt is removed, and cast away for ever—all—none left, not one solitary stain remaining—all gone, like Israel's enemies—all drowned in the Red Sea, so that there was not one of them left, all swept away, not so much as the remembrance of them remaining. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin." (The Evil and its Remedy) There is power, power, wonder–working power In the precious blood of the Lamb. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me. —Charles Wesley Sin (noun) (266)(hamartia) literally conveys the idea of missing the mark as when hunting with a bow and arrow (in Homer some hundred times of a warrior hurling his spear but missing his foe). Later hamartia came to mean missing or falling short of any goal, standard, or purpose. Hamartia in simple terms in the context of the Bible signifies a departure from God's holy, perfect standard of what is right in word or deed (righteous). Hamartia is a key word in First John occurring 17 times -- 11x = "sin" singular; 6x = "sins" plural - 1Jn 1:7, 8, 9 (twice), 1Jn 2:2, 12; 3:4, 5, 8, 9; 4:10; 5:16 (2x), 1Jn 5:17 (2x). Light produces life and growth and beauty, but sin is darkness and produces death and corruption (Ro 6:23+, Gal 6:8+). Clearly, darkness and light cannot exist in the same place. It follows that if we are walking in the light, darkness has to disappear. If we are holding on to sin, then the light goes. There is no middle ground, no vague “gray” area, where sin is concerned. O God of Light --Arthur S Booth-Clibborn O God of light, O God of love, Shine on my soul from Heaven above! Let sin appear in Thy pure ray As black as on the judgment day; Let perfect love apply the test, And all that’s wrong make manifest. WALKING IN THE LIGHT NOT OPTIONAL John Piper clearly sees this section as describing genuine salvation… Some people think that the only way to make the Gospel really good news is to deny that changes are necessary in our lives. They say that takes away the possibility of assurance of salvation. They say the way we live after putting our faith in Christ has nothing to do with our salvation. I answer that a powerless "Gospel" is not good news. A "Gospel" that only wins lip service is not different than all the other philosophies of the world. Such a "Gospel'' produces a Christianity that is a game of words. It encourages lukewarm church-goers that they are safe from God's wrath because of some inherited mental assent to the love of God. Such a "Gospel'' accounts for how 40 million people can claim to be born again in America at the same time that our moral condition is an all time low of corruption inside and outside the church. The message of 1 John—that walking in the light is not optional, but necessary for salvation—is good news because it creates the moral atmosphere of urgency in which serious business is done with God. It gives the flavor of eternity to all we say and do. It militates against religious gamesmanship. It honors the purpose of God in Christ to destroy the works of the devil. It takes seriously the necessity of glorifying God in our bodies. It leads people to real faith instead of encouraging them to be content with a lip service that cannot change and cannot save. But in the end it simply is not up to us to decide whether the gospel is the kind of good news we would like it to be. Ours is simply to listen and submit to the Word of God. And the Word of God says that "if we walk in the light as he is in the light … the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." If we walk in darkness, we cut ourselves off from the cleansing effects of Christ's blood. And if we cut ourselves off from Christ's blood, where will hope be found. (1 John 1:5-10: Let Us Walk in the Light of God) (Bolding added) J Ligon Duncan minces no words in his exposition of 1John 1:6-7 writing that… John is saying, “What I want to see in the life of the professing believer is testimony that there is a life that is bent towards God.” God’s promises are the desires of our hearts. God’s commands we love; we long to do the duty that He has given to us; we long to be like Him; we want to be like the Lord Jesus Christ; we don’t want to simply conform in the way we dress or the way we think or the way we act to the prevailing attitudes of the world around us. We want to march to the beat of a different drum. We want to march to the beat of God’s drum. We want to be like Him. We want to think after His thoughts. We want to behave as He has called us to in this word. And so John is pressing home the point that if your profession of faith points one way and your life points the other way, it is an infallible proof that you’re a hypocrite. Now John, I want to say very quickly, is not saying that if you are not sinlessly perfected, you’re not a Christian. He makes that point very clear in the very next verse. The Christian life is not a life of sinless perfection. It is a life of struggle within and without, with temptation and sin. It is a life in which we continue to need the forgiveness of God. He speaks about it in verse 7, doesn’t he. But is your life bent in that direction? Is your desire to grow in grace? Do you long to be godly? Are you unhappy in your sin because you know that that sin is displeasing to God, and it fractures your fellowship with Him and with others? Is sin something that you cannot rest in, you cannot be satisfied in, but you long to please Him in the way you live? If so, your life is bent towards God. But if being like God, if being Holy, if being separated out and committed to Him and to His people, even if it costs you in this life--if that’s not your concern, then John says, You’re contradicting your profession. John is asking us to search our lives and see whether our lives measure up to our profession. His catch phrase--if we wanted to give him a catch phrase here in verse 6--would be, “Do the truth.” He’d say, don’t tell me that you believe the truth; do the truth! Now John’s not playing down the importance of believing the truth. What’s his gospel about but believing the truth? All through the gospel of John, what does he say to you? “Believe the truth, believe the gospel, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” But here he says, don’t just tell me that you believe the truth; do the truth-- practice the truth. John is saying, you are what you do. Your lives, he’s saying, your lives will reveal whether you really believe the truth that you claim to believe. Your lives will show if you really have fellowship with God. Your lives will show if you have real fellowship as brothers and sisters with fellow believers. (1 John 1:5-7 Being Like God) ASSURANCE OF SALVATION IN FIRST JOHN Willard Aldrich's in his study entitled "Assurance" makes the important declaration that… The profession of faith in Jesus Christ and the claim to belong in the family on the ground of the promises should be corroborated by the emergence of the family resemblance… The Apostle John presents several family traits in his First Epistle by which we should test our conformity to the divine likeness. If we find these traits in us, even in incipient form, then in the words of the apostle we can “assure our hearts before him” (1Jn 3:19). The child of God enjoys the fellowship of the family life (1Jn 1:3, 4). It is fellowship with the Father, and with the Son, and with one another. A true test of belonging in the family is whether we enjoy life in the family. The man of the world loves darkness rather than light, and to walk in the light and to have fellowship in God’s family is utterly foreign to his nature and desire (John 3:19; 1Jn 1:7). The child of God confesses that he possesses a sin nature (1Jn 1:8), and that he sins (1Jn 1:10), but his life is not characterized by sin (1 John 3:9). To walk in the light is to walk in the full-orbed revelation of God and His saving grace. And absolutely basic to such a walk is the confession of sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” That is, we are not walking in the light. To walk in the light is to have our sin revealed to us by the light, confess it and claim the perpetual cleansing of the blood of Christ. The confession involved in 1 John 1:7 is that of our sinfulness by nature, and the cleansing that judicial cleansing which guarantees that we shall not come into judgment. The confession of 1John 1:9 is of specific sins, as indicated by 1John 1:10, and it vouchsafes to us forgiveness and practical cleansing in the sphere of the divine family. But the life of the child of God is not characterized by sin (1John 3:9). The life that is still dominated by sin is still controlled by the devil and has never been born again (1 John 3:8). John recognizes a continuing sin nature, and the possibility of isolated acts of sin. He does not teach sinless perfection, but he does insist that the child of God will live a life of practical righteousness: “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1John 2:29). And again, “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1John 3:7). (Assurance - Willard Aldrich Bib Sacra 114:456. Oct, 57) MARKS OF AUTHENTICITY Jim Bomkamp lists the following indicators or marks of a genuine believer from John's first chapter… 1. Walks in the light - 1Jn 1:6 2. Has fellowship with other Christians who walk in the light - 1Jn 1:7 3. Believes he has a sin nature - 1Jn 1:8 4. Occasionally sins - 1Jn 1:10 (34 Marks of a True Christian in 1 John) Let Us Walk in the Light --Fanny Crosby There is a Light, a blessèd Light, That comes from God above; And in the face of Christ the Lord, Reflects the Father’s love. Refrain Let us walk in the Light, Ever walk in the Light of God; Let us walk in the Light, Ever walk in the Light of God. There is a Light, a glorious Light, That falls upon our way; And brighter shineth as we go, Till lost in perfect day. Refrain There is a Light, a Holy Light, By which we now behold The jasper walls, the pearly gates And streets of shining gold. Refrain O blessèd, blessèd, Holy Light, To all so freely giv’n; Shine forth, shine forth, O Light of Life, And guide us safe to Heav’n. Refrain F B Meyer's Our Daily Walk devotional "Walking in the Light" (Reference passages Ge 1:3, Ep 5:8): PAUL makes use of this passage in Genesis, when He says, that "God who commanded the fight to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." He seems to go back in his experience to that remarkable vision on the road to Damascus, when the light shone, and he saw the face of the Lord Jesus. It was as though he had passed through the experience of chaos, while kicking against the goad of conviction, and at that moment, which he could never forget, God said: "Let there be light." Looking up, he saw the light of the glory of God reflected in that dear Face that looked down on him with ineffable love. It was life out of death; light replaced darkness, and peace chased away the last vestige of storm. This is ever the result and climax of the work in our hearts wrought by the Holy Spirit. He leads us out of darkness; He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto us. His one aim is to glorify our Saviour, and to make Him the Alpha and Omega of our faith, as we walk in the light. When I was in Tasmania, I was shown a great mountain range on which was a vast lake, fifty-two miles in circumference. The overflow yielded a perennial waterfall of a thousand feet, the force of which was translated into electricity which made light and power cheap for great factories and for domestic needs. It seemed to me, as I thought about it, that the great sheet of water resembled the Love of God, in its longing to help mankind; that the descending waterfall might be taken to illustrate the Incarnation of our Saviour, who was the Sent-One of the Eternal Trinity; and that the electric current, invisible but mighty, was typical of the Holy Spirit, who brings to our hearts the Light and Power of the Divine Nature. The lesson is obvious, that as the manufacturer or the scientist invents machinery to meet the conditions on which alone the electric current can do its work, so must we learn to adapt ourselves to receive and transmit the power and light of God, which comes to us through our union with Jesus. PRAYER - May the Holy Spirit keep us ever walking in the light of Thy countenance. May He fill our hearts with the sense of Thy nearness and loving fellowship. Order our steps in Thy way, and then walk with us, for in Thee is no darkness at all. AMEN. Saved by the Blood --Fanny Crosby, 1875 We’re saved by the blood That was drawn from the side Of Jesus our Lord, When He languished and died. Refrain Hallelujah to God, For redemption so free; Hallelujah, hallelujah, Dear Savior, to Thee. O yes, ’tis the blood Of the Lamb that was slain; He conquered the grave, And He liveth again. Refrain We’re saved by the blood; We are sealed by its power; ’Tis life to the soul, And is hope every hour. Refrain That blood is a fount Where the vilest may go And wash till their souls Shall be whiter than snow. Refrain We’re saved by the blood, Hallelujah again; We’re saved by the blood, Hallelujah, Amen. Refrain QUESTION - How can I have assurance of my salvation? Watch associated video ANSWER - The assurance of salvation is, simply put, knowing for sure that you are saved. Many Christians throughout history have written about their struggles in being assured of their salvation. The problem is that many followers of Jesus Christ look for the assurance of salvation in the wrong places. We tend to seek assurance of salvation in the things God is doing in our lives, in our spiritual growth, in the good works and obedience to God’s Word that is evident in our Christian walk. While these things can be evidence of salvation, they are not what we should base the assurance of our salvation on. Rather, we should find the assurance of our salvation in the objective truth of God’s Word. We should have confident trust that we are saved based on the promises God has declared, not because of our subjective experiences. How can you have assurance of salvation? Consider 1 John 5:11–13: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (emphasis added). Who is it that has the Son? It is those who have believed in Him (John 1:12). If you have Jesus, you have life. Not temporary life, but eternal. And, according to 1 John 5:13, you can know that you have this eternal life. God wants us to have assurance of our salvation. We should not live our Christian lives wondering and worrying each day whether we are truly saved. That is why the Bible makes the plan of salvation so clear. Believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Acts 16:31). Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the dead (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Do you trust Him alone for salvation? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you are saved! Assurance means freedom from doubt. By taking God’s Word to heart, you can have no doubt about the reality of your eternal salvation. Jesus Himself assures those who believe in Him: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28–29). Eternal life is just that—eternal. There is no one, not even yourself, who can take Christ’s God-given gift of salvation away from you. Take joy in what God’s Word is saying to you: instead of doubting, we can live with confidence! We can have the assurance from Christ’s own Word that our salvation will never be in question. Our assurance of salvation is based on the perfect and complete salvation God has provided for us through Jesus Christ. Are you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? If the answer is “yes,” rest assured, you are saved. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What are some of the signs of genuine saving faith? ANSWER- This is one of the most important questions in the Christian life. Many believers doubt their salvation because they don’t see signs of genuine faith in their lives. There are those who say we should never doubt our decision to follow Christ, but the Bible encourages us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly “in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Thankfully, God has given us ample instruction for how we can know for sure that we have eternal life. The first epistle of John was actually written for that purpose, as it states in 1 John 5:13, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." There is a series of tests in 1 John that we can use to examine ourselves and our faith. As we look at them, remember that no one will perfectly fulfill all of them all the time, but they should reveal a consistent trend that characterizes our lives as we grow in grace. 1. Do you enjoy having fellowship with Christ and His redeemed people? (1 John 1:3) 2. Would people say you walk in the light, or walk in the darkness? (1 John 1:6-7) 3. Do you admit and confess your sin? (1 John 1:8) 4. Are you obedient to God’s Word? (1 John 2:3-5) 5. Does your life indicate you love God rather than the world? (1 John 2:15) 6. Is your life characterized by "doing what is right"? (1 John 2:29) 7. Do you seek to maintain a pure life? (1 John 3:3) 8. Do you see a decreasing pattern of sin in your life? (1 John 3:5-6) [Note: this refers to not continuing in sin as a way of life, not a total absence of sin.] 9. Do you demonstrate love for other Christians? (1 John 3:14) 10. Do you "walk the walk," versus just "talking the talk"? (1 John 3:18-19) 11. Do you maintain a clear conscience? (1 John 3:21) 12. Do you experience victory in your Christian walk? (1 John 5:4) If you are able to truthfully answer "Yes" to these questions (or a majority of them, and are working on the others), then your life is bearing the fruit of true salvation. Jesus said that it is by our fruits that we are known as His disciples (Matthew 7:20). Fruitless branches—professing believers who do not display the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) are cut off and thrown into the fire (John 15:6). A genuine faith is one that not only believes in God (the demons themselves do that - James 2:19), but leads to open confession of sin and obedience to Christ’s commands. Remember, we are saved by grace through faith, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but our works should display the reality of our salvation (James 2:17-18). Genuine saving faith will always produce works; a faith that is perpetually without works is no faith at all and saves no one. In addition to these confirmations, we need to remember God’s promises and the reality of the war we are in. Satan is just as real as Jesus Christ, and he is a formidable enemy of our souls. When we turn to Christ, Satan will look for every opportunity to deceive and defeat us. He will try to convince us that we are unworthy failures or that God has given up on us. When we are in Christ, we have the assurance that we are kept by Him. Jesus Himself prayed for us in John 17:11 that the Father would "protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one." Again in verse 15, He prayed, "keep them from the evil one." In John 10:27-29, Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." If you hear and obey the voice of Jesus, then you are one of His sheep, and He will never let you go. Jesus gave a wonderful word picture here of Christians securely held within His loving hands and the Father’s almighty hands wrapping themselves around His, giving us a double assurance of eternal security. GotQuestions.org Other Resources from Gotquestions.org: If you doubt your salvation, does that mean you are not truly saved? What if I don’t feel saved? How can I detect a false conversion? Walk For Your Health - Physical exercise may help us fight off colds and infection. The theory is that a good workout puts our body in a condition similar to what happens at the onset of a fever. That’s not all bad. A fever is the body’s way of fighting back when micro-intruders get into our system. Increased body temperature aids our white blood-cell defense system while slowing down the action of bacteria and viruses. Exercise does the same thing. It releases chemicals into the blood that stimulate the brain to make our temperature rise. The first two chapters of First John indicate that a regular practice of good spiritual exercise is beneficial to the health of our soul. To ward off sin, we must “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7) and obey Jesus each day. Disobedience, however, cools our spiritual temperature. Fellowship with God and other believers is neglected. Sin is neither confessed nor forsaken. If we have a lukewarm faith (Rev. 3:16+), we are not taking advantage of the defense mechanisms necessary to fight spiritual infection. God's Exercise Program * Confess your sins to God (1John 1:9). * Follow His instructions (1John 2:3). * Walk as Christ walked (1John 2:6). For a healthy heart, give your faith a workout. THANKS BE TO JESUS - In 1907 King Oscar of Sweden lay on his death-bed. When the end seemed very near, the Queen bent down over her husband and repeated this verse (1 John 1:7) in his ear. The dying King replied, "Thanks be to Jesus." These were his last words (from a newspaper report). We can understand what the sorrowing wife meant by quoting the verse. The outward parting was approaching, yet the fellowship would abide. O blest communion, fellowship Divine ! We feebly struggle, they in glory shine ; Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. The blood of Jesus cleanseth comes last in the verse. We might have thought that it should come first. First the cleansing, and then the walking. But no, just as we walk in the light shall we realize the need of cleansing all the more, up to the very close of life. And so the King's last words were " Thanks be to Jesus." Vance Havner - "If Any Man Sin" If any man sin... 1 John 2:1. If we confess our sins... 1 John 1:9. If we walk in the light... 1 John 1:7. We should not sin, but if we do sin we have an Advocate with the Father. We have a prosecutor, and an accuser, the devil; but we also have a lawyer to plead our case, Jesus Christ the righteous. If we confess our sins the Father will forgive and cleanse. There must be genuine repentance and confession, but we need not wallow in remorse. God is our Father, if we believe and we are His children. And like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. "It is not that we are not able to sin but that we are able not to sin. "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." Provision has been made for victory over sin. God's plan is to keep us from sin, not to keep us in sin. There is no ground for complacent living in iniquity just because we are "under the blood." "It is not that we are not able to sin but that we are able not to sin." But He also has made provision if we do sin, forgiveness and cleansing if we confess. Vance Havner - "We Have Fellowship" Precious indeed is the fellowship of those whose citizenship is in heaven. We have fellowship with the Saviour: "God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship (koinonia) of his Son Jesus Christ" (1Co 1:9). We have the fellowship (koinonia) of the Spirit (Php 2:1, 2Co 13:14). There is the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil. 3:10). We enjoy the fellowship (koinonia) of the Saints (1 John 1:7; Acts 2:42). There is the fellowship (koinonia) of service: "the fellowship of ministering to the saints" (2 Cor. 8:4). But there is also a fellowship of Satan: "Have no fellowship with (sugkoinoneo) the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph. 5:11). "If we say we have fellowship (koinonia) with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth" (1 John 1:6). "What fellowship (koinonia) hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" (2 Cor. 6:14). We cannot have a heavenly fellowship if we allow a hindering fellowship. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols" (1 John 5:21). Something More to Give (1John 1:7) - When evangelist John Wesley (1703–1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The surprised robber paused. “My friend,” said Wesley, “you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here’s something to remember: ‘The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!’” The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ and a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! “I owe it all to you,” said the transformed man. “Oh no, my friend,” Wesley exclaimed, “not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!” The Gospel is a priceless gift to be freely given to others. There Is Power in the Blood --Lewis E Jones, 1899 Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood. Refrain There is power, power, wonder working power In the blood of the Lamb; There is power, power, wonder working power In the precious blood of the Lamb. Would you be free from your passion and pride? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide; There’s wonderful power in the blood. Refrain Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow. There’s wonderful power in the blood. Refrain Would you do service for Jesus your King? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood; Would you live daily His praises to sing? There’s wonderful power in the blood. Refrain How To Clean Anything The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7 Today's Scripture : 1 John 1:5-10 Consumer Reports published a booklet with the intriguing title How To Clean Practically Anything. It offers advice on what solvent to use to remove a wide assortment of stains. Living as I do with drips and drops, that is my kind of book. Did you know that glycerin will remove stains made by a ball-point pen? Boiling water can remove berry stains. Parents of small children should keep a gallon of vinegar handy to get rid of crayon marks. Bleach works well for mildew. Lemon juice performs minor miracles on rust stains. I haven’t tried them all, but I assume that scientists have put these common cleansing agents to the test. What you will not find in this little book is how to deal with the most serious stain of all—the stain made on your life by sin. Deep, ugly stains made by hostile words and shame-filled actions. Tears won’t touch them. Zeal can’t erase them. At times we are convinced that we have gotten on with our lives and the sins are gone, but in an unguarded moment we notice the stain seeping through. Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain— He washed it white as snow. —Hall We may whitewash sin, but only Jesus' blood can truly wash it white. Washed Clean Today’s Bible Reading: Jeremiah 2:13, 20–22 The blood of Jesus, [God’s] Son, cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 I couldn’t believe it. A blue gel pen had hidden itself in the folds of my white towels and survived the washing machine, only to explode in the dryer. Ugly blue stains were everywhere. My white towels were ruined. No amount of bleach would be able to remove the dark stains. As I reluctantly consigned the towels to the rag pile, I was reminded of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s lament describing the damaging effects of sin. By rejecting God and turning to idols (Jeremiah 2:13), Jeremiah declared that the people of Israel had caused a permanent stain in their relationship with God: “No amount of soap or lye can make you clean. I still see the stain of your guilt. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (v. 22). They were powerless to undo the damage they’d done. On our own, it is impossible to remove the stain of our sin. But Jesus has done what we could not. Through the power of His death and resurrection, He “cleanses [believers] from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Where do you go with your guilt? How might you live differently today knowing that Jesus’ death has the power to completely remove the guilt and “stain” of your sin? Loving Father, thank You for removing the stain of my sin through the saving work of Your Son! Help me to move forward in freedom. Secrets - "God is light,” the apostle reminded us, “and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5). But if that is true, how can a holy God have anything to do with the likes of us? Fyodor Dostoevsky, in Notes from the Underground, writes what we all know: “There are certain things in a man’s past which he does not divulge to everybody but, perhaps, only to friends. Again, there are certain things he will not divulge even to his friends; he will divulge them perhaps only to himself, and that too as a secret. But, finally there are things which he is afraid to divulge even to himself, and every decent man has quite an accumulation of such things in his mind.” If we have so many deep dark secrets, how can we hope to have fellowship with God? An illustration from Martin Luther’s life shows us. Luther had a dream in which he stood before God. Satan was there to accuse Luther, and when the books were opened the accuser pointed to sin after sin in his life. Luther despaired. Then he remembered the cross and, turning to the devil, he quoted 1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Thinking It Over "God is light" (1Jn. 1:5). What does that mean? What creates distance between us and God? (1Jn. 1:6,8,10). What is the solution to the problem? (1Jn. 1:9). No sin is so secret that it is beyond God's forgiveness. There When You Need It - When I donated blood some time ago, a nurse gave me a card to read while a pint of the vital red fluid was flowing out of my vein. The card showed the percentages of people who have the different blood types. Here are some of them: O Positive 37.4% A Positive 35.7% A Negative 6.3% B Negative 1.5% The rarest, AB Negative, is found in only 1 in 167 people, or 0.6% of the population. Then the card made this eye-catching statement: “The rarest blood type is the one that’s not there when you need it.” That reminded me of a supply of blood that is one of a kind and always available to those who ask for it. 1John 1:7 states The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. It was the death of Christ, the shedding of His blood, that satisfied the demand of a holy God as payment for our sins (Heb 9:12+, Heb 9:22+). So now, whenever a person cries out in faith to God, repenting of his sin and pleading for forgiveness, his prayer for salvation is answered. Lord, I believe Your precious blood, Which at the mercy seat of God Forever does for sinners plead, For me, e'en for my soul was shed. —Nikolaus von Zinzendorf (Biography) Jesus takes our sin and gives us His salvation. Thanksgiving Pardon - Each year at the end of November, the President of the United States issues an official pardon for the National Thanksgiving Turkey. During this lighthearted ceremony, one president remarked: “Our guest of honor looks a little nervous. Nobody’s told him yet that I’m going to give him a pardon.” The poor turkey had a good reason to be uneasy—without an acquittal, he was doomed to be Thanksgiving dinner. We are in a similar situation when it comes to our sin. Without God’s pardon, we’re on our way to certain demise. This condition is a direct result of our own wrongdoing. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Ro 6:23+). However, we can be set free from this death sentence because God’s Son bore our sin in His body on the cross, “that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1Peter 2:24+). First John 1:7 tells us that Jesus’ blood “cleanses us from all sin.” We can accept God’s pardon for our sin and receive eternal life when we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead (Ro 10:9+). Today, consider how you will respond to God’s offer of forgiveness.— by Jennifer Benson Schuldt (Ibid) Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide. Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow— Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! —Chisholm Through faith in Christ, we receive God’s pardon and escape sin’s penalty. VINCENT'S BRIEF EXCURSUS ON THE NAMES OF OUR LORD Marvin Vincent includes a brief review of the names of our Lord and their uses in John's epistles… The name in John, as in the Bible elsewhere, has two distinct, but closely connected meanings. 1. The Revelation of the Divine Being by a special title. 2. The whole sum of the manifold revelations gathered up so as to form one supreme revelation. The latter sense is illustrated in 3 John 7, where “the name” absolutely includes the essential elements of the Christian creed, the complete revelation of Christ’s work in relation to God and man. Compare John 20:31; Acts 5:41. In 1John 2:12, the term is more limited, referring to Christ as He lived on earth and gave Himself for “the brethren.” In 1Jn 3:23; 5:13, the exact sense is defined by what follows. ACTUAL NAMES USED (I.) His Son Jesus Christ. 1John 1:3; 3:23; 5:20. The divine antecedent is differently described in each case, and the difference colors the phrase. In 1John 1:3, the Father (compare John 3). In 1Jn 3:23, God. In 1Jn 5:20, He that is true. Thus the sonship of Christ is regarded in relation to God as Father, as God, and as satisfying the divine ideal which man is able to form. The whole phrase; His Son Jesus Christ, includes the two elements of the confessions which John makes prominent. 1. Jesus is the Son of God (1Jn 4:15; 5:5). 2. Jesus is the Christ (1Jn 2:22; 5:1). The constituents of the compressed phrase are all used separately by John. (1.) Jesus. 1Jn 2:22; 5:1; 4:3 (where the correct reading omits Christ). The thought is that of the Lord in His perfect historic humanity. (2.) Christ. 2 John 9. Pointing to the preparation made under the old covenant. (3). Jesus Christ. 2:1; 5:6; 2 John 7. Combining the ideas of true humanity and messianic position. (4.) The Son. 1Jn 2:22, 23, 24; 4:14; 5:12. The absolute relation of Sonship to Fatherhood. (5.) The Son of God. 1Jn 3:8; 5:10, 12, 13, 20. Compare His Son (1Jn 4:10; 5:9), where the immediate antecedent is Theos God; and 1Jn 5:18, He that was begotten of God. Combination of the ideas of Christ’s divine dignity and divine sonship. (6.) Jesus His (God’s) Son. 1Jn 1:7. Two truths. The blood of Christ is available and efficacious. (7). His (God’s) Son, His only Son. 1Jn 4:9. The uniqueness of the gift is the manifestation of love. The Son in various forms is eminently characteristic of the First and Second Epistles, in which it occurs more times than in all Paul’s Epistles. Kurios, Lord, is not found in the Epistles, but occurs in the Gospel, and often in the Revelation. WALKING IN THE LIGHT Norman Harrison Related Resource: See the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery for over 12 pages of discussion of the imagery associated with light. Norman Harrison has this excellent "treatise" on the Source of Light, the impact of Light in us and the impact of Light through us… 1 John 1:7 "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another" Every privileged relationship of life carries with it a correspondent responsibility of opportunity. Yet our Christian privilege is such as to minister an abounding grace of power for the discharge of every Christian duty. As no warrior wars at his own charges, neither does the Christian walk in reliance upon his own resources. He is but putting the Abiding Life into practice. He is bringing to expression the secret resources of a redeemed soul. He is demonstrating what it means to be brought out of darkness into His marvelous light. He is qualified for being and doing what is incumbent upon all believers. "For," says Paul, "ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). I. LIGHT AT ITS SOURCE To know light, and therefore what it means to be in fellowship with light, we must trace it back to its source. As the swift-winged sunbeam that kisses our cheek, when passed through the spectrum, yields up the qualities of the energizing sun from which it emanated, just so is all spiritual light. "God is Light." And again, "In Thy light shall we see light." In GOD is light in the absolute, such light as, coming from GOD, makes known to men His being and nature. 1. LIGHT IS PURE. It suffers no admixture of anything foreign to it. It is incapable of adulteration or contamination. Nothing extraneous can by any possibility attach itself to it. What a picture of our Lord JESUS CHRIST manifesting the purity of Deity in His walk among men. Touching the unclean, He was not defiled. Passing through the haunts of sin and iniquity, in sympathetic contact with the shame and sorrow of human life, He emerged sinless and stainless. What a portrayal, as well, of the purity that must ever attach to and characterize the life that partakes of the divine nature. 2. LIGHT IS PERVASIVE. It enters the least opening accessible to it. It searches out the recesses that otherwise would remain dark, dank and dismal. It penetrates the gloom, leaving it no alternative but to flee before its presence. Science long since disclosed the value of this pervasive quality of light in laying hold of every lurking germ of disease, whether in the homes of men or in the human system. Such is the ministry of Him who came as the world's Light. So far from sin fastening upon Him, it could not even stand in His presence. How often men found themselves confronted with the penetration of His searching insight, only to yield up the sinful unworthiness of their thoughts and actions. 3. LIGHT IS POWERFUL, with a power that is peculiarly its own. No agency known to man travels so swiftly or so far, yet does its work so silently and unobtrusively. From the farthest stellar spaces it reaches to us, revealing yonder worlds upon worlds. From our sun it bears upon its beams a multiform ministry for the sustaining of life and the maintaining of industry. The power put forth in a single day is wholly beyond compute. Yet all is done noiselessly - there is no sound; and gently - there is no jar, but a quiet persistent putting forth of its powers to heal and help. All of this, and so much more, is our wonderful Light, in whom is "no darkness at all," and with whom He has brought us into fellowship, to a privileged sharing of these qualities with Himself. II. LIGHT IN US He who said, "I am the Light of the world," turned to His followers with a declaration startling in its directness: "Ye are the light of the world." For this inescapable commission to lighten a benighted world we shall qualify only as we "walk in the light," that is, in abiding union with the Light, permitting Him to impart His qualities to us. Doing its wonted work in us: 1. LIGHT REVEALS. It is the Psalmist who says, "In Thy light shall we see light." Our darkness is doubly caused: absence of light and loss of sight. This latter lack is made up to us, restored in the New Birth. The former is remedied by the Abiding Life, the continual communicating presence of the Spirit, linking us with the source of all light, even with Him in whom is no darkness. Is it strange that such an association should bring to light a foul brood, hiding in the heart, whose presence we had failed to suspect hitherto? It required the Light to reveal them. But a continued disavowal of their presence, in a claiming of sinlessness in either nature or action (I John 1:8, 10) belies the reality of the relationship we profess. On the other hand, sensitiveness to sin is the sign of His illuminating, self-revealing presence. Hence it is that some of the most godly saints, walking daily in a closeness of fellowship with Him, have been characterized by a confessed consciousness of sin beyond their fellows. They were living in the Light that made evident the contrast between themselves and Himself. This experience finds divine interpretation in the spiritual autobiography of the prophet Isaiah. It was when he "saw the Lord" in the pure, white light of His holiness that he discovered, and at once decried, a personal uncleanness: "Woe is me; I am undone; I am unclean." And that confession brought the full relief of a further revelation of the Lord as the GOD of cleansing. 2. LIGHT CLEANSES. Twice the Apostle uses this word (I John 1:7, 9) to assure us that our so great salvation not only reveals sin to us but relieves us from it. Calvary's cross that gave us "the blood of God" as the full and sufficient ground for sin's pardon also provided just as fully for sin's pollution. And as the need is continuous, so also the cleansing: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son keeps cleansing us from all sin." That the blood should prove continuously efficacious as sin's double cure, cleansing from both its guilt and power, two conditions are to be met. Note the double "if" of cleansing: "If we walk in the light" (vs. 7), that is, "keep ourselves clear to the light" (a word Paul uses in writing to the Philippians), harboring nothing that savors of darkness, concealing nothing that Light longs to search out and put away; and again, "If we confess our sins" (vs. 9), the times and ways in which we have defiled ourselves by failure to walk in Light's perfect day. As we meet this latter condition He is "faithful and righteous" to "forgive and cleanse" - these benefits, claimed on the ground of Calvary's blood, are not a matter of mercy but rather of righteousness on GOD's part in carrying out the principles and provisions of the cross. Why walk in darkness, child of GOD's grace, when such a Heaven-lit path is your privilege all the way to glory! 3. LIGHT TRANSFORMS. Cleansing is in itself a negative process. It takes from rather than adds to. It prepares for something better. The Abiding Life is far more than a house swept and freed from dirt, yet empty and unbeautified. The Heavenly Guest, the indwelling Presence, having revealed the uncleanness of the heart, having responded to our cry of confession with His cleansing work, now proceeds to make over the home of our hearts in conformity to His holy tastes and desires. Is there hatred there in hiding? It is His delight to displace it with love - His love. - Does He find a fondness for the world? He will turn our eyes to our blessed Lord and His loveliness. - Does He sense in us a growing carelessness toward His commandments? He will foster in us a new faithfulness. - Are we in danger of being deceived by the doubts and denials, the cults and the isms of the "last time"? He is within to set us right with a divine insight and understanding. (All these are listed in chapter two of our Epistle - THE GOSPEL OF LOVE) III. LIGHT THROUGH US We must ever remember that the ministry of Light does not terminate in us. Light bestows its blessing upon us and works its work in us that it may accomplish its mission in the world through us. 1. LIGHT REFLECTS ITS SOURCE. Every sunbeam calls attention to that mighty source of exhaustless energy from whose bosom it springs. In each moment of its shining the sun is magnified. In every place that it penetrates the glories of the sun are celebrated. So our Lord, calling Himself "the Light of the world," calls us to a life in Him that we in turn may minister light to others. These are His words, defining our responsibility: "Ye are the light of the world … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14, 16). In electricity we are familiar with the function of the transformer. By it the voltage of the high tension wire - too high for man's use - is transformed, stepped down and passed on at a voltage that is safe and serviceable. Every Christian is called to be a transformer The human eye cannot look with safety upon the sun; even at so great a distance its glory is forbidding. So also is GOD. But His glory was manifested, stepped down to us, in human flesh. And when we beheld that glory He "shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ" - this, that we in turn might pass on the light, translated into terms of daily living. Since GOD is love, one simple, practical test of our walking in the light is our reflecting of love in the daily relationship of life: "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" (1John 2:9-11). 2. LIGHT OPPOSES DARKNESS. It cannot do otherwise. It does so by its very nature. Light and darkness can never make a truce. When we are called "light in the Lord" and bidden to "walk as children of light," the further exhortation is inescapable: "For ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light; … and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:8, 11). John, with our Lord JESUS, sees the world as a system essentially opposed to GOD, out of which we were bought, from which we were dissociated that we might be united to Him. He views the world as darkness, dominated by "the wicked one." To walk in the light we must not bring ourselves under its sway, but rather reprove it. Therefore: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever" (1John 2:15-17). 3. LIGHT RADIATES BOUNDLESS BLESSINGS. Actuated by limitless energy, with ceaseless activity the ray of light performs a ministry of blessing and benefaction beyond compute. Enfolded in its bosom are the essential qualities of its source, borne afar for the quickening and restoring of life. As we write, the latest discovered use of the light beam is to carry the mind of men in music or spoken word, much as he has formerly depended upon the electrified wire or the wireless radio. Surely the child of GOD has yet to realize the manifold ministry our blessed Lord waits to perform through His light in the soul of His people. LIVING THE RADIANT LIFE It should be evident that to walk in the light, as the Apostle portrays it, must result in a radiant life; a life that is marked not so much by effort to bless as by the instinctive outgoing of blessing. Such a life results from being continually energized at the Source. It is a life lived in the light of His countenance, only to let that light leap to our countenance. Two instances grace the pages of the Old Testament, the one illustrative of the other. They occur in Psalm 34 and Exodus 34. The Psalmist tells the experience of certain of GOD's people: "They looked unto Him, and were lightened." Yes, they were - lightened with His light. But more is the meaning of the word! which is, "and were radiant." The light leaped to their faces, to be reflected back with a divine radiancy. It was an experience of GOD, plus its expression in blessing to others. Then Moses. He went up into the mount and let GOD talk to him. When he came down everyone knew where he had been. His face showed it. It shone. Separated from the world unto GOD he walked in the light until the light talked through him. Thank GOD for radiant Christians, bespeaking the quiet and contentment of a divinely satisfied soul, seeing whom the world believes anew in GOD and hungers afresh after Him! Recently a dear friend, well up in the business world, told the writer of the remark of a mutual acquaintance. Having watched, through the years, the consistent yet joyous life of this friend, he was constrained to remark: "If -- were to go wrong I would lose my faith in GOD and all the Christianity I possess." To him our business friend speaks of GOD. And why? That life, as the writer learns, is fed at the Source. Our friend loves to steal away for hours of quiet fellowship with Him. He is walking in the Light; and the life is radiant. (WALKING IN THE LIGHT)
1 João 1:9
Meyer adds "Do not wait for the hour of evening prayer, nor even for the opportunity of being alone, but in the busy street, in the midst of daily toil, lift up your heart to Christ if you have done wrong, and say: "I have gone astray" Abraham Lincoln on how to deal with sin - It is the duty of nations as well as of men to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon. Jeremy Taylor on the danger of sin and why it needs to be confessed and repented thereof - A man is first startled by sin; then it becomes pleasing, then easy, then delightful, then frequent, then habitual, then confirmed. The man is impenitent, then obstinate, and then he is damned. (WOE!) As Oswald Chambers writes in his book "Conformed to His Image" - When the Holy Spirit begins to unearth the works of the flesh in you, don’t temporize, don’t whitewash them; don’t call suspicion, "discernment of the spirit", or ill-temper, "righteous indignation"; bring it to the light, come face to face with it, confess it and get it cleansed away. John Trapp makes a great point stating that "No man was ever kept out of God's kingdom for his confessed badness; many are for their supposed goodness; as those justitiaries in the former verse (1Jn 1:8), whose hearts are big-swollen with high conceit of themselves; and whose lips are held close by the devil; who knows well there is no way to purge the sick soul but upwards. 🙏 THOUGHT - Beloved, without seeing ourselves as rank, rebellious sinners, we have little need for a Righteous Redeemer and Savior! The true and full Gospel presents the picture of all men lost in their sin (Ro 3:10+, Ro 3:23+), before the Holy God, guilty, condemned and deserving of death (Ro 6:23+, James 2:10+). As M R DeHaan said "Before an individual can be saved, he must first learn that he cannot save himself." It is when one sees themselves as a sinner in great need of the great Savior, that they confess their sin to God and confess Christ as their Lord (Ro 10:9, 10+), receiving His forever forgiveness and His perfect cleansing as they are by His grace taken out of Adam and placed into Christ (1Cor 15:22+). However as they conduct themselves in this world which is not their home, walking as children of God (Eph 4:1+), their feet become "dirty", so to speak (i.e., they become defiled by sins of thought, word and deed, sins of omission and commission, cp Ps 19:12+, Ps 40:12+). In other words, although they are new creatures in Christ (2Co 5:17+), they still commit sins because they possess an indwelling sin nature, albeit one that has been conquered by Calvary's love (Ro 6:11+, et al)! This truth that believers still have the potential to commit sins, prompted Jesus to explain to Peter "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." (John 13:10+) Jesus was speaking figuratively giving us a beautiful picture of Peter's need "only to wash his feet", which describes the need of every believer for daily confession of sins which make us "dirty." HAVE YOUR SINS BEEN FORGIVEN OF GOD? George Truett in an excellent series of evangelistic sermons in the early 1900's said the following related to 1John 1:9… Its primary application is manifestly for Christians, as the context indicates, but its gracious truth may be applied to all who sin, and are therefore in need of God's forgiving mercy. Somebody has well said that the three hardest words-to say like they ought to be said are these: "I have sinned." You will grant the truth of that saying upon a brief moment's reflection. The three most difficult words to say like they ought to be said are these three: "I have sinned." And yet confession of sin lies right at the foundation of our coming to Christ. If one be not a sinner, then for him there is no Savior. For him, Christ's Gospel does not have any appeal, if one be not a sinner. Jesus tells us: "They that are whole (or well) do not need a physician, but they that are sick." (Mt 9:12) And again Jesus tells us: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Lk 5:32, cp Mt 9:13, Mk 2:17) And again He tells us: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Lk 19:10) Oh, are you a sinner? Then I preach to you a Savior, for Jesus came to seek and to save sinners. Forgiveness of sins is a real experience. Sin is as real as your hand or eye. Sin obtains with every rational soul. The forgiveness of sins is as real as the sin itself. The Lord Jesus Christ came to grant forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins is a personal experience—a real personal experience. There can be no forgiveness except between persons. That chair could not forgive you. That tree could not forgive you. That beast of the field could not forgive you. Forgiveness is always between persons. Now God, the Great Person, comes to you and me, the little, finite, human, mortal, dependent, sinning persons, and says to us : "If you will turn to Me with right attitude, I will forgive your sins." Oh, I ask you, one by one, as my eye sweeps the audience: "Have your sins been forgiven of God ?" Could you lay your hand upon your heart and say : "I have the consciousness within me, that God has forgiven my sins?" I would press that upon you, one by one—have your sins been forgiven of God? And I would pray you, do not stop until you can give a complete, satisfactory answer to that great question—have your sins been forgiven of God? Our text tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Be not deceived, I pray you, my men and women, on this crucial point, the reality of sin, and the inescapable fact that sin must be confessed in the right way, if we are ever to get forgiveness for our sins. Be not deceived at such crucial point, the fact of sin in your life and mine—the awful fact of sin. There are two chief causes that conspire to deceive us at this point… (Read the rest of Truett's sermon to discover the "two chief causes… " = 1 John 1:9 The Confession of Sin - CLICK PAGE FOR THE SERMON) ANOTHER "IFFY" STATEMENT If we confess - This conditional statement with the subjunctive mood of probability implies that the "we" may not confess their sins. In context John describes individuals who in fact deny their sin (1John 1:8, 10). Deceived sinners excuse sin, deny sin, whitewash sin or play sin down. They say their sins are "No big deal", but they are wrong! Sins are a "big deal" because one unforgiven sin is enough to eternally damn a soul according to James 2:10. Indeed, it is a great sin to love a small sin. (We all need to ask "Are we harboring/protecting any 'pet sins' we need to confess?") While believers cannot lose their salvation, they certainly can lose the joy of their salvation. (cp David's repeated plea for restoration of joy Ps 51:8-note, Ps 51:12-note, Ps 51:14-note) Indeed as someone has said "Nothing will stop our song quicker than our sin!" specifically our "unconfessed sin. We can lose our sense of walking in communion with God, our experience of empowerment by the Spirit (Who is grieved Eph 4:30, quenched 1Th 5:19), etc. Sin causes the cup of joy to spring a leak. Confession seals the leak! Is your cup full? While there is no question that 1 John 1:9 is a verse believers can and should "run to" when they sin against God, let us not neglect the immediate context (especially the verses before and after). On one hand some say "we have no sin" while others say "we have not sinned." Think about what they were saying. Notice also that they did not just make an occasional slip of their tongue, but they were continually making these claims of "no sin." Can you see how "sin denier's" might not see their need for a Savior, One to save them from the penalty of death for their sins against a Holy God? Why would a person who claims they do not sin need a Redeemer to set them free from the guilt, penalty and bondage of sin? To counter this dangerous damning deception, John presents the antidote - confession of sins. Confess your sins and find forgiveness and cleansing. THE OLD ADAMIC NATURE HAS NO DESIRE TO CONFESS SINS J C Philpot makes an important point in regard to confession of sins… 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. Comment: Do you understand what Philpot is saying? He is saying that our old (flesh) nature (before we believed and Christ became our life, before we were granted a new heart, before He sent His Spirit to dwell in our heart), in and of itself has no inherent propensity or desire to confess sins. Genuine confession of sins is a work of divine grace, a clear mark of genuine conversion, of implantation of His divine nature within a born again one, giving a supernatural nature which enables a supernatural response when we sin -- a Spirit enabled desire and power to confess our sin. As Paul explained to the saints at Philippi, "God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases Him." (Php 2:13NLT). Indeed, confession of our sins is pleasing to the Lord! Alexander
1 João 1:9
Meyer - CONFESSING OUR SINS "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."-- 1Jn 1:8,9. TO SIN is to miss the mark! Such is the meaning of the original word. When the prodigal returned, his first words were; "Father, I have missed the mark." Are we not always missing the mark, coming short? Sin is negative as well as positive. The Confession of the Church of England and the Shorter Catechism both agree in this: "We have done the things that we ought not; we have left undone the things that we ought to have done." Sin consists, not only in the positive transgression of the law of God, but in the want of conformity to His Will. It is needful to use this two-pronged fork. If a number of men are on their way to the recruiting-station and the standard is to be exactly six foot. They are all under that height, but the tallest of them glories in the fact that he is a clear two inches above the rest of his fellows. It may be so, but he will be as certainly rejected as the shortest, because even he comes below the standard. You may be better than scores of people in your circle, but you will need Christ's forgiveness and salvation equally with the worst! In dealing with sin, therefore, there must be confession. "Do not hide, nor cloak them before the face of your Heavenly Father, but confess them with a patient, meek, and contrite heart." Do not wait for the hour of evening prayer, nor even for the opportunity of being alone, but in the busy street, in the midst of daily toil, lift up your heart to Christ if you have done wrong, and say: "I have gone astray: seek Thy servant." It is not enough to confess to Christ, if you have sinned against another, you must first go and be reconciled to him, and then come and offer your gift at the altar. Confess, and make good! It is not enough to be extraordinarily pleasant, or suggest a solarium (a room in a hospital used especially for therapeutic exposure to light); you must definitely ask forgiveness! When God forgives He forgets (Isa 43:25). As David puts it, and he had reason to know, "He restores my soul." Remember that He delights in mercy. He is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse. Through the Sacrifice of Calvary God can be absolutely just, and at the same time the Justifier of them who believe in Jesus. PRAYER Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for Thy forgiving, pitying love. I gratefully realise that my sin cannot alter Thy love, though it may dim my enjoyment of it. But I pray Thee to set me free from the love and power of sin, that it may not intercept the light of Thy countenance. AMEN. The Eraser Of Confession If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. —1 John 1:9 From the time that Joseph Dixon (1827-1869) began producing the pencil during the US Civil War, the only substantial change in its design has been the addition of an eraser. Consider for a moment this unique little writing stick. At one end is a hard black point and at the other a small rubber tip. This simple instrument can be used to scribble, sketch, compute complicated formulas, or compose lofty poetry. But it can also quickly correct an error, change a figure, or start all over. Each day the Christian inscribes words and deeds on the record of his personal history. But as he reflects upon what he’s said and done, he becomes aware that some of what’s been written is not of the quality that will please the Savior. He remembers attitudes and actions that should never be part of a believer’s life. Yet these sins are forgiven and fellowship with God restored through honest confession and repentance. In John’s first epistle, he told us how to walk uprightly and enjoy fellowship with Christ and with one another. But John was a realist, knowing that some of the pages of our composition would be marked by daily flaws and failures. That’s why 1 John 1:9 is such a blessed promise. It tells us we can use the eraser of confession and start over. We’re thankful, Lord, that when we fall We can begin anew If humbly we confess our sin, Then turn and follow You. —Sper Confession is the soil in which forgiveness flourishes. A Clear Conscience - After Ffyona Campbell became famous as the first woman to walk around the world, her joy was short-lived. Despite the adulation she received, something troubled her. Guilt overtook her and pushed her to the brink of a nervous breakdown. What was bothering her? “I shouldn’t be remembered as the first woman to walk around the world,” she finally admitted. “I cheated.” During her worldwide trek, she broke the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records by riding in a truck part of the way. To clear her conscience, she called her sponsor and confessed her deception. God has given each of us a conscience that brings guilt when we do wrong. In Romans, Paul describes our conscience as “accusing or else excusing [us]” (2:15). For the obedient follower of Christ, care of the conscience is an important way of maintaining a moral compass despite moral imperfection. Confessing sin, turning from it, and making restitution should be a way of life (1Jn 1:9; Lev 6:2-5). There is a treasure you can own That’s greater than a crown or throne: This treasure is a conscience clear That brings the sweetest peace and cheer. —Isenhour If God’s Word guides your conscience, let your conscience be your guide. D L Moody - THERE may be some confessions we need to make to be brought into close fellowship with God. We must coöperate with God. You may take a bottle and cork it up tight, and put it under Niagara, and not a drop of that mighty volume of water will get into the bottle. If there is any sin in my heart that I am not willing to confess and to give up, I need not expect a blessing. The men who have had power with God in prayer have always begun by confessing their sins. Take the prayers of Jeremiah and Daniel. We find Daniel confessing his sin, when there isn’t a single sin recorded against him. David Jeremiah - Sometimes I shudder just thinking about it—that feeling of being ashamed. The dictionary says shame is a “painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety.”* And it is painful, especially the shame that comes after we’ve done something we know we shouldn’t have. Some people avoid the pain of shame by suppressing their sense of right and wrong, by ignoring their conscience. Instead, why not let shame be a teacher that leads us to God and His forgiveness? The pain of shame can do something else: it can motivate us to avoid experiencing that same pain again in the future. No one enjoys the feeling of shame, but put it to work for you. Let it drive you into God’s loving arms of forgiveness, and let the memory of it keep you on the right path. (1 Minute a Day) SINS REMOVED FOR TIME AND ETERNITY (NIV Once a Day) 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 What happens when you incur a debt so large that you can never repay it? Then it is up to someone else to forgive you … or else! That’s precisely what happened when you became a Christian. Your insurmountable debt of sin was forgiven by the payment of an infinite price: the blood of Jesus Christ. Dwight L. Moody offers this illustration to help you comprehend the magnitude of forgiveness. WALK WITH DWIGHT L. MOODY “We greatly dishonor God by bringing up our sins after he has forgiven them. Hundreds of Christians are doing this all the time. “Suppose my little child has disobeyed me, and comes to me and says, ‘Papa, I did what you told me not to do; I want to be forgiven.’ She has deep and genuine repentance. I kiss away her tears and forgive her. “She then comes to me the next day and wants to talk about it. ‘No,’ I say, ‘it is all forgiven.’ “The next day she says, ‘Papa, won’t you forgive me for that sin I did two days ago?’ I think that would grieve me! Suppose she came to me every morning for six months: Would it not grieve and dishonor me? “God has not only forgiven our sins, but has removed them for time and eternity. Ought one to grieve and dishonor him by bringing them up before him every day?” WALK CLOSER TO GOD God’s forgiveness is like a canceled promissory note—torn apart and burned, never to be shown to you again. Let the words of this simple chorus reflect your response to God for his forgiveness to you: He paid a debt he did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song— Amazing grace— Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay. One sin willingly lived in is as able to destroy a man’s soul as a thousand. —John Owen Don Fortner - 1 John 1:9 Blessed forgiveness Read Psalm 32:1–11 ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ Any one sin, of the slightest degree, is enough to exclude us for ever from the presence of God in heaven and to drag us down into hell, But if we are united to Christ by faith we have no sin before God! When David realized this glorious grace, he exclaimed, ‘Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin!’ How can we enjoy this blessed forgiveness? Our repentance, faith and confession of sin do not accomplish our forgiveness. The judicial ground of our forgiveness is the shed blood of Christ alone! John tells us that we must confess our sin—our repentance, faith and confession of sin do not accomplish our forgiveness. That cannot be. The judicial ground of our forgiveness is the shed blood of Christ alone! But until a man confesses his sin, he cannot receive the forgiveness accomplished at Calvary (ED: I THINK PERHAPS A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT IS "HE CANNOT EXPERIENCE THAT RELIEF THAT FORGIVENESS BRINGS." HE IS JUDICIALLY FORGIVEN NO MATTER WHAT). Our hearts must be reconciled to God and that reconciliation is begun in confession. Our confession must be made in humble sincerity towards God, with faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. You cannot mention every offense, but you dare not hide one. Confess that you are vile by nature, wicked in practice and evil in heart. Lie down as low as you can at the footstool of mercy. ‘He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.’ God’s forgiveness of such sinners is both faithful and just. God has promised to forgive repenting, believing sinners for Christ’s sake. And he is faithful to his Word. But he can only forgive us in a way consistent with his justice. In holy justice God slew his Son as our Substitute. With that one sacrifice, justice is fully satisfied. And now, upon the ground of the finished work of Christ, the justice of God pleads as strongly as his mercy for our forgiveness! Our forgiveness is complete! If we confess our sins, trusting the blood of Christ alone for cleansing, God will not impute iniquity to us. This is blessed forgiveness. Vance Havner - Here is one of our commonest failings. We confess our sins according to 1 John 1:9 but, instead of receiving his forgiveness and believing we have it, we commit another sin by worrying about it for weeks. We should thank him for forgiveness and, forgetting the things behind, press on. We overlook the tremendously important fact that failing to believe we have what God has promised and what faith has received is also a sin. Any disobedience of the command of our Lord is sin. He has commanded us to pray for things we need and then by faith receive them. Next he plainly commands us to “believe that ye have received them.” Therefore, if we do not believe that we have received, we sin for all unbelief is sin. David Jeremiah - FEELING ICKY? 1 John 1:9 (Discovering God) Though his bedtime had long passed, the five-year-old boy hollered for his mother: “I have an icky feeling inside!” The tired mother trudged up the stairs to her son’s bedroom. Opening the door, she heard a long list of little-boy sins spill out of her child’s troubled soul. They had talked about sin before, but this time the boy understood what sin felt like —icky. Do you ever get that icky feeling? Maybe you’ve gotten so used to it that you hardly notice anymore. The Bible tells us how Moses needed to remove sin from the Israelites’ camp near Mount Sinai (Exodus 32). The revival that had occurred only days earlier had radically turned into outright rebellion. Gross sin was present, and many of the Israelites were not convicted. It took the slaying of three thousand men to purge the sin that had entered their camp. The heaviness of sin weighs us down and keeps us from being used by the Lord to our fullest potential. Repentance is needed. Confess your sin now, and ask God to bring renewal to your heart. H A