Where the Rubber Meets the Road               

  - I John 1:5-2:6

  April 30, 2006

 

 

 

5 – “this is the message” …interesting that this is what follows

  …the importance of what follows… to believers!

 

 

  * Contrast of God/light and sin/darkness –

  * Contrast of saying and doing  (4 times - 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4)

CARTOON…        DAVINCI DECEPTION BOOK

(diagram)A “Walk”        - salvation…only the beg  …involves progress

 

Real life, real enemy - “Sin” used 9 times in passage

  CALL IT WHAT IT IS!!!!   

  RADIO TRANSCRIPT - LIGHTHOUSE

  ð what do you HATE most in this world?

 

The Obstacle...Sin

     - the Bible does not whitewash saints’ sins:

          Ab lies to Pharaoh / Pet cuts off soldier’s ear / David

     - not mentioned to discourage, but to warn

          * one cannot unscramble an egg, but it can be used

 

A + B = …C?

 

Three Ways to Deal with Sin for the Christian:

1. Try to Cover Sin   …           How??...Lies

 

     a. to others - 1:6

 

     b. to ourselves - 1:8 – possible to think all OK

            - II Sam 11-12 – David and Bathsheba  

                       

     c. to God - 1:10 – Xns sit thru church untouched; criticize others

             - the Xn lies about his fellwshp-a, his nature-b, his actions-c

 

    The key is HONESTY - not being phony, insincere

            One who is not honest loses:

            a. the Word – 6- stops doing the truth, 8- the truth is no

                 longer in him; 10- he turns the truth into lies

                 * Jn 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”

                …when walkg in darkns, you can’t read the Word profitably

            b. fellowship with God and other Xns

                        - prayer, worship is dull

                        - critical of others

 

            c. his character (a result of a and b) begin by telling a

                   lie, end up being a liar

 

           * “He is no longer a liar because he tells lies; he now lies

                 because he is a confirmed liar.”  * Prov 28:13

                   “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he

                        who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

             …transition…

 

2. Confess His Sin

       Christ as: (2:1-2)

            …”that you might not sin” – 1:9 doesn’t give liberty to sin

          - Propitiation = the satisfying of God’s holy law (for all)

          - Advocate = one called alongside to plead case (for Xns)

                (Zech 3:1-7 – (esp 6) Joshua vs Satan)

               - Christ is our Advocate... will be our Judge – Bema Seat

 

          1:9 - confess = to call sin what it is

            ð Is 53:11 - “By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant,

                  will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.”

            ð Rome… blood relative to substitute?  …it all “fits”

 

          By walking in light, we can see AND deal with sin immediately

            ð that’s GOOD news, encouraging – tells how to deal with it

 

3. Conquer His Sin

          Christians do not HAVE to sin - 2:1

               Key = walk in the light; sincere = sin cera...sculptors

                  would cover mistakes with wax…revealed in sun

        If we walk in the light, we will have nothing to hide

 

          Walking in the light =

            A. honesty - God/others/ourselves

            B. obey God’s Word (read first)

                    Obedience - 3 motives:

                        a. have to - slave

                        b. need to – employee   

                        c. want to - what God desires of Xns

            C. love God - Jn 14:15             

   Abiding in Christ

      Christ as Propitiation, Advocate, and Perfect Pattern - 2:6

       * “as He is”            - 4:17 - in the world;     1:7 - in the light

                                     - 3:3 - in purity;           3:7 - in righteousness

               ramifications - when you are sinned against - Eph 4:32

                  - when others/peers are doing wrong

          Vine / Branch picture – Jn 15 - total dependence

                 ** What can you do without?

 

“It is not through imitation that we abide in Christ,

but rather through incarnation: through the HS.”

 

If we are walking in the light, we should ONLY be striving to

   please God...life will be simple, joyful, and complete.

 

Songs that we sing...do we REALLY mean them?

 

A + B = C …???  

 

2:3-4-5 – flesh out 1:7

 

“How can we claim to know / love God if we are not striving to completely and intensely obey Him?”

-          don’t provoke your children           -    love the church

-          love your wife                              -     use your gifts

-          submit to your husband                 -     ……

 

Practical ramifications in the life of our families, our church

 

I Peter 2:9-10: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

 

Galatians 3:13-14 - Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."  He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

 

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