1:1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched
with our hands, concerning the word of life--
1:2 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and
declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was
revealed to us--
1:3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may
have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1:4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you,
that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in
darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;
1:7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses
us from all sin.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive
us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us.
2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you
may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2:2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours
only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Before I became a Christian I was invited to join a Bible Study. It
took our group six months to argue our way through 1st John. One
helpful exercise we did was to substitute the word 'truth' for
'light' and 'falsehood' for 'darkness'. It brought out the meaning
of the text in a new way for me.
4, 25, 2000
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us.
How about if we say that the Bible is not true, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us? I have been in discussions
with several fellow pastors lately who maintain that the Bible is
not true but contains truth. How convenient a belief. For with that
attitude, then the reader can decide for themselves what to take and
apply to their life and what to ignore (as being untruth, myth,
legend, etc.) Evolutionists can ignore the many references in the
Bible to God's hand in creation. Those who practice sexual
perversion can say that the Bible's admonition to be holy is not
relevant today and can be reinterpreted. Those who practice greed,
or gluttony, or hate can justify their behavior because they simply
"interpret" the Bible differently or make some excuse about a
particular passage that condemns their particular sin. Yet sin is
sin and the Bible clearly lays out what sin is. We can rationalize
away what it says, we can reinterpret what it says, we can be kind
to those who practice sin and watch them go to hell (opps another
unpopular idea today). "all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God;" Romans 3:23. Are those who reinterpret the Bible today any
different from the false prophets in Jeremiah 6:13-15? "For from the
least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to
covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one
dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of my people
slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they
ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at
all ashamed, neither could they blush:"
1:9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive
us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say
that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us. Could we substitute Bible for word in verse 10? How about Jesus
for word in verse 10?
I want my flock to be able to be cleansed from all unrighteousness.
I believe that can only happen when we honestly look at what sin is
and confess it. And, that what sin is, is not defined by Hollywood,
cultural holiness, or some latest theology. It is defined in the
Bible.
Is the Bible not what we are studying, struggling with to make
relevant to our peoples lives, and worthy of our ever effort to do
so?
Dale in KS
There is a universalizing accent in this reading: "not for ours only
but alsofor the sins fo the whole world."
The truth 1 John is bearing witness is the truth of how we live
among one another.
Mark in Va.
JG in WI to Dale in KS
Preach it, Dale. It's long past time we called sin what it is.
1:7 says that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. The blood
of Jesus does not cleanse us from excuses, or our little "quirks,"
or "that's just the way I am." It only cleanses us from sin.
"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not
in us." I am reminded of a Ziggy cartoon where he says in front of
the mirror. "Day by day in every way I am getting better.. Day by
day in every way I am getting better.. Day by day in every way I am
getting better ...at fooling myself." I most often fool myself when
I isolate myself from other Christians (with all their differences)
who can encourage me into seeing God's love for me. Petereo.
JG in WI again
You know, we Baptists, have a lousy habit of saying that you can be
sure you're saved if you've "received Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior." (The area in quotes is generally spoken as one word.)
Verse 6 screams in the face of this with a vengence and, if that
wasn't bad enough, look at 1 John 2:3-6. We believe that personal
salvation is vitally important. Why do we hang in on a phrase that
isn't even in the Bible? The real question is not "did you pray the
'sinner's prayer,'" but "are you walking in the light - are you
living as Jesus did?"
Let us call, first ourselves, and then our congregations, to walk in
the light and to live as Jesus lived. This involves so much more
than our simple forms and rituals. It has everything to do with
changed lives in every area of life; business, recreation,
relationships. Why are we considered "old fashioned" or "out of
date" if we insist on Biblical morality and personal integrity (and
again, first in ourselves, then in our congregations)?
But above all, let us not ignore the glorious promises of 1:9 and
2:1-2 - that when we step out of light into darkness, there is a
loving, forgiving God who comes to us in faithfulness and justice to
forgive and cleanse us of our sins if we will but stop trying to put
a "spin" on our sins and cry out, "God, be merciful to me, a
sinner."
The Father of the prodigal waits by the gate. But we must come home,
penniless, friendless, hopeless, willing to turn from that life to
the new life the Father offers.
Glory to God.
